VPNBook
- editor rating: excellent
- 1 Comment
MSRP
$0.00
- Pros
No large software to install. Decent performance. PPTP support means it works on mobile devices and all modern OS. Free.
- Cons Unclear what encryption is being used. Not a lot of geographic diversity. Extra steps to install.
- Bottom Line
VPNBook is a no-frills VPN service that just gets the job done, protects your data when you are connected to a wireless hotspot, anonymizes your connection to bypass censors, and change your location to access region-specific sites. Performance is solid, and it doesn't worry about advanced features.
While there are plenty of VPN services that offer free versions alongside paid versions, VPNBook is completely free, with no bandwidth caps or service limitations. While you need to do a bit of setup to get started, VPNBook gets our Editor's Choice for a completely free VPN service.
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What Is a VPN Service?
Wireless hotspots are convenient, giving you online access even when you are out and about. However, public hotspots aren't always safe, since anyone can be lurking on the network and eavesdropping on all your online activity. If you connect to public hotspots on a regular basis, you should consider protecting your connection and personal information with a VPN service.
Your workplace may offer virtual private networks so that you can connect to corporate file servers and applications even when you are not in the office. When you start up a VPN session, the remote server communicates with the client software and configures the computer to think it is on the same network as the server. This way, employees can access work servers remotely and securely.
VPN services such as VPNBook works in a similar manner. Users sign in to the service and are immediately redirected to a server within the service's infrastructure. This way, no one can track the user's geographic location. The service passes all traffic going from the computer to the VPN server and to your destination, through an encrypted tunnel, protecting your data from snoops. If you aren't ready to commit to a monthly or annual subscription, or need the service for infrequent use, the free VPNBook may be a good way to dip your toe in the VPN pool.
Getting Started
As mentioned, VPNBook is different from other VPN services we've looked at in the past in that there is no separate installer or software package. Most services we've looked at, such as Editors' Choice Norton Hotspot Privacy$49.99 at Amazon, include full-fledged software programs you need to download and install on to your computer. With VPNBook, you configure readily available clients—either built in to the operating system or the open source OpenVPN package—with the appropriate server information and you are up and running. VPNBook is less intrusive because it relies on existing clients to connect you.
VPNBook works with the free OpenVPN client, as well as with the built-in PPTP VPN client built into the Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux operating systems. Mobile devices and PlayStation3 devices also support PPTP (point-to-point tunneling). I already had the OpenVPN client on my testing laptop (from the earlier OpenVPN Shield Exchange review), so it was just a matter of downloading the configuration and certificate bundles from the VPNBook and importing the settings into the client. I could also just add the server name and password into the built-in VPN client to set up a PPTP connection.
While it's tempting to just skip the OpenVPN client download altogether and stick with the default client, it's worth considering your environment and requirements. PPTP is fairly easy to block, so if your Internet Service Provider (or your government, as the case may be) restricts using VPN services and similar anonymizer tools, then you may not be able to connect over PPTP at all. In that case, OpenVPN may be your only option.
Because you have to do your own configuration, as opposed to a click-and-install-setup that other VPN services offer, getting started is not as dead simple as those service. If you know how to work with PPTP, setting up is easy, and OpenVPN is a fairly easy tool to use.
Server Connections
At the time of this review, there are four servers—one in the United States, one in the United Kingdom, and two in the European Union (Romania and Switzerland). The server information and the login information are provided on the VPNBook Website, along with its uptime status. If you are having trouble connecting to a server, check the site to see if there are any known disruptions or if it is offline. The password changes fairly frequently, so if your connection fails, check the site for the new one—Next: Measuring Network Performance on VPNBook
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