IPVanish Review

When we started using IPVanish we fell in love its use of shared IPs, its no data logs policy, a huge range of servers, a BitTorrent friendly attitude and of course its speedy performance. However, later on we got a warning message that we had violated the P2P Copyright. The fact that we got this message means that IPVanish does indeed keep a log of user’s traffic and his activity. Therefore, we would say that privacy is not your first priority then IPVanish is indeed a fast and dependable service and it has a good enough Android app as well.

Pricing and features

With IPVanish you get an ‘all-in-one’ plan which is available for $10 per month and if you go for the yearly option then the cost comes down to $6.49 per month.

IPVanish certainly has the largest selection of servers giving you a choice between 110 servers in 47 different countries around the world. In fact some of their servers are even located in the likes of India, Panama, Egypt and Brazil. Not only can the user select and change any server of choice, they can also make the selection between L2TP, PPTP and Open VPN.

In the FAQ section, it is clearly mentioned that P2P downloading is allowed; however an year earlier, when we first reviewed their service and tried downloading, we got a ToS violation warning email almost immediately for BitTorrenting a movie. Upon requesting an explanation, they replied by saying that P2P downloading is allowed but only of legal content. Illegal copyright violations are not permitted in any case.

One of the bigger flaws is that only one device can be connected at one time. this is certainly a set back because in these times almost everyone has more than a single smart device besides having a desktop or laptop. so it is very restrictive.

The Website

The website of IPVanish is quite cool and most of the information required by the user is already present on the FAQ page.

Customer Support

You can contact the customer support service anytime of the day, all days of the week through email. Live chat is also available but only during the 5 working days from 9am to 5pm EST. we tried contacting through email and got our first reply after an hour, but then we had sent it during the first hours of daylight.

Privacy and security

In the case of shared dynamic IP addresses, which means that every time a user connects, he is provided with a different IP address that is shared by many others, the anonymity can still be maintained to some extent.

However, the ToS violation that we received is a proof that IPVanish can indeed identify its users and their activity. IPVanish contacted us stating that could keep a check of the violation not because they kept logs but because they monitored the activities in real time. however, even if that was true, it doesn’t really guarantee the privacy of the user. They assured us that the logs are regularly cycled but we didn’t really understand what that meant.

Because IPVanish is stationed in the US, the Patriot Act, NSA surveillance measures and National Security letters all apply to it. people do say that being a US company, it is protected from the NSA intrusion, which the other non US systems are not, yet this has still not proven to be true for Microsoft and Google. Therefore since IPVanish carries a high profile, it is very much possible that the NSA might not have neglected it too.

IPVanish has proven to have a sound technical support. The OpenVPNencryption which are used are excellent.

The Process

The Windows Client

The setup is simple and the client guides you at every step so that you make a personalized connection.

Below is the preference page. Here you will be able to choose how you want to connect to your VPN client.

A small icon in the Notification bar goes green to tell you that you are protected.

There are no real complaints from IPVanish, except that the Windows Client is still a bit simple.

The Android App

Developing an app that is compatible with the various smart devices in use today has become essential so it was good to see that IPVanish has developed for both Android and iOS. We tested the Android app and here is what we got.

With TCP OpenVPN, you can choose between the different servers easily. 

Your data usage will be shown as a colorful graph.

The iOS app appeared to us to be more simpler than the Android one; however we didn’t the chance to actually try it out. The iOS didn’t support OpenVPN either.

For OSX, there is a dedicated VPN, Tomato IPVanish routers and pre-flashed DD-WRT.

Performance

Down below you can see that we used testmy.net to conduct the performance tests of IPVanish. For this test, we selected the Netherland’s test server at a speed of 20Mbps. In one test the protocol was OpenVPN and in the other we did not use any protocol.

with no VPN

With OpenVPN andNetherland server

With OpenVPN and UK server

Result

Good Points

• No proof of usage logs

• Shared dynamic IP addresses helped protect our identity.

• The encryption used on VPN was good

• Got good results on performance and DNS leak tests
• We found both Android and iOS apps of IPVanish to be very good.
• There was a long list of servers to choose from

• We were satisfied with the customer service.

Doubtful Features

• No usage logs but connection logs were present

• VPN could be made better

• We are not all that satisfied with the cost

Negative Points

• We won’t bet our lives on the privacy claims

• We didn’t like the non-availability of Bitcoin payment option.

• ExpressVPN is located in US which means a lot of laws
• We were put off by the fact that only one connection can be made at one time.

We using the IPVanish service last year and were becoming satisfied with its performance until we received a warning letter from the company regarding downloads made of copyrighted content. The thing that troubled us was that they said they didn’t keep any logs then how was it possible for them to trace this downloading activity?

Therefore, it was out of the question to trust that there won’t be any privacy breeches but for someone who doesn’t give it too much importance can still go for their, otherwise good service.

When we got the warning, this is how we replied,

‘This year we are reviewing your service for the BestVPN website but we have some doubts and we want to get them cleared first. Below is an excerpt of what we wrote to you last year after receiving a warning letter.’

“We had only started using your service two days back and were shocked to receive your warning letter regarding the downloading of copyrighted content. We thought you upheld your privacy policy but what kind of a policy do you have if you monitor the activities of the users of your service. Because if that was not the case, then how could you detect our downloads.”

The company gave us this reply.

Our TOS policy states that we only allow legal traffic while using our service.We don’t even block the usage like others do but that does not mean that we don’t have a system that would monitor illegal traffic. We have offered dynamic IP addresses so that specific user traffic cannot be monitored. And also we have a system that continuously rotates the logs that are kept of logs. But we are a firm that abides to the legal restrictions so if there is an illegal traffic then we have to put down our foot. For example, we have a strict policy against selling accounts to people who are living in Syria and Iran, which are amongst the ‘banned’ countries.

The takedown only occurs in real time and that does not mean that we keep logs. There are systems that monitor the traffic of users in real time and when they see illegal activity then we are notified and we take actions. We repeat again that we do not keep logs and ensure that privacy is respected. With that we also encourage and make sure that users of our service follow the law.

We sent back a reply to their email as follows:

You may be right in what you said but there was an anonymous survey of VPN services to which you had responded in the following manner.

• We do not sniff around the activity of the users.

• We don’t keep the logsof user’s activities to ensure that privacy of every one is protected

• We allow P2P downloads

• We do not block protocols, connections or servers and we don’t restrict any kind of traffic.

This is all very confusing for us so we want to know if either your policy has changed since then or you don’t follow it to the letter.

We received another reply.

Let us explain by saying that there is a server admin that logs in and out to check if there is a breach of code or if someone is trying to do illegal download which you were and a DMCA takedown had to come in order. If the admin server notes illegal P2P download then the connection of that particular IP address is stopped.

The only thing that has changed since the time we sent you that warning notice is that we don’t send such notices now. Instead we simply stop the connection.

Thank you,

Plans and Packages

Vpn Protection Layers Protocols

Server Locations

The Positives

1. Ease of installation and use: IPVanish is very easy to install. It’s not like the other VON service providers that have unduly complex installation process. After completion of installation, you will fond that the software is highly user friendly. The set up is very easy and quick since of the high compatibility of IPVanish with most operating systems including Android, Windows, and Mac among others.  When the installation process is complete you will be able to access the IPVanish servers with t your personal login information and then begin the use of the company’s VPN services. After logging in you will find various other available features.
2. IPVanish offers high security level which can provide users with the assurance that they need, that their sensitive data and browsing habits are fully protected.  At the local Wi-Fi hotspots in which there is high risk of theft identity, IPVanish will offer the required protection. It employs the latest encryption so as to ensure that it delivers top notch security. Its protocol support 128-bit encryption, L2TP and PPTP.  The OpenVPN security layer offers the best security because it offers the reputed 256-bit encryption.
3. IPVanish delivers good performance across the board.  It is not that the connection is very fast but it’s very stable.  When it comes to the unblocking of geo restricted websites such as Netflix and Hulu, IPVanish works very well.  In the United States, IPVanish has actually outperformed its competitors in terms of high speed. IPVanish servers have also recorded fast speeds in the United Kingdom (and generally the larger Europe) and Canada.
4. High degree of protection of privacy and anonymity: IPVanish has not only built reputation for its ability of providing high speeds but also high degrees of privacy.  This is reinforced by the fact that IPVanish doesn’t maintain logs which detail user activities such as for example the websites that the user visits, communications via email, etc.  This is unlike some other VPN service providers who keep logs that can reveal the identity of the users of their services. IPVanish tracks only bytes transferred, timestamps, connection duration, as well as the IP addresses that have been used.  At the present, it is one of the leading anonymous VPN providers in the market.
5. Money back guarantee: although IPVanish does not offer free trial the way many other VPN service providers do, it offers 7-day money back guarantee. If you feel dissatisfied with the services that they offer you can get 100% money refund, 7 days after signing up for their service. IPVanish review show that the company actually does offer the refund of one is not satisfied with their services.
6. The IPVanish software can be installed on various computers and devices.  This offers a lot of flexibility for the users. For instance, when you are at home using PC and you want to leave home, you cans till access IPVanish VPN services on smart phone through L2TP or PPTP protocols. This software is also very user friendly and allows high quality protection to all the internet users.  There are no bandwidth restrictions or hidden fees, you will enjoy uploading, downloading and browsing as and when you wish.

The Negatives

Conclusion