Articles by Luke Edwards

The best Netflix VPN could be the difference between you actually watching what you want and sitting in a dark room wishing your subscription wasn’t going to waste. This is what geo-restrictions do — they block access to content when you’re in the wrong place.

Best Netflix VPN 2021

1. ExpressVPN: Overall best Netflix VPN
2. CyberGhost: Easiest of all to use
3. NordVPN: Great performance for streaming Netflix
4. Surfshark: Most affordable option around
5. IPVanish: Easy to use & great support

How can I be in the wrong place? Well, if you’re trying to access a U.S. Netflix show while overseas, in a place that doesn’t have the rights, then you’ll find yourself locked out. That means you’ll only be able to watch whatever is available in the place you find yourself. If you want to see the British Royal family in The Crown show, when on your visit to London, then this is ideal. But should you want to catch a U.S.-only movie that doesn’t have the go-ahead for UK viewing, then y…

A VPN, or virtual private network, is a great way to keep your online identity anonymous and your data secure. This is especially important when using your smartphone where so much of your personal information is stored.

One way that your information or identity can be accessed is via an insecure open Wi-Fi connection. Since a phone is something you always have on you as you move about, it’s a device that will likely connect to a lot of open Wi-Fi networks. From hotel and airport Wi-Fi to coffee shop and bar connections – they’re all a potential portal into the darker depths of the internet.

On a lighter note, a VPN can help you gain access to geo-restricted content like U.S. Hulu or Netflix content while abroad.

So why is a VPN important and how can it help on your phone? Let’s take a look at the advantages.

A VPN keeps your phone hidden

When you connect to a new Wi-Fi network you’re given an IP address that identifies you. From this, information about you can be attained, li…

If you want to break free from the shackles of complicated international streaming rights and watch your favourite content no matter where you are, then you’re in the right place.

The best VPN (Virtual Private Network) services will unlock the internet while maintaining your privacy at the same time, without throttling speed down to unusable levels. From Netflix, Disney Plus, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and more, the world of online content is your oyster.

While the legality of using VPN services to bypass some restrictions can potentially put you at risk, we’re not here to condone anything. If you want to unblock BBC iPlayer in the states and catch up with the latest season of Bake Off, then that’s up to you – although UK residents travelling abroad who’ve already paid for their TV license can do so with a little less guilt.

In a world in which everything we do is tracked at increasingly Orwellian levels, VPN’s also offer glorious anonymity, making your online actions …

Those of you who’ve travelled to China in the past have more than likely experienced the effects of the Great Firewall – a controlled censoring of the internet which blocks a number of websites and services popular in the western world. The best VPN (Virtual Private Network) services can help you with this.

Whether you’re there on business or vacation, having the likes of Instagram, Facebook, Skype and WhatsApp blocked means you won’t be able to keep in touch with family and friends back home. With streaming services like Netflix blocked too, you may find yourself more than a little bored in your hotel room.

With this in mind, setting up a virtual private network (VPN) is a no-brainer for those travelling to China, as it’ll unblock all the sites you need to get your fix. The use of a VPN is, as expected, not exactly kosher, so we’re not condoning it ourselves. We have, however, rounded up five of the best options, if you decide to explore your choices.

How does a China VPN get me ac…

If you’ve been working from home during the current global pandemic, then chances are you’ve been subjected to the awful realities of daytime television. From cheesy game shows to ancient reruns, lunch break viewing can fast become a rather painful experience. This is where the best YouTube VPN comes into play. It can help save the day and unblock YouTube for you quickly and easily.

Best YouTube VPN apps

ExpressVPN: Best option for most people
IPVanish: Balance of speed and performance
NordVPN: Best for the security-conscious
Speedify: Best for beginners
VyprVPN: Best for superfast speeds

1. ExpressVPN: Best overall YouTube VPN for most people

This is our top pick for anyone looking to get started with a VPN. It offers a great mix of speed, reliability, outstanding customer service, and affordability. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee, so give it a shot today.

From $6.67/mo at ExpressVPN

2. IPVanish: A great balance between speed and performance

From $3.75…

A free VPN, or virtual private network, is a wonderful thing — as many things that are free tend to be. But, as is also often the case, you get what you pay for and a paid VPN is often better. That said, it all depends on what you need. So which is the best VPN for you, free or paid?

The price difference between these two options is clearly big, going from totally free to the average monthly price of a VPN which is about $10. But subscribe for longer and you save money that way.

The downside of going for a free option — and one of the main differences between the two — is the amount of data you can use. A free service will have a limit on your data usage in most cases, be it daily or monthly. Once you’ve gone over that data limit you will no longer be able to use the VPN. There is one unlimited service, but there are other limits, more on that below.

So a free VPN is a great option for those that want it for limited use — perhaps to check a map or certain website while abroa…

ExpressVPN

Why choose ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is one of the biggest names in the VPN space right now. The company offers wide coverage, amazing customer support, fast speeds, and much more. Simply put: ExpressVPN is the VPN provider to beat right now.

Works with

Mac

Windows

Android

iPhone & iPad

Linux

Routers

Best VPN for

Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and streaming

Gaming

Torrenting and downloading

Security and privacy

See at ExpressVPN

Pros

Superb 24/7 live chat customer service
Fast connections
Lots of international locations
Netflix unblocking

Cons

Not as cheap as some others
Limited to five connections simultaneously

ExpressVPN is one of the longest standing virtual private network services out there and is widely regarded as one of the best VPN services. Based in the British Virgin Islands, the company started …

The best VPN for gaming will get you the speed you need to compete online but it’ll do that without compromising your security. Not all VPNs are the same so finding the best for gaming is important as you’ll want to keep ping times down for the best possible competitive edge online.

If you’re spending a lot of time gaming online then it makes sense to keep your connection and personal details secure. It’s also good to have a layer of defense against potential DDoS attacks that some overly competitive gamers will use as a weapon.

Another great feature is the ability to change your apparent location. This means you can play games that might otherwise be geo-restricted by country. It also means for anyone on an open connection like at a university, say, you’ll still be able to play otherwise blocked games like Fortnite.

Speed will usually suffer a little as a result of bouncing your signal about through a VPN. However, we found in our testing that in some cases we actually got faster…

If you’ve already installed one of the best VPNs, or are thinking of getting one – good for you, digital life just got more secure. But with all the intelligent ducking and diving your connection will be doing to keep you anonymous and secure, you may notice that your Android device is chewing through more battery. So, naturally, the question as to whether you should leave your Android VPN connected all the time is going to come up.

Battery life versus digital life security. Is it that simple? Not really. There are lots of uses for a VPN and there are also lots of different VPNs and phones. A combination of these three factors will help you decide how to use your VPN on your Android device.

What is your Android VPN for?

This question is a good place to start. If your VPN is on your device just so you can get around geo-restrictions to stream video content, for example, then you only need to use it then. You can easily fire up your VPN, set a location, and watch your favorite sho…

The best Netflix VPN could be the difference between you actually watching what you want and sitting in a dark room wishing your subscription wasn’t going to waste. This is what geo-restrictions do — they block access to content when you’re in the wrong place.

Best Netflix VPN 2021

1. ExpressVPN: Overall best Netflix VPN
2. CyberGhost: Easiest of all to use
3. NordVPN: Great performance for streaming Netflix
4. Surfshark: Most affordable option around
5. IPVanish: Easy to use & great support

How can I be in the wrong place? Well, if you’re trying to access a U.S. Netflix show while overseas, in a place that doesn’t have the rights, then you’ll find yourself locked out. That means you’ll only be able to watch whatever is available in the place you find yourself. If you want to see the British Royal family in The Crown show, when on your visit to London, then this is ideal. But should you want to catch a U.S.-only movie that doesn’t have the go-ahead for UK viewing, then y…