In many senses, technology has liberated us. It has allowed us to discover our world and beyond and it has helped us to be more productive since we can get more things done in less time. However, we cannot forget that there is always another side of the coin and while technology has helped us to break many chains that limited our progress, it has also compromised our freedom. We depend on many of the gadgets and systems that we have created and when they are not available or fail, our world pretty much paralyzes.
One of our greatest inventions, the internet, has opened the doors to a vast amount of knowledge and communication options, but it has also made our privacy more vulnerable. What you post online is there for everyone to see and even the information that you don’t share, could be accessed by others. The line between what is public and what is private grows thinner as we are getting used to provide personal information in order to enjoy free online services.
Although many of us rely on internet for business, entertainment and communication, it is estimated that only four out of ten people have access to it. Recent reports from organizations that campaign for a better and more affordable internet, show that a large percentage of users are subject to strict control from their government. There are no regulations to protect us from the extended surveillance imposed by government organizations and large corporations have the capacity to gather data from us whenever we go online.
Although many users ignore the security risks that they face when using internet or they simply don’t worry about being monitored, there are many of us that still believe in the importance of protecting our privacy. It is something that we cannot take for granted, but thankfully there are tools that can help us to defend our right to online anonymity. Our access to internet is limited by censorship and at the same time, our information is under scrutiny. However, with a VPN services you can bypass restrictions while keeping our data safe. VPN solutions like TorGuard, offer a strong combination of security and flexibility to enjoy internet without fears. TorGuard’s commitment to privacy and its great speed, make it an ideal option for users who want to access torrent services anonymously.
Established in 2012, TorGuard is regarded as one of the most reliable providers in terms of protection for your privacy. They have administrative headquarters in the United States, but they operate from Nevis, a small island in the Caribbean sea. This allows them to offer a solid no logging policy and to keep data safe from intrusion. Torrents are very popular and convenient, but it is important to protect your anonymity when accessing these services. TorGuard strives to offer the best solution to enjoy online content freely and securely. As you learn more about this provider, you will see that there are many reasons to opt for TorGuard as a tool to reclaim your right to online privacy.
Features
TorGuard’s services are organized in a variety of plan structures that suit different needs. Since TorGuard’s aim is to help torrent users to remain anonymous, you can expect an efficient and fast service designed for this purpose. If your priority is to keep your identity protected when you download files, the Torrent Proxy Plan is the most convenient choice. This plan lets you enjoy great speeds and complete anonymity while using BitTorrent or similar programs. Your IP address is disguised and you can get unlimited access to socks5 and http and you can use this service with any application that supports proxies. The software can be easily installed on Windows, OS X, Linux. Android or iOS and TorGuard provides useful guides to configure the anonymous torrent proxy service with most popular torrent clients.
There are no bandwidth or upload/download limits and you get access to over 100 proxy IPs in 8 countries including Iceland, Sweden, Netherlands, Romania and Canada. Overall, this plan is perfect for those who are mainly looking for an effective way to hide their actual IP address in order to protect their identity online, particularly when they download torrents. The proxy service also enables you to bypass geo-location restrictions, so you can access any website or application, even if it is not available in your location. Keep in mind that with a proxy service, your data is not encrypted but since the speed of your connection is not affected, it is the most practical option for media streaming and file-sharing. The Proxy plan starts at $5.95 USD per month. For three months, you pay $14.95, for six months, $29.95 and a full year costs $46.95.
When masking your IP address is not enough, your best bet is TorGuard’s Anonymous VPN service. This comprehensive VPN plan not only allows you to download files anonymously, but it also encrypts your connection ensuring that your data is safe from eavesdropping. This plan supports diverse security protocols including PPTP, L2TP, IPsec, SSTP and OpenVPN, which uses 256-bit encryption to keep your traffic protected. The VPN service is compatible with a variety of platforms such as Windows, Android, OS X and iOS. TorGuard offers you security across all your devices since you can use up to five connections simultaneously without additional cost.
TorGuard gives you access to unique stealth servers that are ideal for users in countries like Iran and China, where internet is under strict censorship. These connections allow you to bypass Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) firewalls and get stealth VPN access no matter where you are. In addition, the Anonymous plan includes a free license of VPN software Viscosity. At the moment, there are over 1000 IPs available in 42 countries including Panama, India, Egypt, Australia, United States, Germany, Japan, Finland, Ireland, Czech Republic, China and Brazil. Their network continues growing to offer a versatile service for users around the world. You will enjoy unlimited bandwidth and speeds, as well as a high level of protection for your data.
The VPN plan costs $9.99 USD per month, $19.99 for three months, $29.99 for six and $59.99 for one year. If you want to get a dedicated IP address, you will need to pay an extra charge of $7.99 USD per month. You also get anonymous email with 10 Mb storage capacity, which provides secure G/PGP encryption and offshore email storage. This service is a convenient way to maintain the confidentiality of your communications. Users who require additional storage can sign up for an unlimited plan that costs $6.95 USD per month, $15.95 for three months and $49.95 for one year. TorGuard doesn’t keep any logs of your online activity and it supports a large variety of payment methods including anonymous options like Bitcoin. There is also a wide range of routers pre-configured with their service and you can find many other handy accessories in the online store.
Customer Support
TorGuard’s website contains configuration guides for every platform supported and the FAQ section contains useful details about the main aspects of the service. You can also find information in the forum, which is regularly updated by the support team and other contributors. However, customer service is an area in which TorGuard can still improve. They can be contacted via live chat and Ticket support system, but in both cases we experienced delays to get a response. We had to wait for several minutes to be able to chat with a representative. At the end, this wasn’t a major issue because when we finally got to talk to them, their replies where polite (although a bit scripted) and quite fast. Still, we would like to see TorGuard offering a more efficient customer support that matches their fantastic VPN service.
Conclusion
Compared to other services, TorGuard’s prices may seem high at first sight, but considering the variety of servers, P2P support, top security and additional features available, you get good value for money. While they don’t have a free trial, you can try TorGuard with confidence as they have a 7-day money back guarantee that covers you in case you are not entirely satisfied with the service. TorGuard is an optimal choice for users who want security for their data and specially for those who want to stream and download content without limits or worries.