Surfshark Review

COMPLETE REVIEW

How do VPNs protect us?

VPNs protect its users in many ways. First, they can help hide your location. Before going to the websites of your choice, your service will first allow you to choose a specific location which will be shown as your location. For example, a user from Canada can choose to be shown to becoming from Cape Town. This prevents any hackers from tracking your location and home address. Aside from this, it will also help you bypass geo-filters and restrictions with streaming services that have specific licenses for different countries.

It also encrypts the information that you upload online. Before being sent to the website of your choice, the data you send will first be encrypted using AES 256-bit encryption. Surfshark also supports IKEv2 protocols and OpenVPN for this. You can choose UDP or TCP in their Android and Windows application. Once connected to Windows, Android, or Apple, the VPN will encrypt everything you upload online.

If a hacker is able to get hold of your info, the data they will take will already be encrypted. This means they won’t be able to thoroughly read the exact information you will upload.

Features of Surfshark VPN

The features of Surfshark are innovative and unique. Together, they help in ensuring that maximum protection can be achieved whenever you are browsing online. The following are their features:

• Integration to your browser– Their services can be linked to FireFox and Chrome as extensions. This helps in easing the process of using a VPN.
• Automatic kill switch– To prevent any information from being leaked in case a hacker is able to bypass the VPN’s security, your connection to the internet will automatically be cut. This kill switch closes all vulnerable applicationsin order to prevent your data from being seen.
• Secure encryption– This is an important part of using a Virtual Private Network. Everything you upload online will be encrypted once you are connected to their server. In case a hacker will be able to take hold of your data, it will be unreadable. This is one of the reasons why using a VPN may make your connection a little slower, though. The strength of this encryption depends upon the particular service you are using.
• Multi-hop VPN– This is Surfshark’s own dual VPN function. Instead of only connectingto one server like in most VPNs, Surfshark allows you to connect to two servers to maximize security. This will take a toll on your surfing speed, though.
• CleanWeb– This is a unique feature that fortifies your security against malware, phishing scams, and address tracking.
• DNS Leak Protection– Leaking your DNS may lead to hackers knowing your point of origin. It can also be used to track your online activities. Having a DNS Leak Protection prevents this from happening.
• Camouflage Mode– This is a unique feature that can greatly benefit those who live in countries with censorship for their users. It enables you to bypass network firewalls and blocks. It also prevents your ISP from being able to monitor your online activities. It works on iOS, Android, and Windows.
• Bypassing geo-filters and restrictions– Because streaming websites have different licenses for each show and movie they show, some countries may not have access to particular content. Using a good VPN can help bypass this. The user simply has to choose a country where this content is available and choose to connect there

Quality of Service

When it comes to VPNs, several factors are reviewed to see if a VPN is of high quality. This includes the speed of internet connection while using the VPN, the rate of security, quality of features, reliability of customer service, and the likes.

• Speed of internet– One of the downsides to using Virtual Private Networks is a slower internet speed. This is because the service needs to encrypt your data first before sending it to the server of your choice. This helps in protecting your information but results in a downgrade in terms of speed.

Surfshark scored well even with all of its security protocols. The speed of the internet even when using the VPN is close to the original. The biggest downgrade we have seen from all its servers is 3 Mbps and less. This means that activities that need fast internet like streaming videos, uploading files, and playing online games can still be done even when using the VPN.

• Security– This is an important aspect of the VPN that distinguishes a good one fromthe rest. DNS leaks are the first thing to be reviewed while using the VPN. Upon testing, Surfshark came out capable of securing our test computer. Information like IP address and location of use was not accessible.

Their features make all the difference for the VPN. They have a DNS leak protection, automatic kill-switch, secure encryption, and other features that help in securing the user. The VPN uses an AES 256-bit encryption. It also supports IKEv2 protocols and OpenVPN for better security.

Aside from this, Surfshark has also stated in their user policy that they do not record the activities of their users. This is a good feature that makes users safer whenever using the service.

To help you in protecting yourself, it is best to use cryptocurrency whenever purchasing online. Your credit card information can still be accessed online if you use it on malicious websites.

• Access to geo-filtered content- Access to content that is restricted for certain websites may be one of the reasons for getting a VPN. This is an important factor that may even be a cause for unsubscribing some services. This is because some streaming services and websites may have specific licenses for specific countries which makes them unavailable to make all of their content available worldwide. Aside from this, some countries also have censorships which prevent citizens from going to specific websites.

Surfshark was able to bypass the filters of most of the websites that we have tried it on. It was able to bypass both Netflix and Youtube which has strong filters compared to others. However, we had some problems when attempting to use Hulu in certain servers.

From the test, we have seen that Surfshark is a good VPN that minimizes the slower internet speeds that similar services can cause. It also has good encryption and security features that make a user more secure when using it. It can also access most contents that are geo-filtered.

In terms of pricing, all of Surfshark’s plans give users all of their features. This means that even with the lowest price, you are still given maximum protection. They also have a good money-back guarantee that allows you to be refunded if you are not satisfied with their service.

Their features are innovative and useful for their users. Their integration to Windows, iOS, and Android ensures that a higher number of people can use their services. Their camouflage feature is also good for those living in specific countries with censorships for certain websites.

Overall, Surfshark is a recommendable VPN.