Security - Organizer

9:45 pm | October 3, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Tags: VPN | Comments: Off

NymVPN is a distributed privacy solution that seeks to address the trust limitations of traditional VPNs. By leveraging blockchain technology, Nym aims to decentralize control over privacy, shifting it away from VPN providers and into the hands of individual users.

This new model does away with the need to trust any of the VPN server providers in your network – and the innovative approach to privacy uses a Mixnet, which routes traffic through distributed nodes to obfuscate its origin.

While NymVPN promises cutting-edge privacy, it's still in beta (though this also means that it's free). Compared to our best VPNs, however, it's missing several core features. To see whether it's worth checking out, I'll take a look at NymVPN in more detail, evaluating its speed, feature set, privacy options, and how it measures up in the current VPN landscape.

Features

This is a weird one. There's plenty to talk about if you're interested in how NymVPN works, but as the client is still in beta it's pretty bare-bones.

There isn’t even a kill switch built into the app. Both a kill-switch and split tunneling are reportedly "on the way" but, in the meantime, you're left with a VPN that's little more than a connect button and a list of countries to choose from.

So, what does NymVPN promise? Unparalleled anonymity, eventually. The whole VPN is based on the concept of a "Mixnet".

Instead of a normal VPN, which routes your traffic through a single VPN server, NymVPN uses a distributed set of "nodes" that all route your traffic back and forth. If you're thinking that this sounds pretty similar to Tor, you'd be correct. The difference is that NymVPN bakes all of this functionality into a crypto-currency ecosystem that allows node operators to be rewarded for providing high-quality networking to the Mixnet. Bandwidth isn't free, after all.

NymVPN promises the ability to distribute its own Nym token to node operators based on how well they provide quality of service (less dropped packets, more traffic mixed, you get the idea). They call this "proof of mixing", which guarantees an objective, crypto-backed way to see which nodes are serving your traffic in an anonymous way.

The actual NymVPN blockchain also promises to integrate with current blockchains while scrubbing the metadata that many of these protocols leak – reducing the overall privacy of blockchain transactions.

There aren't a lot of extras in NymVPN's roadmap. It's focused solely on improving privacy and expanding the existing blockchain to integrate with other products, so even when NymVPN finally reaches release, if you're looking for a VPN that's part of an integrated security suite, then this one probably isn't for you.

Features score: 5/10

Server network

Most VPN providers either rent out networking servers hosted by a third party or use their own managed servers at locations they control. For example, ProtonVPN hosts one of its Secure Core network clusters in a disused military base in Iceland.

NymVPN takes a different approach, using entirely distributed servers provided by volunteers in what it calls a "Mixnet". You can actually see every server that provides either routing or endpoint services to the Mixnet through its own dedicated server explorer, but unless you're interested in how individual nodes are performing, you're probably better off sticking to the location selector inside the app itself.

Currently, there are only 29 countries to choose from across Europe and Asia. You also can't choose between specific locations in the app, although I suspect this may change with time. You can, however, choose both your entry node and your exit node to optimize your connection.

Server network score: 6/10

Apps

There are beta clients of NymVPN available for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. They're all more of a "proof of concept" at the moment, so each app works more or less how you'd expect a normal VPN to work.

The actual app design is pretty pleasing. It's all minimalist greys and whites with orange highlights, which is easy on the eyes. If you prefer a less funky aesthetic, the available dark mode swaps white to black.

While there are relatively few options to choose from, they all come with helpful tooltips that explain more about the functionality, and in-depth explainers link out to the support pages if you fancy doing some heavier reading.

One issue I've got with the layout is that there's relatively little information available about your connection on the main connection page. You can't see your IP address at a glance or, more importantly, how long your current subscription is going to last.

You also need to enable the ability to choose your entry hop from the settings menu. This feels like something you'd always want to be able to change, and it's not like it clutters the connect page when you enable it.

Overall, the NymVPN clients are all functional and pleasing to look at. The biggest complaint I have is that occasionally the app fails to connect, but this is to be expected in a beta.

Apps score: 5/10

Ease of use

NymVPN is very easy to use once you get past the initial login. Much like ExpressVPN, NymVPN asks you for login credentials that are mailed to you when you sign up.

The app doesn't work until these details are entered, so it's a little confusing not being given a login page first. That said, the actual connection process is straightforward and simple. You choose between "Anonymous" or "Fast" connections, both of which are clearly explained, and then hit connect.

However, I can foresee NymVPN being harder to use in the future if you're not informed about how cryptocurrencies work. I don't know how it's going to work just from trying out the beta, but you're going to need to top up your VPN with crypto continually to keep it working once the full rollout is here.

Ease of use score: 8/10

Speed and performance

There's good and bad here. For clarity, I use a 100 Mbps line with Ookla Speedtest to get a reading on the average speeds a VPN provider offers. Anyway, reading through NymVPN's white paper, the first objection I had was: "Wouldn’t a mixnet make this VPN incredibly slow?"

The answer is: Yes. Yes it does.

It's been a long time since I've used a VPN where I felt the lag made it nigh-unusable, but NymVPN's Anonymous mode took me there.

I'm not sure whether this is going to change as the network scales upwards, but connecting to Germany gave me speeds of 0.87 Mbps. Yes, you did read that correctly. I thought this might be a fluke, so I tried out the UK servers, too. No dice. Reading into it, the "Anonymous" setting pushes my traffic through five different servers.

The "Fast" setting, on the other hand, only uses two mixnet servers, so maybe it's a little better, right? Turns out, it's a lot better. I saw an average of 59.91 Mbps download and 16.85 Mbps upload, which is more than enough to stream video. The latency isn't that bad either.

While I'm sure the Anonymous settings make NymVPN absolutely bulletproof, the browsing experience is worse than going through the Tor network, which is saying something. I really hope that NymVPN gives you the ability to choose how many mixnet servers you want to use in the full release. as it stands, there's basically no point in using anything other than the Fast setting.

Speed and performance score: 3/10

Unblocking

This isn't a self-styled streaming VPN, but NymVPN does fairly well for a product that focuses on anonymity over other VPN use cases.

To figure out how well a VPN provider unblocks streaming content, we test against Netflix across the US, UK, Japan, Canada, and Australia, as well as Disney+ and Amazon Prime. There are also some regional providers we test, such as BBC iPlayer, ITV, 9Now, and 10Play.

I could access Netflix in the US, UK, and Japan, but it wouldn't let me access any content in either Japan or Australia. Disney+ and Amazon Prime worked, as well as BBC iPlayer, but I couldn't get ITV, 9Now, or 10Play to let me in despite connecting several times and bouncing between Fast and Anonymous settings.

This isn't terribly surprising, as the service relies on a mixnet of several different node providers to route your traffic.

There's no port forwarding option, but torrenting works as long as you're not looking for the absolute best speeds from the fastest VPN. Choosing the "Anonymous" option won't make a massive amount of difference to your unblocking capabilities for streaming, either, as your endpoint node will be the same regardless.

I'd say it might be worth it using the "Anonymous" feature for torrenting, but in practice the speeds you get are so abysmally slow that it actually causes connection issues with torrent clients. Even if you can maintain a connection with a peer, it'll take days to download even a few GB – so it's really not a good idea.

Unblocking score: 4/10

Privacy and security

NymVPN is being developed as a privacy-first network, drawing inspiration from the decentralized design of the Tor network as well as distributed VPN projects like Orchid. The way NymVPN works is quite complex, so I'll break down the basics of how the network functions and what it aims to achieve.

Nym operates using a protocol similar to onion routing, where traffic travels through multiple nodes between the entry and exit points. Each node encrypts the data differently, making it difficult for an adversary to track individual packets or streams of traffic.

The key difference between NymVPN and Tor is in their threat models: NymVPN is built on the assumption that a sufficiently large adversary, such as a government, could correlate traffic across both entry and exit nodes on the network. We're talking about powerful entities with access to vast amounts of data, and potentially even the ability to control a significant portion of the network's traffic.

To combat this, NymVPN sends traffic to multiple nodes on the network, mixing several traffic streams together from different users to obfuscate where and when traffic is being sent.

NymVPN also generates fake traffic and mixes it with real data to obscure traffic patterns, making correlation attacks far more difficult. However, this comes with a significant overhead cost compared to traditional VPNs, which impacts your overall speeds more as you use more Mixnet nodes.

The technology behind NymVPN is impressive, but since it's still in beta, it's not yet fully equipped to handle all of your privacy needs

As I've already mentioned, I noticed the absence of a kill switch feature. Without a kill switch, you are vulnerable to attacks where an adversary could force you to disconnect from the NymVPN network, causing your device to fall back on an unencrypted connection.

I've also noticed DNS and IPv6 leaks while using the client, which undermines the privacy of the app. DNS is a somewhat separate challenge from encrypting internet traffic, so I have to assume that NymVPN is going to solve this one by eventually supporting DNS servers inside the Mixnet as well. Time will tell.

Privacy and security score: 5/10

Track record

NymVPN doesn't have much of a track record as a VPN provider as it's still in beta and not yet an established player in the VPN market.

However, Nym itself is an established blockchain vendor with a strong commitment to building privacy solutions. The Nym blockchain has been in development since 2018, with its public mainnet being deployed in 2021. Since then, it has partnered with Google, Brave, and Signal amongst other notable partners.

It's not just all big-name tech companies, either. Nym has gained significant support from privacy advocates and academics across the industry, including notable figures like Chelsea Manning, a well-known data privacy advocate.

That said, it's difficult to recommend NymVPN based solely on its VPN track record. If you're looking for a more experienced, commercial VPN provider with a proven history, you may want to consider other options.

Track record score: 4/10

Customer support

Don't expect to find a 24/7 support team here. Sending an email ticket through the support page is the best chance you have of getting in touch with a NymVPN developer directly, although it does have Telegram and Discord accounts where you can chat with other users.

There's plenty of literature on how Nym's blockchain works and how the design enhances your privacy, but the actual support pages are a little lacking. Admittedly, NymVPN itself is still in beta and doesn't have a lot of extra knobs to turn, but it does feel like the support section is an afterthought.

Customer support score: 2/10

Pricing and plans

NymVPN is currently in beta testing – which means it's free to use for now. The VPN will eventually adopt a fast, crypto-based payment system using the Nym blockchain. Essentially, it acts as an anonymous bridge for onboarding and offboarding cryptocurrencies.

In simple terms, you'll be able to use various cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Monero, that can be converted into Nym's proprietary token. This token is then used to pay for your VPN connection on the network.

In practice, this means there's no traditional subscription model. Instead, you fund your account with cryptocurrency and your usage is billed based on bandwidth consumption, making it quite different from other VPN providers.

I always approach crypto projects that use proprietary tokens with a healthy dose of skepticism. Paying DVPN server operators sounds great in practice, but if the token you're paying them with is worthless, then you're doomed to failure.

However, the underlying technology here appears sound. Nym has the ability to easily onboard and offboard multiple cryptocurrencies from different blockchains which means you won't be stuck with an unusable token. That said, it remains to be seen how stable the economics of this model will be in practice when NymVPN is monetized.

Pricing and plans score: 5/10

Should you use NymVPN?

Right now, NymVPN is an interesting experiment in crypto-driven anonymity. It's not a VPN I would recommend for day-to-day usage, however, as it's still missing some critical privacy features that make it useful as a secure VPN.

It's also somewhat slower than other VPNs that use WireGuard, but this is to be expected given the unique Mixnet setup.

However, it's definitely one to watch when it comes out of beta. I've seen plenty of decentralized VPNs that claim to revolutionize the market, but NymVPN looks like it has a real shot at doing so.

Time will tell whether it can make the monetization work and incentivize its node operators properly but, in the meantime, you should look to a traditional VPN provider for best-in-class privacy and security.

NymVPN alternatives

1. NordVPN – from $3.09 per month
The best VPN overall
NordVPN is a provider with over a decade of experience. It offers VPN servers in over 140 locations, along with a "Double VPN" feature, which routes your traffic through two separate servers. This makes it more difficult to correlate your VPN traffic. NordVPN also provides obfuscated servers, which wrap your VPN connection in an HTTP layer, helping to bypass VPN blocks in countries with strict censorship, such as China. On top of that, NordVPN excels at unblocking streaming content. View Deal

2. ExpressVPN – from $6.67 per month
The best VPN for beginners and the most secure
ExpressVPN offers lightning-fast speeds across the globe and has one of the best server networks of any VPN we’ve reviewed. This is due in part to its custom Lightway protocol, which delivers faster speeds compared to traditional VPNs while also reducing battery usage, particularly on mobile devices. View Deal

NymVPN FAQs

What is NymVPN?

NymVPN is a decentralized privacy solution built on blockchain technology. It uses a Mixnet architecture to route traffic through multiple nodes, enhancing your anonymity compared to traditional VPNs.

How does NymVPN differ from traditional VPNs?

Unlike centralized VPNs, NymVPN routes traffic through a network of independent nodes operated by volunteers. This decentralized approach ensures that no single entity has full control of the network, providing additional privacy.

Is NymVPN free to use?

During the beta phase, NymVPN is indeed free to use. However, once the full version is released, it will adopt a pay-per-use model based on cryptocurrency transactions.

How secure is NymVPN?

NymVPN offers strong privacy protections through its Mixnet architecture but is still in beta and lacks essential features like a kill switch. DNS and IPv6 leaks were observed during testing, so it's not yet fully reliable for privacy-sensitive tasks.

SweatVPN review

5:55 pm | September 12, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Tags: VPN | Comments: Off

SweatVPN might mystify you if you're not a gamer. The service caters specifically to gamers so, if you're not interested in hopping into online Call of Duty matches, you may want to continue your search for the best VPN.

Even the name "SweatVPN" is based on a gaming term – "sweaty", which refers to a highly skilled player who tries so hard to win that they're sweating by the end of the session.

Of course, if you're looking to wind down on the weekend or after work with some casual gaming, then running into "sweaty" players isn't ideal. SweatVPN promises to balance the playing field by providing access to lobbies with less skilled opponents, allowing you to enjoy a more chilled-out gaming experience.

While Sweat VPN is priced competitively at $6.99 a month, there are a bunch of issues with the service that keep me from recommending it. Let's take a look.

SweatVPN features

Sweat VPN offers a mix of standard VPN features with a few specialized tools tailored for gamers. However, there's very little that's actually unique to this VPN provider from an industry perspective. The more I dug into it, the more I found that the service struggles to stand out in a competitive market where many VPNs offer the same suite of tools.

SweatVPN has more than forty server locations available – and claims that this allows you to access "bot lobbies". These are less competitive gaming lobbies (digital waiting rooms) created to reduce matchmaking times when there aren't enough players for a full match.

So, using SweatVPN to change your location to a region with fewer players when playing a multiplayer game (like Call of Duty) means you'll end up in a lobby full of less-skilled players or AI-controlled bots (non-human players). However, this feature is not unique, as most VPNs can change your virtual location to achieve similar effects.

SweatVPN does one-up regular VPNs with its ability to spoof your location and reduce lag with its "SweatDUMA" feature, which geo-fences you to a specific area while choosing a game server, but still allows you to use your home connection in the game.

There are a handful of extra game-specific features built into SweatVPN that are all designed to optimize your gaming experience. The FPS booster is pretty self-explanatory: it's a bunch of default settings that ensure you get the best framerate when running a game.

What's more interesting (and, honestly, concerning) is the SweatBoost feature. Essentially, it's a series of macros designed to enhance your aiming abilities when playing on a controller by eliminating recoil. I'm not going to argue the ethics of using a tool like this, but if you're reported for using it in-game you're probably going to end up shadow-banned.

SweatVPN ease of use

SweatVPN's UI is cluttered in a way that’s not obvious until you compare it to other VPNs.

There's a bunch of useless information added to the connect page, which feels like it's there to pad out the page space. I'm not sure if anyone has ever asked for random geographical facts about the VPN location they're connecting to. The rest of the menus are poorly organized, too.

On the plus side, there's a "Meta" tab which provides insights into the current best loadouts in Call of Duty. It's a handy time-saving feature that saves you the hassle of researching optimal setups but, obviously, it's absolutely useless if you're using the VPN for anything that isn't playing CoD.

SweatVPN performance

Every millisecond of ping counts when it comes to gaming. Too much lag makes your gaming session unplayable, even if you're getting access to easier lobbies as a result. There's also the issue of how SweatVPN performs outside of a gaming setting as a general VPN, too.

In all cases, I tested SweatVPN using a 100 Mbps connection with Ookla Speedtest to capture speed test results.

During my tests, I connected to UK servers and observed download speeds of 61.76 Mbps and upload speeds of 30.32 Mbps. These speeds are more than adequate for most online activities. For instance, streaming Netflix in 4K requires about 25 Mbps, meaning my download speeds were sufficient to handle high-quality streaming without buffering. You should keep in mind that connecting to a VPN will always make your connection slightly slower.

I found that my Ping times were pretty reasonable. I usually get around 25-40ms when connecting to EU West servers, and didn't really notice a difference when using SweatVPN. So, no additional lag. I didn't notice any extra jitter either, as my gameplay remained smooth and stable across multiple rounds. This was the case throughout the day, both during peak and off-peak hours.

Netflix and global stream unblocking

While SweatVPN doesn't advertise itself as a streaming VPN, I was interested to see if it'd be able to unblock any popular streaming services.

Unfortunately, the VPN fell short. While it does manage to unblock Tubi, it failed to access every other streaming service I tested it out on. To be clear, my usual VPN testing regime involves accessing regional Netflix variants in the UK, US, Japan, Canada, and Australia, as well as 9Now, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.

In every case, SweatVPN caused the streaming service to either not play or display a warning telling me I was using a VPN. Even bouncing between different servers didn't help, and neither did the SweatDUMA service. I'm not surprised, as SweatVPN is really built to jump between Call of Duty servers.

However, SweatVPN does allow torrenting. It performed reasonably well during my connection tests, maintaining good speeds with a variety of peers across the world. I wouldn't necessarily recommend SweatVPN as a torrenting VPN, however, especially as there are some leak issues (which I'll discuss later in the article). There's also a lack of locations to choose from, so it's not an ideal choice when most top-tier VPNs offer at least double what SweatVPN does.

Privacy and security

The real issue I have with SweatVPN is that it's not private. Again, while it doesn't position itself as a privacy-focused VPN, I've got a bunch of concerns about the service.

The privacy policy is paper thin. All it does is outline the general data rights you've got under GDPR and tell you that it retains data in accordance with Dutch law. It's difficult to determine what data, if any, is being collected or stored.

Given that there's no third-party audit and a lack of a no-logs guarantee, it's quite likely that SweatVPN is logging your IP address and could very well be logging your internet browsing traffic too. They also state that any data you hand over to the service can be shared with their commercial partners, which is terrible news if you're concerned about being profiled by marketing companies.

In terms of VPN protocols, it's pretty bare-bones. Only OpenVPN is available, and while it's secure and battle-tested, it's also pretty slow compared to some of the newer VPN protocols out there like WireGuard.

I was surprised to find that SweatVPN was actually leaking my IP address when I booted up the app. This is dangerous behavior for a VPN, even if it isn't a privacy-first service. At first, I thought this was a complete failure to prevent IP leaks, but it's actually not as bad as that.

SweatVPN comes pre-packaged with the settings that lower your ping in a Call of Duty lobby as much as possible, so only the features that spoof your location are turned on. Once I changed the NAT type to direct, it passed all of the IPv4 leak tests I threw at it. I'm not impressed, but it's not as bad as the VPN just straight up not working.

I can't say the same about DNS leaks. Even after adjusting the settings to prevent IP leaks, the VPN continued to expose my DNS requests - meaning every site I requested while using SweatVPN was still being sent to my ISP. Ultimately, they'd be able to see both my home IP and every site I visit.

There's also no kill switch, split-tunneling, or anything else in the way of security you'd expect from a top-tier app. Also, installing it set off my anti-virus scanner. SweatVPN claims it's due to the "encryption" it uses on its app, but I would never recommend a VPN client that my AV suggests is actually a trojan with full access to my computer.

SweatVPN privacy policy — (Image credit: SweatVPN)

Server network

All of SweatVPN's servers are optimized specifically for gaming. It doesn't offer any streaming or torrenting servers, so unless you want a dedicated gaming VPN, there's not much on offer in terms of extras.

There are 40 server locations to choose from, however, ranging from those you'd expect like the UK, US, Canada, Greece, and Spain, to slightly more obscure locations such as Nigeria, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Singapore, and South Africa. Given that SweatVPN tries to give you access to locations with lower player bases, it makes sense that there's a fairly scattered set of locations to connect to.

SweatVPN apps

The actual SweatVPN app is only available for Windows, although there is a way to allow your console to connect to the SweatVPN service. You'll need a USB Wi-Fi adaptor to do so, however, as you're essentially turning your PC into a router that your console connects to in order to use the VPN service.

It's a pretty ingenious method, but it's also an absolute headache to get set up and requires installing a virtual machine and running an extra network adapter to get right. It's far from the most user-friendly experience in the world, even if you're following along with the extensive guide.

As far as the Windows app goes, it's also kind of a pain. I had to disable both Windows Defender and my AV system just to get it to install, and I found that I couldn't uninstall it without downloading a separate uninstaller file.

There's no other availability here: no MacOS, no Linux, no Android or iOS. It makes sense, as SweatVPN is based entirely around giving you an edge in Call of Duty. However, I suspect there’s another reason.

Much of SweatVPN's extra functionality is built around the DS4Windows driver, which provides native device support for a bunch of console controllers including the PS4 controller. As far as I'm aware there isn't an equivalent on MacOS or Linux, and I doubt SweatVPN's developers are building their own controller drivers any time soon.

SweatVPN match history — (Image credit: SweatVPN)

SweatVPN customer support

SweatVPN's customer support is pretty limited in comparison to other VPN services.

The primary support channel is a Discord server where you can interact directly with the developers, but this is only available if you pay the extra fee for VIP support. The issue with this is that the support staff aren't terribly professional, and most of the time if you can't get the lobbies you're looking for they'll tell you that you're on your own.

Sweat VPN does not offer a dedicated 24/7 live support team, or an AI chatbot, and their support literature is somewhat lacking. There is a single support page that lists a few support guides necessary for installing SweatVPN but, upon further inspection, at least half of these articles are very clearly spewed out by some variant of ChatGPT.

It's also pretty hard to find these documents at all, as they're hosted on a separate subdomain I only found while using some Google-fu on the site. It's not available anywhere from the main page, either, so you won't have access to it until you buy a subscription.

Overall, while there's certainly some support on offer for SweatVPN, it's nowhere near the standard I'd expect from a specialist VPN.

SweatVPN pricing plans

Sweat VPN offers a range of subscription plans, including options for one week, one month, three months, and one year.

However, the one-week package is suspiciously listed as "out of stock." which raises a few questions given that VPN subscriptions are digital products. They're virtual. There's nothing to run out of! Jokes aside, this is a fairly scummy tactic designed to make you view the rest of the price options as "discounts" to a package you literally cannot buy.

The one-month plan costs $15, while the three-month package is priced at $35. If you opt into the VIP plan, which promises additional server locations and access to a VIP Discord server, the cost is $20 per month or $50 for three months. An annual VIP subscription is available for $150.

However, I don't think the VIP plan provides substantial value, as the extra server locations aren't terribly useful and Discord access offers little advantage beyond connecting with other Call of Duty enthusiasts and a direct line to the support staff.

All in all, SweatVPN is pretty expensive compared to the competition given how little there is from a VPN perspective. Maybe it's worth it to you for the extra Call of Duty features, but given that there are much better cheap VPNs out there, I'd suggest you steer clear.

SweatVPN pricing plans — (Image credit: SweatVPN)

Track record

It's hard to gauge SweatVPN's track record given that it's a relatively new company. However, there are a bunch of extremely angry customers in SweatVPN's reviews across sites like Trustpilot insisting that the app doesn't work – and I'm inclined to agree.

The issue with a product like SweatVPN is it's trying to give you a service that's hard to guarantee. You're trying to fool Call of Duty's matchmaking system into giving you better lobbies to play in, but it's a black box that you have very little feedback from.

There's also some weirdness about where SweatVPN is based. I can't find any meaningful information about the developers behind the program, and while the Privacy Policy suggests they'd be managed under Dutch law, the support address listed on Trustpilot is actually for an office in Poland. There's very little actual transparency about who or what is funding SweatVPN which, in the context of everything else SweatVPN fails on, I'd call a big red flag.

SweatVPN review: Final verdict

There are so many things wrong with SweatVPN that I don't know where to begin. First, and foremost, is that it set off my anti-virus during installation. This simply should not happen.

Then there's the issue of the bot lobbies. Lots of gamers dislike skill-based matchmaking, sure, but using a VPN to bypass it by connecting to locations filled with bots is both unfair and will eventually get you shadow-banned. Even if you wanted to argue the morality of using a VPN to snipe bot lobbies, the extra aim-assistance macros that SweatVPN offers are outright cheating.

On top of that, SweatVPN is simply a bad VPN. It doesn't unblock streams, it's not particularly fast, and it lacks almost all of the security features you'd need to use a VPN with total peace of mind. If I haven't been clear enough already: do not buy SweatVPN.

SweatVPN alternatives

I seriously can't recommend SweatVPN. So, with that in mind, here are some reliable picks you'd be better off spending your money on.

If security is your main concern, then check out our NordVPN review. Its DoubleVPN feature routes your browsing traffic through two different VPN servers making it much harder for third-party snoops to track your activity. NordVPN also has its own built-in ad-blocker and malware protection, as well as industry-standard encryption. Plus, with over 5,500 servers worldwide, you can count on high-speed, low-ping connections to pretty much any part of the globe.

Our ExpressVPN review goes into detail about this rock-solid service, too, which always places high in our VPN speed tests. This makes it an excellent choice for gaming. ExpressVPN has also invested in a vast network of servers in 105 countries, so you'll be able to find a nearby VPN server with low latency no matter where you are in the world. ExpressVPN also supports a wide range of devices and provides 24/7 customer support.

Finally, in our CyberGhost review, we dig into this budget-friendly, low cost option that has its very own dedicated gaming servers. CyberGhost is nice and easy to use, even for total newbies, and offers the same bulletproof security you'll see from providers like NordVPN and ExpressVPN.

How we test VPNs

TechRadar's team of VPN experts use VPNs every day, at work and at home, and perform a thorough analysis of today's top services twice a year to make sure our rankings are all up to date – and how the competition has developed.

First, we'll take a look at each provider's site to check out its feature list and privacy claims, and whether anything has changed since our last review. We'll also see whether the provider site uses cookies to track visitors and if/when they activate.

We'll install and use each VPN service, next, and connect to a range of servers across different locations to get an overview of the service's performance. Then, we'll dive into the VPN settings to ensure all features work as advertised and which protocols are available.

Our VPN team isn't afraid to challenge the VPNs they test, either, and will cut the VPN connection to see whether the kill switch kicks in to prevent data leaks as it should.

We test every facet of the VPN – streaming, speed, customer support, ease of use. Everything you'd want to know about a service, we want to know, too. Check out our dedicated VPN testing methodology page to learn more.

SweatVPN FAQ

Can you be shadowbanned while using a VPN in Call of Duty?

Yes. Although SweatVPN's owners claim you won't be banned while using the VPN because it doesn’t violate the Terms of Service, Activision-Blizzard often relegates users they detect using VPNs to segregate them from the rest of the population who are playing fair.

Is it normal for a VPN service to set off my Anti-Virus?

No. You should always trust your VPN provider before using its software, and while there are occasional false positives, nothing a VPN does should set off your malware detection. If a VPN provider is aware of this, it should be rewriting its software so that it doesn't cause these issues.

Wipr Review

7:31 pm | August 12, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Comments: Off

Ads are a major problem on the internet today. Many websites have focused too much on ads above content, inadvertently ruining the user experience. For example, you can find websites with half ads and half content, making them annoying to scroll through. You might also encounter a website with poorly placed ads covering valuable content.

Fortunately, there’s a solution to this pressing issue: ad blockers. These tools disable ads from their roots and let you surf the web without encountering obnoxious ads. Wipr is one of the best ad-blocking solutions for iOS and macOS users, and we’re reviewing it to help you decide whether it’s worth using. We’ll dive into its features, pricing, customer support, and other criteria to determine if it’s a suitable solution for you.

Wipr: Plans and Pricing

Wipr is a very cost-effective solution. It has only one pricing structure: a $1.99 one-time fee. There are no upgrade options apart from the one-time purchase, but you can tip the developer if you appreciate the app.

One developer currently maintains this app, and its simple structure means it doesn’t take much funds to run. Wipr does one thing and does it excellently: blocking ads. There’s no free plan, but the low one-time fee saves you a lot in the long run, unlike other competitors that demand monthly or annual fees.

Wipr: Features

Wipr focuses on one thing: blocking ads on the Safari web browser. This app only works for Apple devices (iPhones, iPads and Mac laptops or desktops). Wipr blocks ads and makes your browsing experience less disruptive. We tested it extensively and were pleased to discover it even blocked YouTube ads, allowing us to watch long videos without annoying breaks.

This app also blocks website trackers from monitoring your Safari browsing activity. Likewise, it blocks those repetitive EU cookies and GDPR notices asking for your consent to proceed.

However, Wipr only blocks YouTube ads if you watch videos on the Safari browser. Apple doesn't give apps permission to alter other apps, so Wipr can't block ads if you're using the native YouTube app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac PC.

Wipr blocks third-party cookies, but some websites need these cookies to function correctly. For example, without cookies, you’ll have to log in every time you visit a locked webpage instead of just logging in once and getting remembered for a long time. To solve this issue, you can whitelist specific sites on Safari to accept cookies from despite Wipr being enabled. You should whitelist trusted websites you use frequently, e.g., your email and social media platforms.

Wipr’s ad-blocking technology is based on a frequently updated blocklist. The platform maintains a database of domains that serve ads, which is updated continuously to keep up with rapid changes. Wipr reviews your browsing requests and blocks any request for an ad-linked domain, ensuring you don't see intrusive ads. The company says it updates its database twice a week.

When testing Wipr, we observed that it didn’t slow the browsing experience like many other ad-blockers. It’s normal to expect browsing to become slower when an ad blocker reviews every request. However, Wipr takes advantage of Apple's developer features that let apps dictate content-blocking rules for Safari once you open the browser. The browsing speed is unaffected because Safari knows the rules in advance and doesn't repeatedly consult Wipr during loading.

Besides, ads take considerable bandwidth. Blocking them actually improves your browsing speed, making your experience more enjoyable. Wipr works well for English users and supports many other languages, including French, German, Greek, Korean, and Chinese.

Wipr: Interface and In-Use

Wipr offers an interface that’s noticeably easy to navigate. The app is designed in a way any layperson can understand. It doesn’t have many features, so there’s no complexity to navigate. Just download and install Wipr, and you can toggle its ad-blocking feature on or off anytime.

We found it odd that Wipr doesn’t have a dedicated website for customers to visit. You can only find the app listings on the Apple and Mac App Stores. However, the lack of a website makes sense, given Wipr’s low cost and, consequently, its developer’s need for minimal hosting expenses.

Wipr has a minimal, uncluttered interface you’ll likely enjoy navigating. You can switch the interface between dark and light mode at will.

Wipr: Customer Support

Wipr doesn’t offer much in this criterion. There’s an option to contact the developer, but it might take long to receive a reply, or if at all. With its very low cost, it’s understandable that Wipr doesn’t invest much in customer support. Users are trading affordability for lesser support and help.

However, if you need help with any issue on the Wipr app, you can post on IT forums or IT-related Reddit subs. Wipr has many fans in the technical community, making them willing to help users.

Wipr: The Competition

The ad-blocking sector is intensely competitive. There’s no shortage of free or paid ad-blocking tools for different devices and browsers. We'd like to highlight Adblock Plus and AdLock as the two main alternatives to Wipr.

Like Wipr, these two alternatives remove ads to make your browsing experience smoother. They shine over Wipr by being compatible with many browsers, unlike Wipr, which is limited to Safari. However, Wipr is much more affordable than these alternatives.

Wipr: Final Verdict

Wipr is an effective ad-blocking tool for Apple device users. It detects and removes ads effectively, making your browsing experience faster and more enjoyable. The drawback is that Wipr only works for iOS and macOS users and on the Safari browser. There’s no version for other browsers and operating systems.

We've listed the best adblockers

AdGuard Review

7:30 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Comments: Off

Advertisements have become a significant problem on the web. Many people have had their browsing experiences ruined by ads, including on websites they cherished. For example, YouTube ads have become excessive, with multiple ads playing in a long video. Many other websites now contain display ads that cover valuable content, disrupting the user experience.

Fortunately, there’s a solution to this problem: ad blockers. These software tools detect and thwart ads from their roots, enabling a seamless browsing experience. AdGuard is one of the best-known ad blockers, and we want to review it to help you decide whether it’s worth adopting. This review will cover AdGuard’s features, pricing, interface, customer support, and other essential aspects.

AdGuard: Plans and Pricing

AdGuard is a freemium tool. You can download the app for free, but free users are limited to basic features and protection on just one device. You need a paid plan to enjoy AdGuard with your custom settings on multiple devices.

AdGuard offers two plans, Personal and Family, and you can pay annually or for a lifetime. The Personal plan costs $30 annually, and the Family plan costs $66 annually, plus value-added tax (VAT). The lifetime plans cost $80 for Personal and $170 for Family.

The Personal plan protects up to 3 devices, and the Family plan protects up to 9 devices. AdGuard's free version offers only ad-blocking, but the Personal and Family plans include complementary features like a VPN and parental controls. This platform’s pricing plans are reasonable compared to the competition.

AdGuard: Features

Our test began with downloading AdGuard, both the extension and the mobile app. The installation process was fast and easy, and we started taking note of the features.

AdGuard is good at blocking ads from a web browser, including YouTube ads. We were particularly impressed with how it blocked YouTube ads, which many other blockers struggle with.

This app gives you reports about the ads it blocks, allowing you to verify that it’s doing its job. For example, opening Forbes.com showed that AdGuard blocked 10 elements from appearing on the web page. We tested with other websites, and AdGuard gave detailed results about what it blocked. You can also find charts showing the progress of how many ads it has blocked over time.

You might have websites you trust and want ads on these websites to show, even while AdGuard blocks ads from other sources. Fortunately, this app allows you to add specific domains to the allowlist, exempting them from ad-blocking. Most other ad-blockers offer a similar feature, so we were relieved to discover that AdGuard wasn’t left behind.

We encountered a creative feature called the “Inverse Allowlist,” wherein AdGuard unblocks ads everywhere except for the sites in the list. This feature works if you can tolerate regular ads during your browsing experience and only block the sites serving excessive ads.

Another thing we enjoyed about using AdGuard is its website security feature. Open any website and click the “Check Website Security” button. Adguard will give you a detailed report about that website’s safety. AdGuard uses several sources to determine a URL's safety, including if the URL is included in the Google Safe Browsing or Yandex Safe Browsing blocklist.

The website safety feature is valuable if you interact with a new URL you don’t trust. You can simply check with AdGuard to see if that URL has previously been implicated in malware and other malicious activities.

AdGuard offers Stealth Mode, which protects your browsing identity and personal information from online trackers. You can instruct AdGuard to send Do Not Track signals to all websites you visit to avoid being tracked. You can also enable AdGuard to automatically self-destruct cookies shortly after they're installed on your browser (you’ll set a custom time limit for the cookies).

AdGuard doesn't let you only block ads. You can also block other annoying web elements like cookie notices, mobile app banners, popups, and social widgets. This platform gives you a lot of control over your browsing experience.

AdGuard: Interface and In-Use

AdGuard has a stellar user interface you’ll likely enjoy using. We didn’t encounter UI-related hiccups during our test, which speaks much about the platform. You can easily find any feature you want and toggle the ad blocker on and off anytime.

The browser extension or app employs sufficient color contrast that looks appealing to the eye. You can switch between dark and light modes depending on your environment. We also enjoyed AdGuard’s widespread compatibility, wherein you can use it as a browser extension or download the app on your mobile phone or PC. Many competing tools are only available as browser extensions.

AdGuard: Customer Support

Customer service is a major selling point for AdGuard. It offers excellent customer support resources, beginning with the detailed FAQ section and Knowledge Base on the official website. If you are unsatisfied with the Knowledge Base, you can email AdGuard's support team and expect a response within 24 to 48 hours.

AdGuard also runs a discussion forum where users interact with each other and often exchange solutions to their problems.

AdGuard: The Competition

There’s no shortage of competition in the ad-blocking software segment. Two AdGuard competitors we’d like to highlight are uBlock Origin and AdLock. uBlock Origin is an effective free alternative, but unlike AdGuard, it is only available as an extension.

AdLock is a paid tool with desktop and mobile apps just like AdGuard. It offers similar features, although it is slightly more costly.

AdGuard: Final Verdict

AdGuard is an excellent ad blocker we recommend to anyone who wants to improve their browsing experience. It has a free version, but the paid plan offers more advanced features. With the paid plan, you can access ad-blocking, VPN, and browsing security, killing multiple birds with one stone.

We've listed the best adblockers

AdLock Review

7:30 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Comments: Off

Ask an average internet user about a problem they encounter while surfing the web, and ads will be a common answer. Many websites focus too much on ads over content in the pursuit of revenue, inadvertently ruining the user experience.

Some websites have ads covering content or autoplay video ads at every interval. Interacting with such sites can be annoying, especially when they have valuable information. However, there’s a solution: installing ad-blocking software.

AdLock is one of the most effective ad-blocking tools available. It enables users to surf the web without encountering intensive ads. We tested AdLock so that you don’t have to. After reading this review, you can decide whether to download it on your browser or device.

AdLock: Plans and Pricing

AdLock is a freemium tool. It offers a free browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Safari. However, you need a premium subscription to download the desktop or mobile app and enjoy more features. For example, the premium plan can block app ads, not just on websites.

AdLock offers subscription plans for 1 month, 1 year, or 5 years, with each subscription covering 5 devices. The 1-month plan costs $3.50. The 1-year plan costs $34, and the 5-year plan costs $63.

AdLock offers a 14-day free trial and a 30-day window to get a refund if you’re unsatisfied with your subscription.

AdLock: Features

You can download AdLock as a browser extension or app. The extension is free, but the mobile or desktop app requires a premium subscription. AdLock uses sophisticated techniques to detect and block ads and trackers. It uses the EasyList filter to remove ads from your browsing experience; this filter looks for any ad stored on third-party servers and prevents it from running on your browser.

The EasyList database is continuously updated, so AdLock can keep up with new types of ads on any website. Ad blocking makes your browsing experience less disruptive and makes websites load faster since they don’t have to import ads from third-party servers.

AdLock has a Secure Surfing feature based on Google's Safe Browsing service. When using AdLock, you can click on any link and scan it against Google's database of unsafe websites. If the link is known for hosting malicious software, you'll be immediately alerted so that you can avoid it.

We like that AdLock works for both browsers and applications. We downloaded the software on a Mac PC and opened the YouTube app during our test. Unlike many other ad-blocking tools, AdLock blocked ads on the YouTube app. Given the numerous complaints about ads ruining the YouTube experience, this feature is invaluable. However, YouTube ad-blocking might not work every time—the only 100% assurance is getting a YouTube Premium subscription.

AdLock offers apps for desktops (macOS and Windows) and smartphones (iOS and Android). For unknown reasons, the Android app is unavailable on the Google Play Store. Instead, you have to download the APK directly from AdLock's website and sideload it on your Android device.

Note that AdLock uses a local VPN to filter and thwart malicious website requests. The VPN server is stored on your device and helps deliver a safe browsing experience. However, the issue is that the filtering feature can’t work simultaneously with other VPN applications.

AdLock lets you adjust blocking rules or add custom filters to your browsing experience. For example, you can allow it to show ads on some websites you trust or block an entire domain from your browser. You can toggle ad blocking on or off anytime if you encounter a website requiring you to disable ad-blocking before accessing its content. If you encounter any ad despite AdLock being turned on, you can escalate the issue to AdLock's team for further review.

AdLock: Interface and In-Use

AdLock has an interface that’s easy to understand and navigate. The features are neatly arranged on the left side, and on the right side lies the main dashboard. You can easily find any feature you want and adjust your filtering settings. There's a visible button to toggle on or off to control the ad blocker. AdLock provides details about the ads it has blocked, and you can view them anytime.

You can switch between dark and light modes, depending on what suits your current environment. AdLock is easy to understand whether you’re using the app or browser extension.

AdLock: Customer Support

AdLock offers adequate customer support. The company has dedicated email and phone lines to contact in case of any issues. For example, you can report a bug with a specific website for AdLock’s team to rectify. Expect an email reply within 24 hours, or use the phone line for urgent issues.

This platform also provides access to complementary support resources, including detailed user guides and manuals. You can consult the guides to resolve an issue before escalating it to AdLock’s team if your problem remains resolved.

AdLock: The Competition

AdLock has many competitors, such as Privacy Badger and AdGuard. Privacy Badger is a free browser extension that blocks advertisements and trackers. Offering full features at no cost gives privacy an edge over AdLock. However, Privacy Badger does not have a mobile or desktop app like AdLock.

AdGuard offers similar features to AdLock. It's a freemium service that offers a great free ad blocker but requires a subscription to access advanced features. AdGuard has mobile and desktop apps just like AdLock.

AdLock: Final Verdict

AdLock is an effective ad blocker that helps you enjoy your browsing experience. It eliminates disruptive ads from your browsers and apps, letting you enjoy content without hassles. However, note that you need a premium subscription to access all the features.

We've listed the best adblockers

Ghostery Review

7:30 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Comments: Off

Many people complain about ads ruining their browser experience, and they’re right. Websites increasingly rely on advertisements for revenue, and this reliance has caused many to focus on ads over content. Some websites are so filled with ads than content that they might qualify as adware.

However, there’s a solution to the problem of excessive ads. You can install an ad-blocking tool to detect and restrict ads from their roots, enabling you to enjoy your browsing experience. Ghostery is one of the best ad-blocking tools and is famous for being free and open-source.

We’re reviewing Ghostery to help you decide whether it’s worth using. This review will explore its features, pricing, user experience, customer support, and other vital aspects. After reading it, you can decide whether to use Ghostery or an alternative tool.

Ghostery: Plans and Pricing

As mentioned, Ghostery is a free tool you don’t have to pay for. You can download the extension or mobile app anytime without paying anything. Ghostery is an open-source tool maintained by a team of volunteer developers and operated by Cliqz, a privacy-focused browser. Cliqz takes care of Ghostery’s hosting costs as part of goodwill and marketing efforts to promote its privacy-based tools.

However, Ghostery offers optional “contributor” plans ranging from $1.99 to $11.99 monthly to appreciate the developers. The Contributor plans give you access to complementary features like custom teams, historical tracker analysis, and priority customer support. The core ad-blocking tool is not restricted to any plan– you can enjoy it for free.

Ghostery: Features

Ghostery is an excellent tool for blocking ads and improving your browsing experience. The free plan includes the ad and tracker blocker, whitelisting/blacklisting, and a never-consent feature that removes those annoying popups that always ask for cookie consent.

Ghostery blocks HTTP requests from third-party tracking scripts, preventing these scripts from monitoring your browser behavior and serving ads. The company maintains a vast "script library" containing script-serving domains, and this database is continuously updated with new scripts. Any domain in this library is automatically blocked so that it can't serve ads on your browsers.

Ghostery's script library is community-driven, so anyone can find and submit a tracker, making it easier to add trackers that Ghostery might have missed. Ghostery shows an "ad blocks counter" detailing the number of ads blocked on every web page you visit. You can monitor this data to verify that the software is working effectively.

You may have sites that you trust to show you ads. For example, you like a particular blog and want to support it by allowing its ads to show on your browser. In that case, Ghostery lets you whitelist or blacklist specific sites. When you whitelist a site, the ads on that site will show on your browser, while those on other sites remain blocked. Similarly, blacklisting a website removes all ads from that site.

The European Union passed the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018, requiring websites to get explicit consent from users before installing cookies and trackers on their browsers. Ever since, the web has been inundated with constant popups asking for cookie and tracker consent.

Ghostery offers a simple feature to avoid this annoyance. It gives an automatic never-consent response, and you won’t see such popups appearing again while you browse.

Ghostery offers complementary features to users who choose to be contributors. Such users can see historical tracker stats, compared to free users who see tracker stats only for their current web page. They can see the number of trackers blocked daily, monthly, or for any custom period. Users also get advanced details on the types of trackers and how frequently they appear.

Ghostery provides priority support for Contributors, ensuring they get timely responses to their queries. Likewise, Contributors can use custom color themes to personalize their Ghostery dashboard.

Ghostery: Interface and In-Use

Ghostery has an intuitive interface that’s easy to navigate. You can download it as an extension or download the iOS app. Unfortunately, Ghostery doesn't have an Android app; it only has an extension that works on the Firefox browser for Android phones.

Ghostery has a minimal and uncluttered interface with good color contrast. Features are neatly arranged on the dashboard, allowing you to turn the ad blocker on/off and blacklist or whitelist sites seamlessly.

You can switch between a Simple and Detailed view to monitor the trackers Ghostery has detected and blocked on your browser.

If user interface were the only criterion for this review, Ghostery would get a perfect score.

Ghostery: Customer Support

Don’t expect much support from Ghostery if you’re a free user. You can contact the company’s support team via its web form. However, Ghostery gives priority support to contributors and not free users. It’s advisable to review the FAQs section before submitting a support ticket.

Ghostery: The Competition

Ghostery has many competitors in the ad-blocking space. Two rivals we’d like to highlight are Privacy Badger and Wipr.

Privacy Badger is a free browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera. Like Ghostery, it blocks ads and tracking scripts effectively to improve your browsing experience. However, unlike Ghostery, it doesn’t have a mobile app.

Wipr is an effective ad-blocker for iOS and macOS users, with a very intuitive interface. It’s not free like Ghostery, but it costs very little: a $1.99 one-time fee.

Ghostery: Final Verdict

Ghostery is an excellent free ad blocker that effectively blocks trackers and gives you details to confirm what has been blocked. You can use it as a browser extension or mobile app, although not for Android, to improve your browsing experience. The main drawback we observed is the limited customer support, but that’s understandable for a free tool.

We've listed the best adblockers

Stands Free AdBlocker Review

7:30 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Comments: Off

Advertisements have become a major problem on the internet, and it’s no surprise that many are seeking a solution to this problem. Websites increasingly rely on ads and have focused on monetization over content. It’s now common to find websites with more ads than content, making navigation annoying.

Many people think excessive ads are an inescapable part of the internet, but that’s false. A straightforward solution to this problem is an ad-blocker, a software tool that detects and thwarts ads at their source. The Stands Free AdBlocker is one of the best such tools, and we’re reviewing it to help you decide whether it’s worth adopting. This review will cover its features, pricing, user-friendliness, customer support, and other vital aspects.

Stands Free AdBlocker: Plans and Pricing

The name of this tool already hints that you don’t need to pay to use it. The Stands Free AdBlocker is free to download and use, which is its main selling point. Unlike many rivals, this ad blocker is supported by user donations.

The Stands Free AdBlocker works as a browser extension or Android-only mobile app. With either option, you can enjoy free ad blocking.

Stands Free Adblocker: Features

Downloading and installing the Stands Free AdBlocker is noticeably easy. Head to the official website, select your browser, click the download button, and you're ready. Alternatively, you can search for "Stands Free Adblocker" on your relevant browser extension store and download it there. Stands offers Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Vivaldi, and Brave extensions. There’s also an Android app but no iOS app.

We installed the extension for this review, and it was conveniently added to our browser toolbar. To start, we checked Forbes.com to see how many ads the extension would block. Forbes.com is known for serving many ads and true to form, the Stands AdBlocker blocked 22 elements on the web page. We liked that the extension gave details about the number of elements blocked on each page, making it easy to verify that it’s performing its work.

You’ll see a similar report as above when you visit any website with the Stands AdBlocker activated. Simply click the icon on your toolbar, and you can see this report.

If you find any element that Stands AdBlocker can’t block, you can click the + Block Element button and click on the element you want to block. For example, here’s the Forbes.com homepage at the time of our review:

Below is the homepage after we blocked several elements. What’s the difference? removed several images and text from the homepage. This feature lets you remove any element you’re uncomfortable with and continue surfing a website as usual.

The Stands AdBlocker gives you considerable control over your ad-blocking settings. You might have some trusted websites you want to keep showing ads, e.g., your local news site. In that case, you can add the domain to your list of whitelisted sites, and Stands AdBlocker won’t block ads on it. It’ll keep blocking ads on other domains, but the whitelisted domains are off-limits. This feature is helpful when you have some trusted news sites you want to support by allowing them to keep showing ads.

This ad-blocker also lets you exempt specific domains from popup-blocking. Any domain you add to the "Popup allowed sites" list can keep showing you popups, unlike other websites where the ad-blocker detects and blocks annoying popups.

The Stands AdBlocker doesn't just block display ads and popups. It also blocks sophisticated ads, such as Facebook Ads, Search ads, Webmail ads, and Sponsored Links. You can control what the extension should block and what it shouldn't, and the same goes for the Android app.

This ad blocker offers a “Fair Ads” program that lets you show ads on select sites that have agreed to adhere to strict standards of displaying ads professionally. However, unlike other ad blockers, this feature is optional and switched off by default.

Stands Free AdBlocker: Interface and In-Use

The Stands AdBlocker has a neat interface that’s easy to navigate. Everything from download to installation to continuous use is seamless. The interface employs sufficient color contrast and well-spaced elements that enable easy navigation. You can easily find any feature you want and change your configurations.

The drawback we observed in this area is that the Stands AdBlocker lacks an iOS app even though it has an Android app.

Stands Free AdBlocker: Customer Support

The Stands AdBlocker provides significant support resources despite being a free tool. When facing issues, you can contact a dedicated support email for help. You can also send bug reports, such as incorrect blocking, for the developers to fix.

The official website has a FAQ section that contains detailed answers to common questions. You can use this FAQ section to troubleshoot the app when facing any issues. Stands AdBlocker is a free tool, meaning users aren’t entitled to support, but the developers go a long way in helping users solve their problems.

Stands Free AdBlocker: The Competition

There’s no shortage of competition in the ad blocker software sector. Two competitors we’d like to highlight are uBlock Origin and Ghostery. These are free ad blockers that provide features similar to the Stands AdBlocker.

The Stands AdBlocker shines above these rivals by having an Android app, which you’ll rarely find in a free ad-blocking tool. Apart from the app, the Stands AdBlocker isn’t much different than uBlock Origin and Ghostery.

Stands Free AdBlocker: Final Verdict

We can confidently recommend the Stands AdBlocker to anyone seeking a tool to improve their browsing experience. This tool blocks ads effectively and without charging users a dime, with a user-friendly interface that makes navigation easy. We only found a few drawbacks, such as the lack of an iOS app, but the advantages greatly outweigh the disadvantages.

We've listed the best adblockers

AdBlock Review

7:29 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Comments: Off

Advertisements have become a thorn in the internet’s flesh. Many websites rely on ads to fund themselves, and ads don’t pay so much except for publishers with big numbers. This factor has led many publishers to focus too much on advertisements over content and inadvertently ruin users’ experience.

Ask an internet user about their everyday problems, and you’ll likely hear about ads. Excessive ads have made many cherished websites challenging to use, angering users. Fortunately, there’s a proven solution to this problem: an ad blocker.

Ad blockers detect and restrict ads from their source, allowing you to surf the web without encountering obnoxious content. AdBlock is one of the best ad blockers available, and it’s free to use. We’re reviewing AdBlock to help you decide whether it’s worth adopting, covering its features, interface, customer support, and other essential aspects.

AdBlock: Plans and Pricing

AdBlock is a free browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Samsung Internet. It allows you to enjoy ad-free browsing without paying a dime, but there’s a catch. AdBlock is maintained by Eyeo GmbH, a German company that also offers a paid product called AdBlock Plus.

AdBlock Plus offers more advanced features than AdBlock, e.g., a mobile app. One of the main drawbacks we observed when using AdBlock was frequent popups advertising the AdBlock Plus offering. Sure, AdBlock effectively blocks ads, but showing its own ad felt off-putting. However, we could understand that as the small price for enjoying a free ad blocker.

AdBlock: Features

Our test began with downloading the AdBlock extension from the Chrome extension store, and the process was smooth. Downloading and adding the extension took less than a minute, and we began our journey to test every nook and cranny of this app.

AdBlock is a free tool, but after downloading it, we noticed a prompt requesting a possible donation to the development team. This donation is optional, so you don't have to pay any dime, but you're free to chip in a one-off, monthly, or annual contribution if you’re delighted with the app.

Like most ad blockers, AdBlock scans and checks your browser requests against filtering rules. The app has built-in lists of domains known to serve ads and trackers, and it blocks any request to such domains on your browser. Hence, you'll see an empty space in those slots where ads usually appear.

AdBlock gives you details about the advertisements it has detected and blocked. For example, we opened Forbes.com, and AdBlock indicated blocking 8 ads from the browser. You’ll see the stats for every website you visit, helping you verify that AdBlock is doing its job.

Of course, you might not want to block all ads entirely. You may have some trusted sites that you want to permit to show ads. AdBlock lets you customize your configurations, allowing ads to be displayed on specific domains. You can exempt as many domains as you want from ad blocking.

We noticed that AdBlock is one of the few ad blockers we’ve reviewed that allows “Acceptable Ads,” i.e., ads the developers deem non-intrusive. Some publishers participate in the Acceptable Ads program, agreeing to adhere to standards that make their ads non-intrusive. Acceptable Ads are enabled by default, but you can head to the settings page and turn them off if you don’t want to see any ads.

We also observed that the AdBlock extension collects some browsing data, which the developers presumably sell to make money. You can also opt out of this default feature. Despite its effectiveness in blocking ads, we consider the Acceptable Ads program and default data collection drawbacks to using this platform, unlike some free and open-source rivals that have no acceptable ads program or collect any browsing data.

AdBlock is free, but valuable features are hidden behind the AdBlock Plus subscription, such as the cookie consent cutter, custom themes, backup & sync, and image swap (swapping ads with pictures of cats, dogs, and nature). Some ad blockers offer these features for free, but that’s not the case with AdBlock.

AdBlock: Interface and In-Use

AdBlock has a user-friendly interface you’ll likely enjoy using. We didn’t face any noteworthy difficulties downloading and using the extension. It works smoothly, and the settings app is designed to be easy to understand. We liked that we could see detailed stats about the ads blocked over time and switch between different settings without hassles.

The main drawback we observed in this criterion is that AdBlock lacks a mobile app. Only AdBlock Plus subscribers can access a mobile app to block ads while surfing the web on their smartphone.

AdBlock: Customer Support

AdBlock is a free tool, so don’t expect much customer support. There’s no support team to contact as a free user, so you must figure out most issues yourself. However, we appreciate that AdBlock provides a detailed Knowledge Base and FAQ section on its website. The website contains tutorials about AdBlock features and in-depth answers to customers' common questions. You can always consult it for help if you face any issues with the app.

AdBlock: The Competition

AdBlock has competitors you should know about, such as uBlock Origin and Ghostery. These are two effective ad-blockers you can use free of charge, just like AdBlock. They are suitable alternatives but don’t offer much to make them stand out from AdBlock.

AdBlock: Final Verdict

AdBlock is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a free ad blocker to make your browsing experience more enjoyable. It doesn’t offer much outside ad-blocking (except if you’re on the premium AdBlock Plus subscription). However, it does its job very well and significantly improves your browsing experience.

We've listed the best adblockers

AdBlock Plus Review

7:29 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Comments: Off

Given the internet’s current state, we wouldn’t fault you for seeking a tool to block ads from your browsing experience. Many websites have focused too much on monetization over content and contain obnoxious advertisements. You can encounter web pages with half-ads, half-content or even more ads than content. Let’s not talk about those bizarre, clickbaity ads you’d find on some news sites.

Many people assume that annoying ads are an inescapable part of the internet, but that isn’t true. There’s a simple solution to this problem: an ad blocker. AdBlock Plus is a browser extension that detects and removes ads from your browser and allows you to surf the web seamlessly. It’s one of the most prominent ad blockers, and we’re reviewing it to help you decide whether it’s worth adopting. Our review will cover its features, pricing, user-friendliness, customer support, and other essential aspects.

AdBlock Plus: Plans and Pricing

AdBlock Plus offers a free version that blocks typical display ads. However, you need to upgrade to AdBlock Plus Premium to block additional distractions like newsletter popups, cookie consent popups, and floating videos.

The Premium version can be paid for monthly or annually. The monthly plan costs $4, and the annual plan costs $40, a 17% savings compared to paying monthly. You can start with the free plan to test AdBlock Plus's features and upgrade to the premium plan if you're satisfied with what you see.

If you change your mind after paying for a subscription, you can request a full refund within 120 days of payment. 120 days is one of the longest money-back guarantee periods we’ve encountered in any software tool.

AdBlock Plus: Features

You can download AdBlock Plus as a browser extension or download the mobile app (iOS and Android). AdBlock offers extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and the Yandex Browser. Having numerous browser extensions plus iOS and Android apps makes AdBlock Plus one of the most widely compatible ad-blockers we’ve encountered.

Our test began with downloading the AdBlock Plus extension on different browsers. Installation was quick and easy, taking less than a minute. We also downloaded the mobile app from the Play Store and App Store, and the process was seamless.

The first thing we observed was that AdBlock Plus gave details about the advertisements it blocked for each website we visited. To test, we opened “Forbes.com,” and the extension showed that it blocked 12 ads. We checked other domains and got relevant statistics about the number of blocked ads, letting us verify that the extension performs its work effectively.

This platform maintains extensive lists of domains known to serve ads and trackers. It scans and checks your browser requests against these lists, blocking any ad or tracker-serving domain from showing or installing anything on your browser.

AdBlock Plus lets you block specific elements on a website that you don’t want to see. Click on the Block element option and click on the element you want to remove– AdBlock Plus will prevent that element from showing henceforth.

Of course, you might have some trusted websites you want to allow to show ads. For example, you might love your local news site and want it to keep showing you ads as a means of support. AdBlock Plus lets you add websites to your allowlist, permitting ads to show on these sites while blocking the rest.

Our testing showed that AdBlock Plus is very good at blocking display ads to improve your browsing experience. However, this tool doesn't block popups and floating videos except you upgrade to the Premium plan. With the advent of constant cookie popups from websites, having a tool to block these popups makes your browsing experience much better.

Another drawback we observed is that AdBlock Plus allows "Acceptable Ads" by default, i.e., ads the platform deems non-intrusive. However, you can switch off acceptable ads from the settings page.

The free version of AdBlock Plus gives you access to complementary features, such as blocking all online trackers, push notifications, and social media icons.

AdBlock Plus: Interface and In-Use

AdBlock Plus offers a user-friendly interface we didn’t have any issues navigating. The interface is neatly arranged, with sufficient color contrast and well-placed elements, making it easy to find any feature you want. The configurations page is easy to understand, and you can customize your dashboard to a large extent, e.g., turn off notifications or ad-blocking statistics. You can control AdBlock Plus's filter lists or add custom filters to block ads effectively. AdBlock scores excellently in the user-friendliness criterion.

AdBlock Plus: Customer Support

AdBlock Plus offers extensive customer support resources. When facing any issues with the app, you can start with the official Help Center, which contains answers to common questions and guides concerning all AdBlock Plus features. If unsatisfied with the Help Center, you can email AdBlock Plus’s support team and await a response. However, understandably, the support team prioritizes paying users over non-paying ones.

AdBlock Plus also has an official support forum where users often exchange solutions to each other’s problems. Free-tier users can visit this forum to file a complaint and get help from fellow users.

AdBlock Plus: The Competition

uBlock Origin and AdGuard are two prominent competitors to AdBlock Plus. uBlock Origin is a free tool offering similar features as AdBlock Plus, and it’s one of the best ad-blockers you can choose. However, uBlock Origin has no mobile app– it only has browser extensions.

AdGuard is a freemium ad-blocking tool that offers extensions and a mobile app. It’s a good and reasonably priced alternative to AdBlock Plus.

AdBlock Plus: Final Verdict

After testing AdBlock Plus, we can confidently recommend it as an ad-blocking solution to any interested user. It effectively blocks ads and helps you enjoy your browsing experience. We observed a few drawbacks, but the pros outweigh the cons by a huge margin.

We've listed the best adblockers

Privacy Badger Review

7:28 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Comments: Off

Most websites depend on advertisements for monetization. However, many websites focus so much on ad monetization that they, unfortunately, ruin the user experience. You might see a website with ads covering the content you want to read or too many ads and too little text.

Ads can disrupt the browsing experience, but there’s a solution to this dilemma. You can download an ad-blocking tool like Privacy Badger to surf the web without seeing disruptive ads.

We’re reviewing Privacy Badger to help you decide if it’s a good ad blocker to choose. We’ll examine its features, pricing, and other key characteristics so that you can make an informed decision. Follow us as we review this product.

Privacy Badger: Plans and Pricing

The best thing about Privacy Badger is that it’s free to use. Unlike most rival software, you don’t need to pay a dime to block ads and trackers with this tool. Privacy Badger is run by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a prominent American digital rights group. The EFF offers Privacy Badger for free as part of its mission to promote digital privacy.

Privacy Badger is a smart choice if you’re looking for a tool to help brighten your browsing experience at no cost.

Privacy Badger: Features

Privacy Badger is available as a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera. You can head to the official website and follow the download link for your specific browser. Alternatively, you can search for “Privacy Badger” directly on your browser’s extension store.

For this review, we first tested Privacy Badger on the Chrome browser. Downloading the software took less than a minute, and we got the work.

Privacy Badger is unique because it doesn’t block ads based on domain lists like most other tools. Instead, it employs algorithms to study your browsing activity and automatically discover trackers based on their behaviour. This method enables Privacy Badger to detect and block trackers that typical ad-blockers can’t find. However, it means that some ads can slip through the cracks, e.g., the software wasn’t able to block YouTube ads during our test.

This software focuses more on blocking web trackers than ad-blocking even though it performs both jobs effectively. Ads are just one part of tracking; Privacy Badger protects you from additional forms.

After downloading the extension, it automatically activates Global Privacy Control on your browser, sending opt-out signals to all sites that you don’t want your data shared or sold. It also activates the Do Not Track signal instructing websites not to track your browsing activity. If any website ignores this signal, Privacy Badger's algorithms can discover and block them. This software is good at detecting sneaky trackers that similar tools might find difficult to discover.

Privacy Badger employs a three-strike rule, wherein it starts blocking once it notices a tracker on three different websites. But, you might sometimes observe the extension breaking a page or feature on a website, e.g., a video. In that case, you can simply disable Privacy Badger for the specific site while protecting your privacy on others. You can also report the error so that the EFF can take a look and implement possible remedies.

A noticeable drawback is that Privacy Badger lacks a mobile app, unlike some prominent ad-blockers like AdGuard and AdLock. It only works directly on a desktop browser or the Android Firefox browser. Outside that, you can’t use Privacy Badger to detect and remove trackers while surfing the web on your mobile phone. This drawback often discourages potential users that want to use the same ad blocking tool on their desktop or smartphone.

To recap, Privacy Badger doesn't focus directly on ads. Instead, it blocks the tracking aspects, which accounts for 99% of today's advertising issues anyway. Some types of ads can slip through, but they're usually the non-intrusive types.

Privacy Badger: Interface and In-Use

Privacy Badger has a simple interface that’s easy to navigate. After downloading the extension, you can pin it at the top of your browser to open every time. Once the extension is installed, it automatically starts detecting and blocking trackers. If you observe any issues on a site, you can click on the extension and then disable the extension for that specific site. You can also tweak the extension’s settings to suit your needs better.

The Privacy Badger extension gives you a live view of the trackers it has detected and blocked. This way, you can easily verify that the tool is performing its job.

Privacy Badger: Customer Support

Privacy Badger is a free and open-source tool, so you shouldn’t expect much in the customer support category. There’s no designated support personnel to contact if things go wrong. The best you can do is report the issue to the EFF team and hope for a review.

However, there’s a thriving online community of privacy-focused users on sites like Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook. If you need any help concerning this extension, you can ask online and receive responses from such users. Many skilled developers are willing to contribute their expertise because Privacy Badger gives them something valuable for free.

Privacy Badger: The Competition

There’s no shortage of competition when it comes to ad-blocking tools. Privacy Badger competes with many well-known tools, such as AdLock and AdGuard. Privacy Badger’s selling point is being a free and open-source tool, unlike most rivals you have to pay for.

However, Privacy Badger lacks advanced customer support and a mobile app like AdLock and AdGuard. With Privacy Badger, you’re trading some convenience to use a free tool.

Privacy Badger: Final Verdict

If you’re looking for an effective tool to block ads and third-party trackers, look no further than Privacy Badger. This free tool goes a long way in making your browsing experience safe and convenient. It’s not perfect at blocking all types of ads, but it works 99% of the time.

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