What is more, IPVanish owns and manages all of its servers, instead of renting them as most providers do. That way you can keep track of your connection speed and switch servers if yours suddenly gets more users logging on and taking all your bandwidth. It’s rare to see such a high performing VPN offer this. It has improved remarkably over the years. What’s great is that the SOCKS5 Proxy is included in all three pricing plans that IPVanish has, and it works with nearly any program you configure it with. There’s not much on offer here – there’s no kill switch to protect your data and you only get two additional settings: an auto-connect option and the ability to switch protocol between IKEv2 and IPSEC. It’s also hard to say anything about the speeds (other than the quality seemed completely fine) because I couldn’t access Netflix’s Fast.com test, and sometimes I couldn’t even load Netflix’s website. This means we can be reasonably confident that IPVanish is being truthful when making claims about how their server network is implemented. Screenshot of the IPVanish logging policy in April 2016. You can choose to reduce the MTU (maximum transmission unit) to help connect to websites on mobile data, for instance. There are two choices for getting IPVanish on your router: you can either buy a router pre-flashed or manually install the VPN on another compatible router. The advanced privacy settings are also easy to navigate, meaning it is suited to both VPN beginners and more experienced users. You’re able to select servers by country or city in the locations menu, but there are no server load figures to help you choose the least congested location. Keep reading our detailed IPVanish VPN review below, starting with the service’s pros and cons. This way you get more control in terms of your online activities management. If you’re in one of these countries and you’re having trouble accessing an IPVanish server, you might be able to bypass these blocks by manually configuring your connection to an IPVanish IP address instead of a server name. There are 12 guides to using IPVanish on Windows, for example, with separate tutorials for different protocols and operating systems. Both desktop apps include a real-time graph of upload and download speed. IPVanish is an American VPN service that claims to “make your real IP address disappear.” We tested every IPVanish VPN app inside out and in this review we’ll detail our latest findings. It’s widely considered to be extremely easy to use while still providing protection and anonymity. The instructions are for Windows and Mac OS X versions that currently support this feature. This is ideal if you find your VPN traffic being blocked. I only had to type in three letters before the right app was returned. Overall, it’s clear that IPVanish has invested heavily in creating a large network of physical servers that it owns and manages themself. Above you can see the IP address that I was assigned by IPVanish, and not my true IP address – in other words, no leaks. Their subscription plan is affordable and it works perfectly on Firestick. IPVanish unblocks Netflix US, but not other libraries. This isn’t too concerning ‒ lots of VPN apps use Firebase and Crashlytics ‒ but it also isn’t the perfect model for privacy. By using it, you can select which apps and websites to protect with your virtual private network, and which ones you’re OK with being routed through your ISP. 16,579 reviews. IPVanish doesn’t talk much about torrenting on its website, but it caters to it very well. You can also check your IP address on a what is my IP address lookup website. The app also asks for some unnecessary permissions, the most egregious of which is “READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE.” There is no justification for a VPN reading external storage, and we find its inclusion concerning. Its global server network offers strong security and privacy without compromising on convenience. Otherwise, an IP conflict could result and you won’t be able to properly spoof your location. It’s got the familiar, modern interface that puts a focus on readability and ease of use. You can find the full results of our speed tests below. Many VPN providers offer macOS apps that have fewer security features and tunneling protocol options. That’s quite good if you ask me. You can pay for your IPVanish subscription by credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Beginning the installation process is as simple as clicking the button to download the relevant software from the site. Also IPVanish VPN is good for streaming. You can also take advantage of a genuine seven-day free trial on iOS devices. Required fields are marked *. It’s very refreshing to see that IPVanish has put a lot of work into its TV app ‒ for so many providers it just feels like an afterthought. Overall, the IPVanish Windows app performs very well and has plenty of advanced features to keep experienced VPN users happy. This means you can also set them up on these other devices access content that’s been geo-blocked in your region. There’s also a VPN kill switch to keep your data secure in case of a connection drop. The IPVanish Smart TV app is one of the easiest-to-use VPN apps for TV we’ve ever seen. I’ll discuss torrenting with IPVanish separately, but just so you know – all IPVanish servers support P2P. Stackpath has focused on acquiring and running VPN services for many years, and has plenty of experience in the area. It includes a kill switch and split tunneling, as well as a LAN exemption to help you connect to local devices without issues. The best part is that the installation is a piece of cake for any app you’d choose. Here are a few common issues you might face when trying to use IPVanish on FireStick. Although IPVanish was embroiled in a privacy scandal a long time ago, the VPN is under different ownership now. OpenVPN and IKEv2 are both secure and fast protocols that we fully recommend. It offers unbreakable AES-256 encryption, a good selection of advanced security features and its apps are completely leak-free. Moreover, and by IPVanish’s own admission, it isn’t a great choice for use in China or any highly-censored country, either. The home screen displays a range of useful information including your current IP address and location, a target country, and a ‘connect’ button to get you online quickly. Baloch’s love for new technology is profound and well addressed. There are also some features with unique utility for mobile connections. If you own a FireStick device and want to set up IPVanish on it, this guide is perfect for you. However, while it’s been a completely no-logs VPN since 2017, under Highwinds’ previous ownership IPVanish did share user data with US law enforcement, which its logging policy stated it did not collect. Bypassing geo-blocking is a popular reason for users to choose a particular VPN. For instance, choose a US server for watching HBO or Hulu on the FireStick. Your email address will not be published. We ran several IPVanish servers through a geo-location test to determine whether they really are physically located where they’re supposed to be. Download IPVanish and select ‘open’ to enter your login details. It is also common for VPN companies to use virtual server locations, which provide users with an IP address in a certain country even if the physical server is located elsewhere. This is an essential feature for every VPN. There are no browser extensions available, which could be disappointing for some. Why IPVanish? This isn’t turned on by default and it’s not available on iOS, so make sure to switch it on before connecting. Shahmeer Baloch is a marketing professional-turned-tech writer who despite had a successful career at Evyap made a drastic change when his interest in technology and international cyber laws became evident. The former method is what we prefer because it’s more anonymous. I am trying my first VPN. This is also the case in countries with high levels of censorship. But if you’ve gone through the roundabout process of sideloading Fire TV apps, you’ll be longing for an easier way. IPVanish is one of the very few VPNs to offer a native app for Amazon Fire TV. IPVanish offers good value with 10 simultaneous connections, an impressive network of servers and a good selection of advanced features. This provider will also work with Kodi. Here are our results: We found that it works to unblock Netflix in Japan and the US, but only some of its servers worked. In case you want to configure IPVanish on Kodi and enjoy amazing content for free, you might want to check out this easy guide to install IPVanish on Kodi. If you want to try connecting manually to an IPVanish server IP address, you can find a full list of configuration guides on the IPVanish website. A large number of IP addresses helps to prevent server congestion and performance while connected to popular locations. The apps are fast, secure, and easy to configure. IPVanish also confirmed to us that it isn’t working with Amazon Prime Video or Hulu. 2. Required fields are marked *. There are native applications for both services that allow you to stream geo-restricted content from your TV. You can check our full IPVanish review for more details about the provider. There’s no split tunneling or LAN exemption, which is underwhelming. With this feature, you can change your location and hide your IP without downloading additional software. The company owns several other VPN services including StrongVPN and Encrypt.me. This provider will also work with Kodi. You might find it helpful. If you’re interested in using a VPN for streaming on Kodi or Fire TV specifically however, IPVanish is an excellent choice. For this reason, it is simply not a suitable VPN for unblocking BBC iPlayer and we recommend you check out the top VPNs for BBC iPlayer instead. The first thing you’ll want to do is go to the Apps section of your Fire TV or Fire TV stick. Overall, it’s clear that IPVanish is now a private and transparent VPN. From here, you can choose to connect to an available IPVanish server in a particular country or city, or select the “best available.” Choosing Best Available will find the server with the least amount of load on it (users) so that you can get the fastest connections possible. Overall, IPVanish is one of the most technically secure commercial VPN services available, offering an advanced suite of features suitable for both beginners and experienced VPN users. The IPVanish kill switch is a mix of both system-level kill switch (which takes over the admin rights to your internet connection and disconnects as soon as there’s a problem to prevent your personal data from leaking) and an application-level kill switch (which gives the user more control – he can choose which programs will shut down and which ones will continue working in case of a VPN failure).