A VPN provides a way for transmitting and receiving data over internet through a public network in such a way that it seems you are actually connected on a private network. It keeps your browsing activity, current location and identity completely private by encrypting your data and then routing it over its own remote servers. In simple words, a VPN would hide your network location from which you are connecting and let you access internet without imposing any restrictions.
Since many countries have blocked several websites such as YouTube, Facebook and Google, one would need an excellent VPN in order to connect to internet without bothering about those restrictions and browsing the internet securely. For example, in order to use internet in China, which has put restrictions on most of the websites, using a VPN is a must.
One of the most effective and popular VPN used worldwide is StrongVPN. It is a US based company which was set up in 1994 and it provides VPN servers in 21 countries and 45 cities supporting most of the VPN protocols. Its high speed servers provide excellent encryption of data, IP address switching and secure browsing.
Features of StrongVPN
- StrongVPN provides 5 different encryption protocols for connecting to their accounts namely PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, IKEv2, and OpenVPN. Each protocol has got different features.
- PPTP provides a 128 bit basic encryption and has got the fastest speed among all as the encryption level is low.
- L2TP provides 256 bit encryption and checks for data integrity, but the connection speed is little low due to additional security.
- SSTP provides AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption offering high speed connection on Windows PC.
- IKEv2 provides AES 256 encryption and has auto-reconnect option if internet connectivity is lost.
- OpenVPN provides a 256 bit encryption which is highly secure and uses digital certificates for authenticating data.
- It allows you to have 2 simultaneous connections from your account using different devices such as laptop, PC, smartphone and tablet.
- It has got servers in 21 countries covering 45 cities and there a total of 458 servers.
- It has got a total of 87000 different IPs to which you can connect.
- It allows unlimited server switches to its users. So, you are allowed to switch the server from one to another when you wish to connect to a different server instantly.
- StrongVPN desktop application is available for Windows and Mac. It also offers mobile app for Android and iOS devices.
- It provides a Customer support service for 24*7*365 days assisting all your queries regarding StrongVPN through its Support Form page. It has different Customer support departments for Billing, Sales and Technical Support.
- It doesn’t offer any trial period for using its services. But it do provide a 5 day Money back guarantee to all the users for testing their account.
- The Company comes under the jurisdiction of the laws of the state of Florida.
Prices and Plans
StrongVPN offers 2 different plans for its customers based on their needs and requirements.
For using its services on a monthly basis, there is a plan of $10 per month.
The second plan is for $5.83 per month if you want to use the services for a complete 1 year. You can save a total of 41% if you chose this long term plan instead of per month plan. You have to pay a total amount of $69.99 and you can use it for 1 year.
We would suggest you to opt for plan which offers 1 Year subscription because if you go for a long term plan you would not have to get your plan renewed every month and thus would save your time. Also, the services offered in both the plans are exactly the same and there is no difference in them.
Also, you will get a 5 day money back guarantee in which you can test the services of StrongVPN. If you are not satisfied with the services, you can opt out of the plan within 5 days from the subscription by submitting a cancel request form and you would get 100% refund of your money.
Pros
Secure and Reliable Encryption Protocols: Since StrongVPN offers 5 different encryption protocols for connection which includes PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, IKEv2, and OpenVPN, therefore, it is highly secure and reliable in unblocking the restricted websites and at the same time not compromising with the security of the user. Encryption protocol uses digital certificates when it comes to data authentication for maintaining very high security for sending and receiving data. The encryption lets you browse anonymously and safely without getting tracked. It keeps you safe from hackers, online thefts and phishers by keeping your identity anonymous.
High speed and unlimited server switching:StrongVPN provides a high speed connection over its servers with unlimited bandwidth usage as well as unlimited switching of the servers for all the accounts. Once you get connected to a server, it remains stable for a long duration without any cut out. It also allows its users to connect up to 2 different devices simultaneously.
Static IP address: If offers all the immediate available servers to the user. In the list of servers, user can choose a server having static IP address which can be useful if you don’t want your IP to change when you connect or disconnect to your VPN account. This situation comes handy for online gaming where players use VPN connection for playing games which are only available in selected countries. This wouldn’t have been possible with a dynamic IP address as the account would get blocked if the IP changes to a different server.
Secure browsing with no logging: StrongVPN doesn’t keep a track of the browsing activities of its users, which includes downloads and visited sites. It doesn’t monitor anything and gives a complete privacy to the user for browsing internet without storing any logs for the activities being performed by the user.
One of the oldest VPN provider: StrongVPN was established way back in 1995 and is still very much popular in the industry as one of the oldest VPN providers. StrongVPN has been serving its customers for more than 2 decades providing highly secure and reliable security services, and has been a top-notch VPN provider by upgrading its services year by year.
Cons
No free trial and high price: StrongVPN doesn’t offer any free trial for its users and you have to spend a minimum of 10$ for using the services for a month. Also, the price for both the plans (monthly and yearly) are a little expensive. As many users’ need VPN only when they are travelling to a different location where some websites are restricted, they would have wanted a free trial for a limited time.
Only 2 simultaneous connections: You are allowed to connect only 2 devices from your account at the same time. Since, VPNs have become so much useful for Laptop/PC as well as smartphones and tablets, one may need to connect to VPN account from more than 2 devices at the same time which is not possible in StrongVPN. This seems like an inconvenience to the user.
Number of countries with servers: StrongVPN has got its connectivity in only limited countries and has not been expanding for a long time. It serves only in 21 countries currently covering 45 cities having a total of 458 servers. Thus, it is much behind than its competitors in terms of total servers and covered countries, as ExpressVPN covers 78 countries with more than 1000 servers.
Recommended Uses
StrongVPN provides high speed, reliable and secure VPN access all over the world. It has a huge network of servers in 21 countries and users can access every single server using the 5 different encryption protocols. It works very well in China and other Asian countries. It has got tremendous features to bypass the geographical restrictions and censorship being imposed in several countries of the world.
Its strong encryption protocols provides high speed streaming for its users. Irrespective of the device you are operating from, StrongVPN makes sure that the data you are sending or receiving from the Internet has been securely encrypted and no one else can access it. The customer support is top class and provides support via Support Forum, FAQ page, Email ticket system and Skype. The response time is very quick and you can expect a comprehensive response within 20-30 minutes.
You can use StrongVPN for browsing anonymously, keeping your identity secure, changing your IP address to a different country, and using Public Wi-Fi without any security compromise as hackers could steal your sensitive information via Public Wi-Fi. It offers you much more reliable security than a proxy would offer. StrongVPN is the first choice to be used as a reliable and secure VPN in countries like China.
Overall, StrongVPN is an ideal choice if you are looking for a VPN service provider as it has high speed connection, secure data encryption and provides safe internet browsing.