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NordVPN Review

NordVPN Overview

NordVPN is one of the most popular VPNs on the market, but does this mean it provides amazing speeds and security, even though it’s cheaper than most VPN services?

During this NordVPN review updated for 2023, I will put it to the test to see how it compares to its competition. All the test results are backed up by screenshots posted in the review below.

During this NordVPN we will test out:

DNS leaks done on the desktop application
A number of speed tests on different NordVPN servers across the world
How well NordVPN can handle streaming and compatibility with Netflix
Specialty servers (Double-VPN and P2P servers)
Testing the kill switch feature and leak protection

Here is an overview of my findings:

NordVPN Pros & Cons

Pros

Large server network
Super strong privacy and security features
Fast and reliable speeds
Great customer support
Secure apps with no leaks
Verified no logs VPN provider
NordVPN is based in Panama
Works great with Netflix
Excellent prices and refund policy
Security upgrades for 2023 and beyond

Cons

See NordVPNs 70% off

Pros:

NordVPN's Huge server network

NordVPN has a large number of servers. Currently NordVPN carries over 5,300 servers in 58 countries!

Over the years, NordVPN has regularly increased and updated its server network to enhance performance and user experience. The growth has resulted in better speeds for users.

NordVPN has a good number of obfuscated servers. Obfuscated servers are servers that can bypass internet restrictions such as network firewalls. They are mostly used in countries with internet restrictions, such as China.

Is NordVPN using virtual server locations?

A virtual location is when a VPN claims it has a server in one place, but in fact, it is elsewhere. In some situations, there are good reasons for doing this, but clarity is also important.

We found no virtual server locations in the case of NordVPN. However, a person from NordVPN verified with me that there are no virtual locations in use. All NordVPN servers truly have a real advertised location.

Super strong privacy and security features

NordVPN gives users some amazing features to improve the user’s privacy and security, they try hard to keep your privacy. Here we will take an in-depth look into NordVPN’s encryption and some other features.

NordVPN's CyberSec

NordVPN has a feature called CyberSec and it’s a security feature that includes a malicious site filter and an advertisement and tracking blocker. It worked fairly well during testing, it blocked all advertisements/tracking domains on all the sites I’ve visited.

Activating CyberSec is simple and can be done within the NordVPN client, as seen here:

There are multiple advantages for CyberSec users:

Faster page load speeds – Advertisements can easily use up a lot of bandwidth which slows down page load speeds. Blocking these can improve speeds and performance, mainly on mobile devices.
More privacy – Advertisements are advanced tracking tools that monitor your online activities and display ads that match your data profile. This is how you get targetted ads. Using CyberSec can stop advertisers from tracking you, and you can keep your online privacy.
More security – CyberSec is important for maintaining your online security. Online ads are usually displayed through third-party domains, they can be malicious (whats malvertising?). They can infect your device without you even clicking on them. CyberSec protects you from these types of ads by blocking domains based on a threat list.

The CyberSec feature did a good job of blocking ads while I was testing it. The feature is only active when you are connected to the VPN.

Strong encryption

For NordVPN’s OpenVPN connection, they use the AES-256 CBC algorithm. IKEv2/IPSec ciphers used to generate Phase1 keys are AES-256-GCM for encryption, coupled with SHA2-384 to ensure integrity, combined with PFS (Perfect Forward Secrecy) using 3072-bit Diffie Hellmann keys.

NordVPN uses the best VPN protocols that lead the industry standards: OpenVPN and IPSec/IKEv2. Both protocols are very secure, OpenVPN happens to be open source.

Double VPN (aka multi-hop)

When you connect to a VPN, your traffic gets sent to a remote VPN server which changes your IP address as well as encrypts all the data you send and receive over the internet. This stops spies or cybercriminals from seeing what you do online.

Double VPN, is hiding your online activity behind two servers instead of just one server. This is also known as chaining VPN servers and the way it works is quite simple.

Your traffic reaches a VPN server and leaves the server encrypted and secure.
The Encrypted traffic goes through a second VPN server and it’s now double encrypted.
You reach your target safely and confidently.

With NordVPN’s double-VPN servers, your traffic is double encrypted across two separate VPN server before exiting onto the regular internet. This has its benefits:

Double encryption – All your data is protected by an additional layer of encryption. This makes it double as hard for hackers to decipher the encryption.
Improved security – The connections are jumbled within the UDP and TCP protocols, which enhances the level of security of your online activities.
IP protection – The first VPN server changes your current IP address and there’s no information about your IP address on the second server.
Total confidentiality – No one on the web, not even your ISP, is able to look into your final destination.

The only reason I would not recommend using the Double VPN feature would be if you were using VPN servers on other sides of the world because of the high latency (like the picture). I recommend you using Double VPN servers nearby because it wouldn’t’ risk performance much.

… But it will be a slight tradeoff, but the speeds from testing are still excellent with double-VPN.

NordVPN offers 31 double-hop VPN configurations. These VPN configurations can easily be found inside the NordVPN client.

The double-hop feature is excellent for those wanting a high level of security and privacy, it’s a great option to consider.

Fast and reliable speeds

During my NordVPN speeds tests, I used the OpenVPN protocol with AES-256 encryption. My speed without VPN was around 80 Mbps and all my tests were done in Canada.

I will start the speed tests of will short-distance locations close to Canada. I will then speed test locations that are far away (long-distance) from Canada, such as Asia. After testing out NordVPN’s regular VPN servers I will move onto NordVPNs Double-VPN servers and test their speeds out.

Short-distance NordVPN speed tests

NordVPN speed test in Toronto: 77.43 Mbps

I only lost around 3 Mbps when using NordVPN on a Canadian server.

NordVPN speed test in New York: 76.94 Mbps

NordVPN speeds were incredibly quick, I only suffered a loss of 4 Mbps.

NordVPN speed test in Vancouver: 75.24 Mbps

Wow! Vancouver is across the country for me located in Toronto, I only lost 5 Mbps of speed.

These are great results for nearby servers.

Next, I tested locations that were further away from Canada such as Asia, and Europe.

Long-distance NordVPN speed tests

NordVPN speed test in the United Kingdom: 73.83 Mbps

Amazing speeds, in the United Kingdom from Toronto.

NordVPN speed test in Hong Kong: 69.45 Mbps

The speed slowed down significantly, I assume this is because of the distance and China’s online restrictions.

NordVPN speed test in France: 74.34 Mbps

Again, the speeds are pretty impressive for long-distance.

Overall the speeds are incredible for long-distance connections. I would highly recommend NordVPN for people needed a VPN in Europe and North America.

NordVPN Double-VPN speed tests

For the final set of speed tests, I will be reviewing NordVPN’s double-VPN servers and how well they keep up.

NordVPN double-VPN Russia – Netherlands (distance 651 km) speed test: 63.84 Mbps

The speeds are great for double-VPN, remember my traffic is being encrypted and transferred over two servers.

NordVPN double-VPN United Kingdom – Netherlands (distance 1723km) speed test: 52.83 Mbps

If you want the best speeds with Double-VPN, you would connect to nearby servers. NordVPN’s double-VPN servers are quick and super secure.

Conclusion – NordVPN provides users with amazing speeds and that can certainly be seen here. The speeds are fast and secure while being very secure.

Great customer support

NordVPN allows users to easily connect to live support with real people who are very helpful and knowledgable.

You can access the chat through NordVPN’s website, it doesn’t require a login, you just need to click on live chat.

I wanted to see how well NordVPN chat support worked and to see if they could solve my problem:

The representative was extremely helpful and they joined fairly quickly (took a few seconds). I also left the tab by accident and I joined back right back with the representative so I didn’t have to restart the process.

The representative was helpful and answered all my questions about the Double-VPN feature.

Secure apps with no leaks

NordVPN has a variety of secure applications aka clients for all the popular operating system and devices:

macOS
Windows
Andriod and iOS
Linux
Routers (D-Link, Asus, and much more)

The main things I took away from reviewing NordVPN’s client on Windows and macOS:

Tons of options – NordVPN’s client for windows has many options and features such as specialty servees, leak protection, and connection settings.
Simple – The NordVPN client is extremely user-friendly and really straight forward, meaning anyone could navigate it. Changing the settings and features is extremely simple.
Secure – NordVPN offers a kill switch similar to ExpressVPN’s kill switch. A kill switch blocks traffic if the VPNs connection disconnects.

NordVPN's Windows client

NordVPN’s Windows client looks clean and it uses the OpenVPN protocol and offers all the NordVPN features.

Connecting to a server is easy in the NordVPN Windows client, look on the list to the left or click on a location on the map:

Connection times were very good, NordVPN connects to servers with no long delays.

NordVPN's kill switch

NordVPN offers a feature that constantly monitors your connection to the VPN server. If your connection is interrupted, the kill switch function prevents your device from accessing the web.

NordVPN encrypts your traffic and puts it through the VPN tunnel, which protects your IP address and prevents third parties from obtaining your private data. Your traffic will remain blocked until the VPN tunnel is restored or you turn off the kill switch.

There are two different types of kill switches:

Internet Kill Switch – It will block traffic when the VPN connection drops using a firewall. (I would use this one because it’s more secure)
App Kill Switch – It will close applications if the VPN connection drops, but it will not block traffic.

The best option would be to use the “Internet Kill Switch” because it will block out non-VPN traffic from the firewall.

If you are using NordVPN on macOS, there are a couple of different options, with each option having a different kill switch:

macOS OpenVPN client – This option only has the App Kill Switch.
macOS IKEv2 client – This option has both Internet Kill Switch and the App Kill Switch.

Both options for macOS are good, but I would recommend using the IKEv2 client because it offers more options.

Leak test

NordVPN only uses DNS servers operated by NordVPN itself, so you don’t have to worry about your info being leaked and sold to third parties. In addition, NordVPN also promises that if you test and find a DNS leak, they will help you ASAP to sort the issue.

When testing the NordVPN Windows client, I didn’t find any leaks of any sort.

Overall NordVPN is excellent for speed and security, I also tested the Kill Switch and App Kill Switch and they worked seamlessly.

macOS leak test – I also conducted a leak test on the NordVPN mac client. I couldn’t find any leaks while testing. The Internet Kill Switch and the App Kill Switch works amazingly as well.

NordVPN verified no logs

When researching a VPN service it’s important to see their privacy policy. NordVPN offers no-logs, and it’s one of the few VPN services to do this.

NordVPN promises that no logs are stored of your connections and usage, this means they don’t keep connection timestamps, no IP addresses, and especially no traffic data. They even accept multiple types of cryptocurrencies for payment to make sure you don’t leave a trace.

NordVPN does keep some non-important data like:

Your Email address
Payment data (you can use bitcoins)
Service performance data (for recommending most suitable servers)

NordVPN is honestly a great choice if you are looking for a no-logs VPN service that provides speed and reliability.

If you are curious about the NordVPN privacy policy and want to read more you can check it out here.

NordVPN is based in Panama

NordVPN is a VPN service provider that is based in Panama. Panama is known for its excellent jurisdiction for privacy.

NordVPN expands on its website:

“We are based and operate under the jurisdiction of Panama. There is no mandatory data retention law in Panama so we do not need to store logs which is perfect for a VPN provider.”

Panama provides an advantage since it has a good jurisdiction that gives it an upper hand to other VPN providers.

Works with Netflix and other streaming services

I wanted to see how well NordVPN could handle Netflix and other streaming services (like Twitch).

I connected to a US server because I wanted to see if American Netflix would work (I’m located in Canada). Everything worked out and played without any issues.

I loaded up Netflix on my browser and it worked rather well. I was on the Netflix website with NordVPN connected to a US server. There were no issues connecting to Netflix and no interruption while streaming HD.

You can also access UK Netflix, American Netflix, Canadian Netflix and other Netflix’s across the world using NordVPN.

NordVPN also works well with Twitch with no interruptions and reliable streaming in HD.

TIP: If you have issues connecting to Netflix or other streaming services contact NordVPN support and they know exactly what to do.

Excellent prices and refund policy

NordVPN is one of the cheapest VPN providers that are still high-quality.

You can pay with all major credit cards, Alipay, Amazon, Union Pay, they even accept some types of cryptocurrencies. Unfortunately, NordVPN doesn’t accept PayPal anymore.

As you can see, NordVPN is running an exclusive offer which includes a discounted three-year subscription. Even though three years is long, the saving potential is huge. It’s only $3.49 per month.

NordVPN subscription prices:

$3.49/month – 3 years
$4.99/month – 2 years
$6.99/month – 1 year
$11.95/month – 1 month

With the three-year plan at $3.49/month, it makes NordVPN the best affordable VPN.

2023 and beyond security upgrades

There are big plans for NordVPN and 2023, as they continue to research and invest to improve their servers and experience.

Upcoming NordVPN security upgrades:

Bug Bounty Program
Ongoing security audit
Infrastructure security audit
High-security standards
Diskless servers

Expect massive improvements in NordVPN very soon.

Cons:

Larger discounts only available for longer subscriptions

NordVPN discounts are only for long subscriptions. The three-year commitment is pretty long for a VPN service. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee, where you will have enough time to test everything.

On the other end, the shorter-term subscriptions are quite expensive at $11.95 per month. This is multiple times more expensive than the three-year discounted plan. It’s becoming more common for VPN services to have long-term subscriptions that have steeper discounts.

FAQ for NordVPN

Here I will answer questions that people have asked:

How many devices can be connected to NordVPN simultaneously with one account?

Six systems can be connected simultaneously to one NordVPN account. There is, however, a restriction. You must choose numerous VPN connections protocols if multiple devices are connected to the same server (TCP and UDP are various protocols so that you can connect the device in one TCP and the other in UDP).

This allows a total of 3 devices to go online–through IKEv2, OpenVPN TCP and OpenVPN UDP, and you can connect it to another server if you have three more devices at home–using different protocols again.

Does NordVPN offer a free trial?

They offer a 30-day NordVPN risk-free way of testing. Sign up for NordVPN and benefit from the full and unlimited operation. In 30 days, choose to remain safe or contact our full reimbursement support team.

Can I set up NordVPN on my smart TV or Apple TV?

Smart TV and Apple TV do not support built-in VPN. Configuring a VPN on your router is the only way to set it up. This means your smart TV or Apple TV gets the VPN connection from your router.

How is my privacy maintained?

A VPN “tunnel” will be built when you connect to NordVPN. It’s yet another term for your connection to our server. All data in this‘ ‘tunnel ”is encrypted so that only you know the content of what is being sent. The data will be encrypted using a 256-Bit key. This is an outstanding level of security allowing good performance to be kept, even on older machines and lower-powered devices.

Does NordVPN offer dedicated IP addresses?

Yes, NordVPN does allow you to get a dedicated IP address. NordVPN only allows dedicated IP addresses in certain locations:

Netherlands – Amsterdam
United Kingdom – London
Germany – Frankfurt
United States – Buffalo, Dallas, Los Angeles

NordVPN charges $70 per year for a static IP address, it doesn’t matter the location you choose. You can purchase a dedicated IP address by contacting NordVPN support and they will help you choose the location you want and help you through the buying process.

Is NordVPN good for torrenting?

If you plan on Torrenting, NordVPN is a great solution for you. Besides having servers set up specifically for P2P they also have:

Fast and reliable speeds – Usefull for torrenting large files
DNS leak protection – NordVPN apps come with leak protection, and the ability to double encrypt (Double-VPN)
Good privacy jurisdiction – Since NordVPN is based in Panama it doesn’t have the same laws that are in US and Europe which allows Panama to ignore DMCA requests.

NordVPN also has specific servers dedicated to torrenting called P2P. They are listed under specialty servers and are perfect for torrenting.

NordVPN’s client will automatically connect to the fastest P2P server depending on which country you selected. You can also manually connect to specific torrenting servers through NordVPN.

Remembering to turn on the kill switch to protect yourself and your IP address just in case your connection disconnects.

Does NordVPN work with routers?

Yes! NordVPN does work with routers, and it’s pretty good as well. If you want to use NordVPN on a router, you have three options:

Pre-configured router – You can purchase one of these from Sabai Technology or FlashRouters. This option is fairly expensive, but it’s really convenient because you can use it with NordVPN straight of the box.
VPN-enabled router – The best VPN-enabled routers come from Asus. Asus has many routers that can be easily loaded with OpenVPN config files. It should be working in a matter of minutes.
Flash your existing router – Flashing your router isn’t the easiest process, make sure you do it carefully. It will be different depending on what type of router you have.

Does NordVPN work in China?

Yes, NordVPN does work in China. NordVPN offers obfuscation features that conceal your VPN traffic and sneak through the Firewall of China.

Connecting to NordVPN in China is easy, connect to one of the Obfuscated servers. When using the Obfuscated server NordVPN will make your VPN traffic seem to appear as an HTTPS encryption. NordVPN works great with countries that block VPNs.

Conclusion on NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the best VPN services I’ve reviewed, as they are one of the leading VPN in the industry and have the best security. It’s fast, reliable, and easy to use, and some amazing features to make sure you’re the only one who has your data.

NordVPN constantly improves its company in every aspect and will continue to get better. If you want to try out NordVPN, give it a try with the special discount below.