It’s widely known, that when you surf the web, your data is exposed. Meaning that people can get access to the data you transmit (which can include sensitive details like your bank or medical information). That is if you don’t invest in a high-quality VPN. Astrill VPN is a feature-rich VPN provider with apps for just about every device.
You Are Being Watched!
Did you know that your internet service provider (ISP) logs everything that you do online? Every website you visit, everything you “Google” for, the emails you send – yep, just about everything is shared with the government intelligence agencies.
You may ask – If you’re doing nothing wrong, then why do you need to be protected? Good question – there are many reasons! Firstly, nobody really has a right to snoop on everything that you do – unless you don’t protect yourself. Secondly, it’s not just intelligence agencies that can get access to your data – hackers and other malicious people can get access too. Additionally – this data can be sold, and then be used to market / manipulate your buying decisions.
For all of these reasons, it is a great idea to invest in a VPN. But there are so many – it’s important to do your homework before investing in your chosen VPN provider.
It’s important to note that not all VPNs were made equally. Some are just as prone to snooping as your employer, hackers, and intelligence agencies are. Making your choice of VPN even more important.
Privacy With Astrill VPN
Privacy is a seriously important aspect of your chosen VPN provider. They must have a strict no-logs policy. Astrill does have a no-logs policy in place. However, it is not a strict no-logs policy, because they keep a track of your active session when you are online. They do say that:
“No logs whatsoever are stored on VPN servers after the connection is terminated.”
This means that logs are stored when you are connected. Sure there are no permanent logs kept, but its an important one to note. On the up-side, Astrill VPN doesn’t appear to have any DNS leaks, which is great news on the security front.
Anonymity with Astrill VPN
Astrill VPN protects your identity online in several ways. They don’t keep logs, they use Onion over VPN and also allow you to pay with Bitcoin.
Bitcoin Payments
Paying for your VPN with a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin keeps you safe. It means that there is no fiat paper trail that will allow your ISP, government or others to know that you are using a VPN. If you use normal payments, like a credit card or your debit card, then your account will say the name of the VPN on that entry out of your account, which provides clear evidence that you’ve bought a VPN. Choosing a VPN provider that takes Bitcoin (like Astrill VPN) is a great extra measure when protecting your anonymity.
What is Onion over VPN?
Many VPNs use Onion over VPN in addition to their regular VPN security. Onion over VPN provides enhanced anonymity while browsing the web. Onion routing is another way to encrypt data, more specifically the encryption is done in layers.
Using Onion with a VPN provides extra security as the data packets have to go through two main layers of encryption. Often people choose to run TOR (The Onion Router) alongside their VPN. If you choose to go with Astrill, they have got you covered in this area!
Astrill VPN Encryption Protocols
Astrill VPN offers a variety of encryption protocols to choose from. This means that you’ll be safe when using the internet on public networks, for example in a cafe or store, where free WiFi is offered.
Why is Encryption Important?
When we are using the internet in public places we are exposed. The data packets are sent down a public network, and as such can be intercepted at any point. This means that hackers can get in the way and steal your details, images or worse still, they can send you to a fake checkout, where they can steal your money.
To prevent hackers from getting into your data stream, it’s important to be able to choose from a variety of encryption methods. Astrill VPN allow you to encrypt with the following:
- OpenWeb
- OpenVPN
- StealthVPN
- Wireguard
The location of the server and which one you choose will provide you with strong security. However, sometimes this will slow your device down, therefore you might want to switch it on and off as and when required. This is a feature of Astrill VPN. Their apps are pretty easy to use and allow you full flexibility to choose servers, features, and protocols.
Astrill VPN Speed
Some of the servers from Astrill work at a decent rate. Normally if you choose a server closer to you. Therefore, bear this in mind if you want to have a decent speed. Astrill has 115 servers across 63 countries, so a good range of geographic locations. You might need to test a few of their servers to find the fastest one. Better that than be stuck with seriously slow service. You can test your server speed with Astrill directly from their app.
PRO TIP: Test your VPN speed and if you are not happy, choose a different server until you find one that works well for you.
Related: What is the Fastest VPN of 2019?
Built-in Ad Blocker
One thing that I love about VPNs is their built-in adblockers. When I find this feature, the VPN goes up the ranks, in my books. Mainly as advertisements can contain malware that can destroy your device.
Astrill VPN allows you to enable an Ad Blocker with heir OpenWeb protocol, which is nice. Astrill VPN is feature-rich, you might need to dig around – but it offers some great security features.
Simultaneous Connections
With Astrill VPN you can use up to 5 devices simultaneously. That is OK but not ideal. There are some VPNs that go out of their way to allow you to use your VPN subscription on unlimited devices, which is preferable. But 5 devices will work fine for most.
Does Astrill VPN Work with Netflix?
In short YES! Astrill VPN works to unblock Netflix content. If you get the right server, then you should experience a decent service from Astrill, where you can unblock and stream Netflix smoothly.
One thing I would stress, if you decide to go with Astrill VPN is to be patient and try out a few of their servers. It can be done with the touch of a button, so it is simple – but choosing the right server can make a massive impact on your viewing experience.
Flexible Features From Astrill VPN
You can set up Astrill VPN to work the way you want it to. For example, you can choose to block some sites and not others. Change servers, enable adblockers and they also have a kill switch to stop any DNS leaks. When it comes to bandwidth and speed, Astrill allows you unlimited bandwidth – which is ideal for streaming. They also offer unlimited speed.
Atrill VPN Packages and Pricing
Astrill VPN allows you to buy your subscription in a variety of ways. As with most VPNs, you pay less if you sign up for longer. The cheapest deal is the 1-year deal, which is half the price of the 1 or six-month package.
Astrill VPN does have a free trial, but you need to get a coupon from them to access it. Also bear in mind that they don’t offer any money-back guarantee, which could be a bit off-putting for someone who simply wants to try them out for size.
Astrill VPN Customer Support
When it comes to customer support, Astrill VPN comes out on top. You can get in touch with them 24/7 via email, live chat, and phone. They also offer comprehensive tutorials if you’d rather go down the DIY route.
The only real downside is that they don’t offer customer support in any other language other than English. In saying that, they do have the ability to translate their website into a wide range of international languages.
The Bottom Line
AstrillVPN has a wealth of features, and just about everything you might need from a VPN. Other than allowing you to access and stream BBC iPlayer. They don’t offer a free trial unless you request a coupon from them and they don’t have a money-back guarantee, so you need to be 100% if you want to choose this provider.