My experience using paid VPN

Inspired by today's post about VPN .

Three months ago, my paranoia did defeat the toad, and I decided to try using a paid VPN. Since then, I have replaced them with three pieces, reviewed a dozen, and I will choose some fourth one. Because I have not yet found a normal satisfactory VPN.

I started with Hide My Ass VPN (HMA). I will not give the link, it's just googling if anyone is interested. With these guys there were the least problems - paid, swung their applet (the wrap over OpenVPN, of course), started to use.

Did not like their user agreement. After all sorts of statements "we will safely hide you," the PS is written in plain text - and do not think to break the law, there will be abuses - we will ban you. It also says that the IP address is saved, ostensibly, in order to optimize the work with their servers.
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They have a lot of servers. Even in Moscow there. Only he did not work once - connects, but there is no Internet. There was still Odessa. I was able to work on it for about 5 minutes, after which the Internet was suddenly chopped off. Mainly used by the Dutch, occasionally German server.

Pings were quite decent - in Starcraft II on the network it played quite well for itself. But the access speed was just terrible - above 1.5 megabits did not rise in my memory at all (without VPN 10, it was light). Agree, for the thing that advertises itself as an ideal thing for downloading torrents - is ridiculous. In general, did not renew.

The second time I approached the choice thoroughly. Naryl site with reviews of different VPN-s, walked through the list.
The first candidate was the largest provider StrongVPN. Everyone seems to be good, but its tariffs ...
Try to choose a tariff: strongvpn.com/packages.shtml

Some kind of cloud of vague conditions like add. fees for the frequency of changing the external IP-address (which is typical, except for them, no one takes). Budget vpn-s - only shtatovskie. In general, I closed the page with a feeling of slight bewilderment.

The next was Freedur. Nice site. But on this nice site is completely missing information about which countries are the server. Kota decided not to take the bag.

Then there was Astrill. Basically, I liked it. I try to buy - they ask you to verify your account by entering a code that should come to the SMS. SMS to the Russian number, of course, does not come. Spat.

Lyrical digression: absolutely ALL vpn-s for some reason even during registration want to know everything about the user: the full name, place of residence, phone number, even the postal code must be indicated. For organizations that promise to provide clients with anonymity, it is somehow suspiciously too much. Honestly, I don’t expect any special anonymity, I just reasonably assume that Russian authorities will be in contact with American companies (or vice versa) for a long time, it’s not for you to send the notes from the investigator to the provider.

In general, I spat on Astrill, I went to OverPlay. This one allowed to buy through Google Checkout - it’s already good, at least my personal data is not stored with them. The PS clearly states that IP is logged, but after 5 days everything is deleted from the log except for the actual IP, and after 30 days the log is deleted completely. In general, I bought it.

The speed pleased. Issued almost the entire channel itself. But the interface is a song.
How, please tell us, can you make a program for a connection to vpn-y that does not automatically start with the system ??? Come on, she doesn't even know how to login automatically! And does not know how to fold to the tray. I’m not talking about Tebe Lebedev’s nightmare style interface.

But this, for example, I am still ready to endure. But her stupid habit of writing "Connected", when in fact there is no connection - I refuse to understand this. It's a VPN, your mother! People trust you! You just do not know when their vpn was cut off, but I somehow have no desire to dance with a tambourine so that they won't let the Internet go off when vpn is turned off.

In general, after a month of torment from overplay, I refused. Posted by Astrill in tech support, SMS sent. Put Astrill. I will not renew anyway.

Firstly, the guys "modestly" kept silent that they have only five vpn-servers, and the list of servers hanging from them on the main server is only an http proxy, which of course does not suit me. Anyway.

European servers (the Netherlands and England) give a good thick channel. But. From the Dutch server does not open in contact. And from the English battle.net. On the line you need a VPN, whose firewall is not worse than the Chinese one, I did not understand.

Their program is your song. Made in the style of a la "under the iPhone", pretty. The interface, let's say, requires very good intuition. But also the hell with him. But why should he admin rights - this is beyond my understanding. For some reason.

He also does not know how to start with the system, and if overplay can at least be written to autoload, then astrill is impossible. God knows why. Just does not start and that's it. Again, I have no desire to run with a tambourine.

Autologin he knows how. However, in 50% of cases the process hangs at the “authentication” stage for about 5 minutes, after which it is chopped off. Very cute and user-friendly.

In general, I'm looking for a decent VPN for the fourth time. If I find one like this, I will inform you additionally.