By: Hailey | Last updated June 29, 2020 
There are many reasons why you would want/need to use a VPN to connect to the internet. Virtual private networks are widely used all across the Globe, so much so that an entire industry has developed and flourished around them.
VPN stands for virtual private network and it is a technology that encrypts your digital data when you connect to the internet. VPNs hide your real IP address and allow you to securely connect to any network, even public WiFi, without leaving any traces. VPNs use certain protocols such as OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, IKEv2/IPsec and others to encrypt your data and keep you protected every time you are connected to the Internet.
VPNs allow you to connect to the internet from a specific location and look like you are actually connecting from a completely different area on the Globe. For instance, you can be located in New York and use a VPN to make it look like you are in fact in China, Europe or anywhere else in the world. VPNs make that possible by assigning you different IP addresses, depending on the server you are connecting through.
The advantages of using a VPN
There are a lot of advantages of using a virtual private network to connect to the internet. Here are the most important ones:
- You can surf the internet securely, without being afraid someone might hack your data and steal valuable information from you, such as personal, financial data and so on. All reputable VPN providers use top-notch security tools and encryption methods to make sure their customers are 100% protected
- You can bypass geo-restrictions and internet censorship; there are a lot of countries that have strict laws regarding internet use whether they apply to citizens living in that country or to foreigners. VPNs allow you to connect to servers from all around the world, which helps you solve a lot of problems; there are also websites that are geo-restricted and this way you can easily get access to them. Streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and so on, are a good example and a good VPN is capable of unlocking them
- VPNs help you download and use torrents anonymously, without being afraid that you might get caught
- VPNs offer reliable protection when you connect to unsecure networks such as public WiFi in coffee shops, malls, airports and so on; that protection extends to your mobile devices as well, because most VPN providers offer mobile support and have dedicated apps compatible with both Android and iOS devices
Factors to consider when choosing a VPN provider
Not everybody has the same needs and priorities when it comes to VPNs. However, there are some general guidelines you should follow when looking for a VPN provider:
- Speed – not all VPNs behave the same; some of them slow down your device more and some, less. Choose a VPN that is fast
- Supported protocols – opt for a VPN that supports all the major protocols
- Security – make sure the VPN uses 256-AES encryption and strong security tools
- No logs – some VPN providers, usually those that offer free VPNs, might keep logs on their customers’ connection and online activity and sell user information to third-parties for advertising purposes; make sure the provider clearly states that it has a zero-log policy
- Number of available servers – The more servers the provider has and the more widespread they are, the better. Major players such as NordVPN, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost and others, have thousands of servers worldwide
- Torrenting policy – not all VPN providers are equally permissive when it comes to P2P sharing. If you know you use torrents a lot, make sure your VPN provider allows it
- The ability to unlock streaming services such as Netflix, etc.
TorGuard – is it a good VPN to consider?
TorGuard is a very popular VPN and one of the fastest on the market. It has more than 3,000 servers all over the world: in the Americas, Europe, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Africa (Egypt, Tunisia), India and more.
Pricing
This VPN comes with a free 7-day trial and has 4 plans to choose from: Monthly, Quarterly, Semi-annually and Annually. There is also a 7-day money back guarantee.
The monthly plan is priced at $9.99/month.
The quarterly plan is $19.99.
The semi-annual plan is $29.99.
The annual plan is $59.99.
TorGuard accepts several payment methods: credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, American Express), PayPal, Paymentwall, cryptocurrency and others.
Features
Regardless of the pricing option you choose, you get the following features:
- Access to all their 3,000 + servers located in over 50 countries worldwide
- Unlimited bandwidth and speed
- Up to 5 simultaneous connections
- Support for all the major protocols: OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP, IPsec, SSTP and more
- Mobile support for all operating systems
- Free 24/7 customer support via phone, live chat and e-mail
- A no-logs policy
- Two-factor authentication, kill-switch feature and 256- bit AES encryption
- Netflix unlocking
- Great speeds
As we’ve already mentioned it, TorGuard supports a lot of devices and has apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Wifi Routers.
As far as their torrenting policy goes, TorGuard is very torrenting-friendly. It has dedicated servers for P2P sharing and works the best with BitTorrent, but not only with that. There is also a torrent proxy offered by TorGuard and it works with all the major torrent clients: uTorrent, Vuse, Deluge.
In terms of speed, TorGuard is among the fastest VPNs you can find. You get download speeds of more than 50Mbps. In case you were wondering, their slowest servers are located in Asia.
TorGuard is serious about respecting its customers’ privacy and states it only keeps some of the info required for billing, but it won’t sell it to third-parties. If you want to have further peace of mind, you can also go with TorGuard’s anonymous payment anytime.
TorGuard is fast, secure, allows torrenting, can unblock Netflix and it doesn’t keep any activity logs on its customers, so we definitely recommend it.
