By principle, all VPN (Virtual Private Network) providers secure your Internet connection. Once your computer is connected to a VPN server, all your online activities are encrypted. This therefore protects you from third parties that try to intercept your communication. With a VPN, a new IP address will be assigned to you. Your real IP address is hidden, as well as your geo-location. This now allows you to surf anonymously. But if you’re looking for a really good VPN provider, you should consider the following:
Security Level
Different VPN providers offer different levels of security. If you need the highest level of security, you might want to choose the one that offers 256-bit encryption. But if you’re only an occasional user and you’re not so much concern about security, then a 128-bit encryption is fine. If you’re in any country in the Middle East, there are many restricted sites and you’ll have less freedom online. VPNs can help you unblock those sites; just make sure that your VPN provider does not keep logs or store your information.
Speed and Consistency
The faster Internet connection you have, the better. Choosing the speed depends on the activity you will perform. If you’re into HD video streaming using your VPN, you need at least 5Mbps. Speed also depends on where you are and the location of the VPN server. Faster VPN servers are also likely to be more expensive because it requires less number of users. However, speed is useless if you have an intermittent Internet connection. Make sure your VPN provider can provide a consistent connection.
Mobile Apps
These days that mobile devices are becoming a necessity, your VPN should have a mobile app. But make sure you choose the type of VPN that provides excellent support for different operating software. Open VPN supports mobile devices but it is still not yet as good as for desktop computers. Currently, there is a need for more improvements before they can perfect this. To avoid using two separate VPNs for mobile and desktop, read the policy of the VPN provider carefully before you get their services.
Price
There are tons of free VPN services in case you don’t want to spend money. But because their services are free, you cannot expect the same quality and reliability as compared to the paid ones. Plus of course, be ready to be bombarded with tons of ads and to receive poor customer service. On the other hand, paid VPNs have more features. The price for premium VPNs mainly depends of the level of security they provide. It also depends on how many countries that their VPN servers are available.
Finally, a good VPN service provider is the one that provides superb customer service. In case your VPN IP address was blocked, a new one should immediately be provided to you. But at the end of the day, you should know what you really need from a VPN. Otherwise, you might be spending money for the extra security features that you don’t need.