NordVPN Review (updated for 2024)
James Patterson | Last Updated:
Online Privacy & Internet Security Expert
If you’re someone who likes to do what they want online, without the worry of being monitored by ISPs and Government agencies, then NordVPN is perfect for you. Based in Panama, the service is perfect for ordinary internet users like you looking to bypass our Governments proposed decryption laws.
Some of the major selling points of the NordVPN service that continue to be important during 2024 are the massive global network of more than 5,000 servers, high-speed fibre connections and optimisations to support P2P servers as well as video and music streaming from other nations around the world. No matter which country that you live in, you’re able to connect to just about any country in the world through NordVPN.
NordVPN Prices:
Below are the latest NordVPN subscription prices, current as at April 2024:
Network Speed
Although NordVPN boasts one of the largest server networks in the world, their service has previously been plagued with blackouts, connection errors and general poor internet experience. We’re happy to report though that NordVPN have responded to this and have invested in a massive upgrade of an array of servers across the world, which our in-house tests have confirmed have resolved these speed issues completely.
With ongoin infrastructure upgrades, the service is now highly optimised in most major locations around the world including USA, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand. That means users connection from Australia to Europe and the Americas should have no problem doing so and speeds will certainly be faster and more consistent than ever before.
Take a look at NordVPNs new changes below:
Ultra Fast Video Streaming – NordVPN has multiple servers that are tailored specifically for video streaming and deliver consistently high speeds. That means users in locations outside of the USA looking to watch new episodes of American TV or fresh episodes of the hottest shows will be able to do so without worry.
P2P Websites – In many countries around the world (such as Australia), where ISPs are required by Government to block access to many P2P websites, applications or any other P2P-like service. These ISPs include: Telstra TPG, Optus, IINet, Primus, Exetel, and Dodo. If you are connected to one of these ISPs and try to connect to a P2P site (such as The Pirate Bay, KissAss Torrents, Torrent Freak, Isohunt, Bittorrent, Popcorn Time, or Torrentz) you will be blocked. However, with a vpn you are able to circumvent these regulations and connect to P2P sites without restriction. A quality vpn service provider like NordVPN will allow you access any website you want.
The NordVPN service bypasses this and allows unthrottled, full-speed access to websites enabling you to access large P2P files. Regardless of download sizes, NordVPN will refrain from slowing your connection, allowing you to continue downloading your large files at almost the same speed as your NBN connection.
Security Features
Security is a prime focus for NordVPN and that means offering its users additional features to enhance their security whilst online. Two of the stand-out features for us include the following:
Double Data Encryption –Perfect for Australians who aren’t impressed with the government’s recent encryption ban, this feature is a privacy solution that sends users’ Internet traffic through two VPN servers. For most VPN users, this enhanced level of security is greatly welcomed. In cases where Aussies desire an enhanced level of anonymity, the DoubleVPN solution can be extremely useful.
Kill Switch – No matter what VPN service provider you select, there always exists a small possibility that the VPN connection may drop out during your session, potentiality exposing your IP address or your browsing data. The NordVPN team has created and implemented an automatic kill switch that will instantly block online communication the moment a VPN drops out. This means if anything does happen to your internet connection or the VPN, you can rest assured that your IP, geolocation and more are all kept safe – and you will therefore not be blocked when you reconnect to the website you are trying to access. With this in mind, a Kill Switch feature is particularly important if you are wanting to watch Netflix USA or BBC iPlayer from Australia.
Server Locations
When it comes down to the size of VPN networks, very few services beat NordVPN. The 5,100 high-speed servers spread across 62 countries make NordVPN one of the most diverse and largest global VPNs with regards to the number of server options users have. Australians looking to connect to almost any country around the globe will have no trouble when using NordVPN.
Just a few of the countries in which NordVPN have a server presence include:
Austria, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, South Africa, Romania, Brazil, Poland, Australia, Sweden, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Russia, Lithuania, Canada, Singapore, Germany, Latvia, Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam.
VPN Protocol Support
When using NordVPN for the first time you’ll find that all apps are pre-configured with the recommended protocol setting to provide maximum online privacy and security. In the vast majority of cases, the average VPN user will not need to alter these settings in any way.
However, for more technically minded VPN users, NordVPN offers the following suite of VPN protocols:
- IKEv2/IPsec
- OpenVPN
- L2TP/IPsec (*)
- PPTP (*)
- SSTP (*)
IKEv2/IPsec – it is highly recommended by NordVPN and has been adopted as a default in the NordVPN apps for iOS and Mac OS.
OpenVPN – is currently used by default in NordVPN apps. This is the recommend vpn protocol for the most security-conscious.
Data Logging Policy
This is where Australians might be particularly interested. Our government has recently pushed for a cross-country decryption policy forcing tech communication companies to allow government eyes to peek into what all citizens are doing, regardless of whether they have a warrant or not. Thanks to NordVPN being located in Panama, there is no legal requirement for them to keep logs and therefore no way for the Australian Government to access what users are doing.
Items NOT Logged:
- Time/date when users go online.
- Servers users connect to.
- Websites users visit.
- Files users download.
For the security minded, this would have to be the strongest Data Logging Policy of all VPN service providers that we have ever reviewed. From a data logging perspective alone, NordVPN is a clear winner.
Customer Support
NordVPN offers Australian users a multitude of different ways to get in touch with their Customer Support team:
- Live Chat
- Contact Form
When we put their Live Chat to the test, we found their response times to be very good. We received a response from their customer support person in under 30 seconds – so of course, we had absolutely no complaints about that, and were quite impressed! The representative that we chatted with was technically competent, friendly to deal with, and efficient.
For those that prefer to be as self-sufficient as possible, we found that their Tutorials section was comprehensive to say the least ! This section of their website lists all the supported devices, compatible vpn protocols, as well as detailed installation and troubleshooting guides for each.
Supported Devices
If you’re interested in connecting through NordVPN you’ll be glad to know that the service supports almost every device imaginable. Support for mobile, tablet, smartTVs, computers and more mean no matter what device you want to secure your connection with, you’ll be in luck. Take a look at the support platforms below:
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Chrome OS
- Windows Phone
- Linux
- Rasberry Pi
Company Location
NordVPN is based in Panama.
Due to the fact that the company is located outside of Australia, NordVPN enjoys security benefits over other VPN service providers located in either the UK, US and Australia. A reason for this being such a positive is the fact that Panama does not have any data retention laws. When we recently asked NordVPN for further information on this matter, they stated that “NordVPN operates under the jurisdiction of Panama and will not comply with requests from foreign governments and law enforcement agencies.”
Pros
- Located in Panama – no data retention laws.
- Zero data logs.
- Optimised video streaming servers.
- Optimised P2P servers.
- 30-day money back guarantee.
Cons
- Linux not currently supported.
Conclusion
For Australians, NordVPN is one of our preferrred options for security, global server diversity and overall freedom. A server network that spans the globe, no log recording and unlimited P2P and downloading allowance makes the NordVPN truly one of the most comprehensive and worthy for use from within Australia.
Network speed and performance are critical areas that NordVPN have improved dramatically in recent years, with highly optimised fibre optic server connections tailored specifically for Video Streaming and Peer To Peer. Just these reasons alone make NordVPN a reputable and reliable VPN service provider that we would wholeheartedly recommend for our Australian users.
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