In today’s digital world, we are constantly exposed to various online threats, such as hackers, malware, censorship, and surveillance. These threats can compromise our privacy, security, and freedom on the internet. That’s why we need a reliable and effective solution to protect ourselves from these dangers. One of the best solutions available is ProtonVPN, a friendly and powerful VPN service that offers a high level of encryption, speed, and features.
Disclaimer: I have been using ProtonVPN for some time now and I am very satisfied with its performance and features. I brought my Ubuntu Linux powered ThinkPad laptop on my vacation with ProtonVPN installed on it to test its features and speed. In the mean time I installed also the Android application on my cellular phone for getting a better picture of the technology. It is fast, secure, and easy to use. It also respects my privacy and does not log my online activity.
ProtonVPN is not paying me to write this post, I am sharing my opinion as a happy customer.
What is a VPN Solution?
A VPN, or virtual private network, is a service that allows you to create a secure connection to another network over the internet. A VPN can be used to access region-restricted websites, shield your browsing activity from prying eyes, or enhance your online security and privacy.
What is ProtonVPN?
ProtonVPN is a client side VPN service provider developed by the same team behind ProtonMail, the world’s largest encrypted email service. ProtonVPN is based in Switzerland, a country with strong privacy laws and a tradition of neutrality.
ProtonVPN has several advantages over other VPN services.
- First of all, it has a strict no-logs policy, which means it does not track or record your online activity or personal data.
- Second, it uses advanced security protocols, such as IKEv2/IPsec and OpenVPN, to ensure your data is encrypted and secure.
- Third, it has a unique feature called Secure Core, which routes your traffic through multiple servers in privacy-friendly countries before reaching your final destination. This adds an extra layer of protection against network attacks and surveillance.
ProtonVPN also offers other features that enhance your online experience, such as Tor integration, which allows you to access onion sites directly from the VPN app; P2P support, which enables you to use torrent services safely and anonymously; and streaming support, which lets you watch your favorite shows and movies from any country.
Additionally ProtonVPN protects you against DNS leaks. A DNS leak is a security flaw that exposes your online activity to your internet service provider (ISP) or other third parties. When you use a VPN or a proxy to hide your IP address, your device still needs to communicate with a DNS server to resolve the domain names of the websites you visit. If your device uses the default DNS server of your ISP instead of the one provided by your VPN or proxy, your DNS requests can be intercepted and logged by your ISP. This is called a DNS leak, and it can compromise your privacy and security.
ProtonVPN has clients for Windows, Linux, Android and Mac. The installation is easy and straightforward.
After installing the client on our operating system and starting it, the first step to use it is to log in with our ProtonMail user and password. After the successful login we can use the Quick Connect button to secure our internet connection.
With the free plan we can use three countries’ VPN servers to encrypt our network traffic. The Linux client comes with a useful CLI (command line interface) client too. The protonvpn-cli tool can help us set up and configure a vpn connection in the Linux shell.
The Android application looks and works in a similar way.
If we see the “key” icon then we are protected and encrypted. Do we need more?
Some Words Regarding the Pricing
The free plan is quite fast and reliable for most scenarios. I am writing this post connected with the ProtonVPN Linux client through the hotel WiFi and I do not experience any degradation in my connection speed. I can surf the internet, watch some videos and download/upload small and medium files. This plan requires only a free ProtonMail account, and I can use it for connecting a single device. (Only one device can connect with the free plan, a paid subscription is necessary for parallel connections.)
We can buy monthly, yearly and bi-yearly plans for the VPN service. The two years plan costs 4.99 euros a month, that calculates 119.76 euros for every two years.
The Proton Unlimited plan is an “all-in-one” package in which we can use the paid services of ProtonMail, ProtonCalendar, ProtonVPN, ProtonDrive and the newly released ProtonPass. The Proton Unlimited plan costs 7.99 euros monthly, so it is 191.76 euros for two every years.
Final Thoughts About the Product
ProtonVPN is Open Source, you can review and analyze the source code of the products freely on GitHub repository. It enhances both transparency and security.
ProtonVPN has a global network of over 1,400 servers in 54 countries, ensuring you can always find a fast and reliable connection.
ProtonVPN is a friendly solution for our online safety because it is easy to use, affordable, and transparent. It has a user-friendly interface that allows you to connect to any server with one click. It also has a free plan that gives you unlimited bandwidth and access to servers in three countries. Moreover, it has a transparent pricing model that shows you exactly what you get for each plan. You can also pay with cryptocurrencies or cash if you want to maintain your anonymity.
ProtonVPN is a VPN service that respects your privacy and security while providing you with a fast and smooth online experience. It is a friendly solution for our online safety that you can trust and enjoy.
I truly like the Proton services and I plan to subscribe for one of the paid subscriptions. My initial calculations show me that the Proton Unlimited plan is the best price/value plan.
If you want to learn more about ProtonVPN or sign up for a free trial, visit their website at https://protonvpn.com/.
Tom's IT Cafe 