NordVPN is currently running a fantastic offer: save up to 76% on a two-year plan, as well as receive a free Amazon gift card worth up to $50. It’s worth noting that the Amazon voucher is available with all two-year plans except the Basic plan.
Even better, TechRadar readers get an exclusive bonus – four free months of VPN protection, so you can enjoy 28 months of NordVPN coverage for the price of just 24.
With such a good deal on the table, now’s the perfect time to grab a NordVPN plan. It’s the best VPN service available, offering a triple whammy of speed, security, and effortless unblocking.
In this article, we’ll share some valuable tips and tricks we’ve picked up after testing the service that’ll help you get the absolute most out of your NordVPN subscription.
1. Super-charge your security
NordVPN offers arguably the most comprehensive security suite in the entire VPN industry, making it more than just a VPN and a full-blown cybersecurity toolkit.
In addition to rock-solid essentials like AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, and a strict and independently audited no-logs policy, NordVPN also comes with powerful extras, including Double VPN (encrypts your connection twice), Onion over VPN (access Tor without the Tor browser), and even cyber insurance.
But the real standout is NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro. It’s a built-in cybersecurity feature that runs directly within the NordVPN app, meaning there’s no need to run an extra program.
Available with NordVPN’s Plus and Complete plans, here’s what Threat Protection Pro brings to the table:
- Blocks phishing, scams, and malicious sites: 24/7 protection, including real-time alerts if you land on a suspicious link.
- Prevents malware and virus downloads: restricts access to malware-hosting websites and checks your downloaded files for viruses.
- Blocks ads and trackers: enjoy a faster, cleaner, and more private browsing experience without any pesky ads disturbing you or trackers following your online footprint.
2. Take advantage of the server spread
NordVPN boasts a massive network of over 7,000 servers evenly spread across 126 countries, making it one of the most extensive VPN networks available right now. This makes NordVPN perfect for geo-spoofing, i.e., bypassing regional restrictions to access online content that may be blocked or unavailable in your current location.
It’s worth noting that geo-restrictions exist for various reasons, one of the most common being content licensing. Streaming platforms offer different content libraries in different countries because copyright and distribution agreements vary from one region to another.
For example, Netflix may hold the rights to stream a particular movie in the US, whereas the same movie might only be available on Prime Video in the UK. Some countries also enforce strict online censorship, blocking access to overseas apps, news outlets, or platforms for political, national security, or cultural reasons.
NordVPN has servers in underserved areas, too, so no matter where you are in the world, you’ll find a NordVPN server nearby. This proximity is great because it ensures lightning-fast speeds (less distance from the server means data travels quickly), lower ping, reduced buffering, and overall smoother performance.
3. Check out the proprietary protocol
NordVPN is one of the few VPNs to have its own proprietary VPN protocol, NordLynx, built from the ground up for improved speed and security. It’s based on the speedy and lightweight WireGuard protocol but uses a custom double NAT (Network Address Translation) instead, which allows it to retain WireGuard’s blazing-fast performance without storing any personal data.
NordLynx is also made up of fewer lines of code compared to older protocols like OpenVPN and IKEv2. This not only makes it faster and easier to troubleshoot issues but also more efficient, seeing as it uses less CPU/battery.
Speaking of speeds, we put NordLynx through the wringer in our complete NordVPN review, running hundreds of speed tests from different locations. It helped NordVPN grab the top spot in our fastest VPN list, maxing out our 1 Gbps line with speeds of over 950 Mbps.
So, besides being a great everyday protocol, NordLynx’s class-leading speed and security make it ideal for high-bandwidth tasks like torrenting, which involves large downloads, and online gaming, where low ping and stable connections are crucial.
4. Invest in a dedicated IP
As you might know, when you connect to a VPN, your internet traffic gets routed through an end-to-end encrypted VPN server, which assigns you a new IP address for the duration of your connection. However, other users connecting to that same VPN server also get its IP address.
While this is a big plus for online anonymity and privacy since it blends your internet activity with other users on the same IP, making it incredibly difficult for snoopers to track what you’re doing online, it could sometimes lead to issues. Due to the high volume of traffic coming from a single IP address, websites may flag it as suspicious, trigger recurring CAPTCHAs, or even blacklist or block it altogether.
This is where a dedicated IP comes in. It’s a static IP address that belongs to you and only you. Each time you connect to NordVPN via a particular server, you’ll get the same IP address, which no one else can use.
Dedicated IPs greatly reduce the number of CAPTCHAs and annoying verification pop-ups you encounter, offering stable access to critical services like online banking, corporate networks, remote work systems, etc.
NordVPN lets you pick your dedicated IP from a whopping 27 different countries. Even better, it offers flexible subscription plans – pay month-on-month, yearly, or opt for a two-year plan upfront for maximum savings.
5. Set up dark web alerts
Dark web monitoring is the practice of scanning the dark web, a ‘shady’ part of the internet not indexed by typical search engines, for stolen or leaked information, usually credentials, to ensure you don’t end up falling prey to a potentially devastating identity theft, financial fraud, scams, and credential stuffing.
This is crucial because, unfortunately, we live in a world rife with data breaches. For instance, the third quarter of 2024 alone witnessed 422.61 million data records leaked. Dark web monitoring warns you well in advance so that you can take prompt action, securing your vulnerable accounts by changing compromised passwords, setting up two-factor authentication, etc.
NordVPN’s Plus plan and above include an excellent Dark Web Monitor feature offering 24/7 protection. It continuously scans dark web forums and sites for credentials linked to your NordVPN email address. It’s also highly intuitive in that once you have it enabled, you don’t need to manually initiate a scan every time you hear about a data breach; it runs automatically in the background.
6. Say hello to Meshnet
NordVPN’s Meshnet is a unique feature that allows users to create their own mesh VPN and connect up to 60 devices simultaneously, regardless of where in the world they are. Powered by the NordLynx protocol, Meshnet works by transforming your own device into your personal private server and assigning each connected device a unique IP address that only works with the mesh network.
While it may sound complicated at first glance, firing up Meshnet is super simple. All you have to do is switch on the Meshnet option in the NordVPN app on the devices you wish to connect. Then, invite other NordVPN users if you have to. Finally, type the special IP that’s been allocated to you to access your private server.
Meshnet is a game-changer in a number of different scenarios, including:
- File sharing: Meshnet allows you to instantly and securely share files with your friends, family, and colleagues without having to host them on a separate server or cloud space.
- Gaming: Because Meshnet works like a virtual Local Area Network (LAN), you can play local multiplayer games together with your friends even if they’re halfway around the world. No LAN cables needed, of course.
- Virtual routing: In case you’re out and about but want to connect to your own home IP address, Meshnet will allow you to do that by redirecting your connection via the laptop you left at home.
The best part? Meshnet is completely free to use and available on all major device types, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS.
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