With the VPN market ever-increasing in dimension, it may be a problem to determine a reputable supplier. Many components must be thought of, together with a VPN supplier’s historical past, buyer opinions, and hands-on testing. One well-liked service supplier is Personal Web Entry (PIA) VPN.
PIA claims to have a no-logs coverage, however is it price trusting them together with your on-line privateness? This detailed hands-on assessment elaborates on the important thing options and efficiency of Personal Web Entry (PIA).
Personal Web Entry (PIA) – Fast Overview
Personal Web Entry (PIA) is a resilient VPN that stood agency over time. Regardless of all of the VPN bans, crackdowns, and different hindrances compromising customers’ privateness, PIA VPN has demonstrated its keenness in direction of netizens’ web freedom.
In addition to defending customers’ privateness, it additionally ensures unrestricted entry to international geo-blocked web sites. PIA has arrange an enormous server community protecting over 83 nations, thus permitting their purchasers to connect with nearly each important geo-location around the globe.
The service was established in 2010 with a imaginative and prescient to convey privateness to the lots. Whereas the service is headquartered in america, PIA have at all times maintained that they keep no person logs, which they finally proved throughout a lawsuit. This in the end allowed PIA to change into a preferred VPN service.
In 2019, Kape Applied sciences (beforehand, Crossrider) introduced buying Personal Web Entry. (Later, the identical firm acquired ExpressVPN too.) Immediately, PIA is among the many most trusted VPN suppliers that provide distinctive safety and privateness options on high of the important VPN companies.
Overview of Personal Web Entry Key Options
PIA VPN has at all times provided top-notch privateness options over time. Right here’s a fast assessment of an important options we discovered when utilizing Personal Web Entry VPN .
Customizable Encryption with Safe VPN Protocols
PIA VPN gives top-notch AES encryption to its customers. However the know-how isn’t restricted to AES 256-bit solely. As a substitute, it leaves it to the customers to decide on between AES 128-bit and AES 256-bit (the previous being the default configuration).
Whereas AES 256-bit is the business customary and the norm for many different VPNs, PIA’s provide for AES 128-bit encryption empowers customers to browse at quicker speeds with out compromising safety. Consequently, it’s a useful alternative when customers with a sluggish base velocity.
To configure this feature, customers ought to go to the “Settings” menu and choose the “Protocols” tab. Right here, customers cannot solely configure encryption but additionally set the suitable connection protocols (OpenVPN or WireGuard) and alter different settings.
World Server Community with Presence In All 50 US States
The opposite spectacular characteristic with Personal Web Entry is the large server community providing a large alternative of places. (Greater than what NordVPN and Surfshark provide.) However not like NordVPN, which permits customers to decide on a particular server from a specific location, PIA gives an inventory of places and chooses the very best server for you at that particular location.
Essentially the most thrilling factor is that Personal Web Entry gives devoted servers from all 50 states of the USA. This alternative of places not solely empowers customers to unblock US-restricted content material overseas but additionally permits customers inside the USA to entry content material from different US states. Merely put, it means you possibly can,
- Watch your favourite sports activities even when your state doesn’t have the precise to televise them.
- Entry native information from different states. (It’s helpful for frequent vacationers.)
- Watch your favourite packages proper after their first launch by selecting the states with time zones forward of you.
Optimized Servers for Streaming
Along with providing common and geo-located servers, PIA has optimized a couple of servers from numerous places for streaming. It permits one-click entry to your favourite content material library on any platform.
For instance, to unblock and stream Netflix US, you possibly can hook up with both of the 2 US streaming-optimized servers.
Multi-hop (DoubleVPN) And Server Obfuscation
Curiously, PIA gives the multi-hop characteristic for extra privacy-centric customers, rerouting their visitors twice earlier than connecting to the web.
Two-Approach Kill Swap
PIA VPN has an attention-grabbing kill change characteristic that yow will discover by way of Settings > Privateness. Right here, the primary choice mentions the “VPN Kill Swap,” which works precisely the way in which you anticipate – disconnecting the web visitors when the VPN connection disrupts.
An alternative choice – the “Superior Kill Swap” – warrants watertight privateness by disconnecting the system even when the VPN is off. It’s a useful characteristic for normal VPN customers who might neglect to show their VPNs on each time they begin their system.
MACE advert blocker
Below the “Privateness” tab, yow will discover the straightforward choice to activate the MACE advert blocker – PIA’s very personal advert and malware safety characteristic that fends off malicious scripts, internet trackers, adverts, and different malware whereas searching.
Customizable Break up-tunneling
Break up tunneling isn’t enabled by default. So, if it’s worthwhile to activate this characteristic, you are able to do so by way of the Settings menu. Right here, checking the “Break up Tunnel” field first installs a devoted filter. Then, you possibly can configure this feature by limiting particular apps to make use of or not use the VPN tunnel throughout an lively connection.
An alternative choice, out there on PIA desktop VPN apps (Linux and Home windows), is managing the cut up tunneling on the DNS degree. By default, the “Title Server” choice is about to “Observe App Guidelines,” which directs the visitors as follows.
- The visitors from the apps allowed to make use of the VPN tunnel goes by way of the VPN-configured DNS.
- The visitors from the apps bypassing the VPN tunnel will transfer by way of present DNS.
You possibly can configure this feature to “VPN DNS solely” to direct the visitors from all apps by way of the VPN DNS.
Equally, you possibly can configure the cut up tunnel in response to IP addresses (each IPv4 and IPv6 supported) and subnet.
Different Noteworthy Options
- Helps OpenVPN and WireGuard connection protocols.
- Devoted port forwarding great P2P (torrenting) assist.
- Presents devoted IPs for safely accessing delicate networks and avoiding CAPTCHAs whereas searching.
- Permits a number of choices for DNS configuration.
- Permits ten simultaneous system connections with out compromising velocity.
- Clean “Fast Join” choice to mechanically join the VPN to the quickest server out there.
- Helps quick and safe gaming by providing DDoS safety.
- Dependable and responsive buyer assist by way of 24/7 dwell chat. The service additionally gives detailed tutorials on its devoted assist heart.
- Helps invisibility on LAN community to cover the system from different units on the native community (enabled by default).
- Widespread, cross-platform compatibility.
Personal Web Entry Setup Overview
Configuring Personal Web Entry (PIA) is straightforward, even for brand new customers. All it takes is to subscribe to the VPN by registering an account and deciding on a subscription plan. As soon as finished, you possibly can obtain the setup file in response to your system.
It solely takes a couple of minutes for the setup file to obtain. As soon as finished, clicking on it’ll begin the VPN set up, with out requiring any person enter.
After the setup completes, the service gives the person to take a “Fast Tour” of the app.
It’s helpful for brand new customers, particularly these unfamiliar with VPNs. It explains the way you customise the app with the darkish theme, dashboard tiles, and extra.
To hurry up, you possibly can even skip the tour and begin utilizing the VPN by yourself. Subsequent, you will notice a immediate to enter your PIA account login credentials.
As soon as finished, clicking on the “LOG IN” button will begin the app instantly. (It doesn’t even ask you to restart your system, although you possibly can reboot if you would like.) Subsequent, a modern window (hooked up to the tray by default) seems in your display screen, exhibiting the fast begin button to launch the VPN connection.
If you wish to begin the reference to the default VPN settings, you possibly can select a server and click on on the button to allow the VPN tunnel.
PIA Efficiency Overview
When testing the VPN for this assessment, I couldn’t browse as shortly after enabling multi-hop as I did earlier. So, whereas it’s helpful, anybody desirous about utilizing the multi-hop characteristic should guarantee there’s a quick base velocity.
In addition to the multi-hop difficulty (which didn’t happen from the VPN’s finish), PIA exhibited spectacular efficiency.
I may simply entry Netflix US and Crackle utilizing the streaming-optimized US server (East). Then, I modified my connection to the US Rhode Island location and will stream Crackle, YouTube (Films), and Vudu with out lagging points. Later, I related to the Italy streaming optimized server and seamlessly streamed RaiTV. So, undoubtedly, PIA is a good streaming VPN for watching overseas content material.
As for gaming, I needed to follow the optimum server close by to play Name of Responsibility, the opposite servers with Italy, Romania, and US places labored nice for the opposite FPS video games I performed. Total, I skilled no points with the video games’ graphics and velocity.
Personal Web Entry: Execs and Cons Overview
Personal Web Entry labored impressively effectively throughout this assessment. From streaming to gaming, the VPN carried out easily, exhibiting the way it prevents bandwidth throttling. Additionally, the kill change labored nice to forestall unintentional IP leakage.
One other PIA professional is its customizable person interface, permitting customers to pin the options they continuously use. The darkish theme availability can be wonderful.
The one drawback I noticed with the PIA VPN is the absence of P2P and gaming-optimized servers. Whereas the service gives quite a few streaming-optimized servers, I used to be unable to seek out devoted servers for Tor and gaming. Including such lists may be useful for professional avid gamers and privateness freaks.
Nevertheless, PIA has an ultra-fast WireGuard protocol for a fair quicker ping that may enhance your gaming expertise.
PIA VPN Subscription Plans
Personal Web Entry has inexpensive pricing plans in comparison with most different VPNs. In actual fact, given its options, it serves as a pocket-friendly VPN for funds customers.
Essentially the most thrilling provide from PIA comes on Cyber Monday and Black Friday, providing 83% off on its 3-year subscription plan.
The service additionally gives a yearly subscription at $3.33 per thirty days, which is inexpensive even for college kids and residential customers.
If you happen to’re on the fence about buying the product, you should utilize the VPN free in your cellphones (Android and iOS), with their 7-day free trial.
Conclusion
Personal Web Entry (PIA) is a useful VPN service that exhibited spectacular efficiency throughout our assessment. Regardless of being headquartered within the US, the service has caught to its no-logs coverage thus prioritizing customers’ privateness.
