With many global VPNs available in the Australian market, how can you choose the best one for you? VPN providers offer a variety of features, so it’s best to consider what network you need and how much you’re willing to pay.
As Neel Baggam, cybersecurity engineer at Deloitte, explains, some of the most crucial factors to consider when comparing VPNs are to “read the privacy policy to understand what kind of logs and data the provider collects from of the user, and how it is stored”.
Baggam also recommends making sure the VPN provider has fast network speed and an extensive server network. Here’s what it all means, plus some additional VPN features to consider.
Related: North VPN Review
Number of servers and locations
The number of servers and locations in a VPN can affect the overall quality of the network. If it has a large number of servers, it means that all VPN providers users will be spread across those servers. With a smaller number of users on each server, this allows for better connection speeds and stable performance.
Additionally, a higher number of servers spread across various locations allows users to switch between preferred locations. This can improve the security of your connection, as it is more difficult for third parties to track your data if the server with which you are accessing websites is based in Australia one day, but connects from the UK the next.
Simultaneous connections
VPN providers offering a variable number of simultaneous connections. This means that you, your family or your business can connect to the same network at the same time on different devices.
Even when simultaneously connected to the same network, the individual user’s data will not be shared between devices. It’s more common for a VPN provider to offer around five simultaneous connections, although some offer more.
Connection and download speeds
“Whenever you go online, speed matters. No one wants to deal with page loads, long downloads, stream buffering, or lagging video games,” writes Michael Gargiulo, founder of vpn.com.
However, using a VPN slows down the average Internet experience by 10-20%, a difference that would be barely noticeable, according to Gargiulo. But for people with heavy internet use, finding a VPN with no speed lag is paramount.
Access to streaming services
Although it may seem like a loophole, accessing overseas streaming services in Australia is completely legal.
“Under Australian copyright law, it’s not illegal to use a VPN to access geo-blocked content from legitimate providers,” says Baggam.
“However, it is still illegal to access content that infringes copyright.” This means that illegal torrenting and content piracy remain a criminal offence.
Use abroad
Generally speaking, the bigger the VPN provider, the safer it is to use. This is due to the number of servers mentioned above compared to the number of users, which makes it more difficult for third parties to track data that is widely distributed.
However, the size of a VPN provider also puts it at risk of being blacklisted in some countries.
According to VPN.com, a total ban on VPN usage is in place in China, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Oman, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Belarus. , while some specific VPN providers are blocked in other countries. even if VPN usage is allowed.
No logging policy
A “no-logging policy” means that the VPN will not collect or log any information on its network, unlike how a regular network would store your browsing history. If a VPN provider says they have a no-logs policy, they won’t keep any records of your online activity, including what sites you access, what you download, or what you search for.
It will also not store any data that can be used to identify you. This means that in case a VPN provider falls victim to cybercrime, hackers cannot access any of your personal or browsing data as it is not stored on the network in the first place.
Immobilizer
A VPN kill switch automatically disconnects you from the Internet if your VPN connection is lost. This protects you from temporary exposure of unencrypted data, making it an important feature for users to consider when comparing VPN providers.
Price
Obviously, an important factor to consider when comparing the right VPN for your personal or business use is cost effectiveness.
Often, while a provider may seem cheap and have a significant number of users, it may also be a provider more used by people trying to use VPNs to do the wrong thing: access illegal content or commit a cybercrime.
Using a slightly more premium provider reduces the risk of your traffic and data being mixed or attributed to these users. Usually a user would see around $12 per month for a decent provider.
Companies trying to break into the market may be less successful, and vendors offering additional features may be more expensive.
In any case, it is better to choose a supplier that meets your needs for a reasonable price.
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