Private Internet Access (PIA) is one of the leading VPN providers in the VPN market. One of its advantages is the emphasis on integrity and security. They have a non-logging policy that makes PIA especially popular with torrent (bit) users. Private Internet access is also known for its minimal and compact applications and applications. Some consumers may see this as a benefit and others as a suspension.
PIA was recently acquired by Kape Technologies. The company had previously acquired VPN providers CyberGhost and ZenMate. It remains to be seen what this acquisition will mean for PIA. While this can bring many benefits to a server network, it is always important to keep security in mind when making such significant changes.
Private Internet Access VPN Review
The Private Internet Access VPN is a cheap VPN you can use to stream Netflix and BBC iPlayer. It is also the best VPN for downloading torrent files safely. They offer a variety of servers that will help you bypass geographic restrictions.
Before purchasing the Private Internet Access VPN, you must read this review, and it will help you choose a VPN that meets your requirements.
Let’s start with the pros and cons. What were our favourite and least favourite things about (PIA) Private Internet Access after extensive testing?
Pros and Cons
Pros
- No traffic logs
- Fast speed
- Best VPN for torrenting
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Easy to use
- Works with all devices
- WireGuard®, PPTP, OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec
- 10 devices simultaneously
- 24926+ Servers in 77 Countries
- DD-WRT VPN Compatible
- Gigabit VPN port speeds
- Multiple VPN Gateways
- No leaks detected
Cons
- Headquartered in the U.S
- No free version
- Limited Live Chat Support
Features of Private Internet Access VPN
Split Tunneling
VPN Split Tunneling in Private Internet Access lets you choose which apps can bypass the VPN tunnel.
Split tunneling allows PIA users to set rules to route certain programs directly through their ISP, bypassing VPN, even if VPN is enabled. Usually, when you use private internet access, all internet connections on your computer are tunneled through our VPN server before being sent to their final destination. Split tunneling allows you to select specific applications to exclude from your PIA VPN connection, allowing them to access the Internet from your original IP address instead of the private Internet access IP address.
The Split tunneling monitors your internet connection and lets you choose which apps can bypass the VPN tunnel. Split tunneling is available over private Internet access for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Kill Switch
The emergency switch is the best PIA feature built into their app. PIA VPN Kill Switch cuts off your internet if you lose your VPN connection for one reason or another. This will prevent your real IP address from being disclosed to the local ISP or website you are visiting.
We recommend that users keep Kill Switch on at all times, especially if you are performing important tasks like downloading torrents in a country with strict laws against online piracy.
The Kill switch ensures your real identity stays hidden even in the event of a sudden shutdown.
Dedicated IP address
Private Internet Access has just begun offering dedicated IPs. A passionate IP address will make sure your browsing experience is much significantly simpler, as, as an instance, you might be not as bothered by captchas.
This is really just a paid feature which it is possible to get in addition to one’s own subscription. Currently, the committed IPs are only available in the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany. Other states will probably be put into the list at the duration of this season.
PIA MACE
Private Internet Access uses an ad and malware blocking technology called MACE. The service blocks annoying ad followers who follow you online, putting your privacy at risk. This is a great plugin that can be used in conjunction with basic VPN security features.
Encrypted Wi-Fi
Why is PIA unique one of the contest is its own encrypted Wi-Fi capability. When utilizing Wi-Fi private internet access, the device will be first secured using WPA. Hence, you need to provide an authentication key before using VPN on Wi-Fi devices, which will make your connection sessions better.
No logging
It is just one of a handful of VPN providers whose servers have been hijacked by Russian governments and mentioned by the US national government but still manage to protect users’ identities. It is encouraging that we now have real court cases, that anyone can look on the Internet to demonstrate PIA’s commitment in this regard.
PIA is extremely transparent about its operational coverage and also downloads routine reports. They are encouraging and allow users to see how many requests for data an organization has received from all federal government agencies.
What sets PIA apart from a number of other VPNs is the amount of verifiable recording methods you can find. PIA says it will not collect anything other than email addresses and payment details. This ensures maximum anonymity when using third-party payment companies.
Torrenting and P2P Sharing
PIA is great for sharing large files via P2P or torrent clients. All its servers are optimized for P2P and offer unlimited torrent wherever you want. Torrenting can even be aided by PIA port forwarding features, which redirect received connections over the NAT firewall and can help speed up the torrent download speed.
How Secure is Private Internet Access VPN?
Encryption
Encryption is the mainstay on which a VPN connection is built and high-quality encryption is required to ensure complete security. PIA offers AES encryption, which is the most secure of all types of encryption. Every other VPN provider offers this kind of encryption and it doesn’t really matter. However, PIA allows you to change the length of the key by choosing between 256 or 128 bits. A 256-bit key will be more secure than a 128-bit key, but the system will need more resources to establish a connection using it. If the material is slow, the length of the key may be changed. Using keys with a length of 128 will certainly reduce security, but they cannot be broken.
To authenticate the data, you have the option of choosing a hash function: SHA-1 and SHA-256. SHA-256 is one of the hash functions of the SHA-2 family. The SHA-2 family was developed after SHA-1 with several improvements.
There are also six different handshake options that you can choose from, but it is recommended that you use the default option, otherwise you may fail. These options are unique features for which we recommend PIA to users who want a high level of security, but their systems are not compatible with other VPN providers.
Protocols
Protocols determine the data is sent across a network. Think of these as different routes that you can take to get to a vacation location. Some courses will be speedier than others, a few will be safer compared to others, so Private Internet Access uses a mix of unique protocols to attain security and speed.
OpenVPN
OpenVPN is a very commonly-used VPN pc computer software as it is very stable. It has amazing to bypass firewalls, a critical grade of the VPN, however nevertheless, it won’t slow off your Web an excessive amount. The main reason why I like OpenVPN therefore a lot is as it truly is crowdsourced, maybe perhaps not made with means of a business. Even the VPN local neighborhood is perpetually trying out OpenVPN to be certain surveillance bureaus are not interfering with this. Sounds great to me personally.
SOCKS5 (Proxy)
SOCKS5 is a proxy that assigns you a new IP address before taking you to your location. While SOCKS requires the latest bandwidth than a typical VPN, your data is not encrypted and therefore less secure. This is why private internet access uses SOCKS in combination with the encryption methods described above.
PPTP
Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, or PPTP, has been widely used since the 1990s. Instead of doing the actual encryption, PPTP creates the tunnels that will encapsulate the data packets. It works with a second protocol that does the actual encryption. By itself, PPTP is not very secure.
WireGuard®
WireGuard® is a new open-source VPN protocol that has taken the world of networking technology by storm. Created by Jason A. Donenfeld in 2016, WireGuard has influenced many design decisions.
WireGuard differs from the popular VPN protocols that preceded it for several reasons. In other words, it is a VPN protocol that is much more efficient than its predecessors and is especially included in the Linux kernel since version 5.6.
How Fast is Private Internet Access VPN?
To give you a good idea of how private Internet access has evolved in terms of speed, we ran several speed tests and share our own experiences with PIA. The results can be found below.
Pings | Download speed | Upload speed | Server location |
260ms | 92.1 Mbps | 85.4 Mbps | United States |
195ms | 96.3 Mbps | 91.5 Mbps | United Kingdom |
160ms | 86.6 Mbps | 89.7 Mbps | Singapore |
Remember that VPN speed is very important and depends on many important factors, including the speed of your internet base, your Internet service provider, your proximity to your chosen server, your public service load, and more. Therefore, these rapid tests do not show the PIA performed for each application condition.
Private Internet Access Subscription Plans
- 1 Month Private Internet Access Plan US $9.95 /month
- 12 Month Private Internet Access Plan US $3.33/month
- 36 Month Private Internet Access Plan US $2.03/month
While there isn’t any free trial offer, PIA has expanded its refund policy and also currently offers a 30day money-back guarantee. In the event you would like to cancel your subscription within the first thirty days, then only start a ticket with all the PIA service team and request the complete refund.
Payment Method
PIA currently accepts the following payment options:
- PayPal
- Cryptocurrencies ( Bitcoin, Lite Coin, Ethereum)
- Regional payment methods (including iDeal, Ali Pay, WebMoney, AfterPay etc.)
- Credit card (VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Card, JCB, Diners Club International)
Servers Locations
Private Internet Access has an extensive network of Next-Gen Servers In 84 Countries. It is one of the countries where many countries have one of the best VPN services. You can find a full list of server locations on the PIA website.
FAQ
Is Private Internet Access VPN Safe?
Private Internet Access is known for its focus on privacy and security. This VPN uses robust protocols, namely OpenVPN, PPTP, IPSec / L2TP, WireGuard, and has a strict no-log policy. It also offers a built-in kill switch and ad blocker. You can close an account at PIA entirely anonymously. Although PIA is located in the United States, they have repeatedly proven that they do not keep VPN data to share with the government.
Does PIA Offer Split Tunneling?
Yes, the VPN Split Tunneling feature in Private Internet Access allows you to choose which applications can bypass the VPN tunnel. Split Tunnel is available in Private Internet Access for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Does PIA Keep Logs?
Private Internet Access VPN follows a ‘no logs policy. Each VPN promises not to store any logs. However, not everyone keeps that promise. In fact, on the other hand, many VPNs transfer customer information to other parties. The PIA clearly states that it does not detect any user activity while using the VPN service. Only the PIA collects the following information about users:
This could be the minimum of tips that every provider needs to amass so as to send their assistance to your end consumers. Accordingly, regardless of the simple fact PIA relies on inside the United States, it’s still effective at presenting a fantastic amount of solitude to end people because it generally does not maintain any personally identifiable details about end people.
Does Private Internet Access VPN work with Netflix?
You can access the US, Canadian and UK versions of Netflix with PIA. However, this does not always work well. There are only a few PIA servers that work with Netflix, and this varies a lot. You will see an error with the other servers.
Does PIA Work In China?
The implementation of the Great Firewall in China is a big challenge as many VPNs will not work in the country. Unfortunately, PIA is currently unable to provide reliable communication with Chinese customers. Some Chinese users have advanced with PIA using the less secure but difficult to access L2TP protocol. However, that is not clear either.
Customer Support
If you need help with operation, installation, etc. From the platform, the PIA Support Portal is at your disposal, providing articles on a wide range of issues you may encounter and how to resolve them. If the support section does not have the specific information you need, you can contact the always available customer support. They can be contacted through live chat and email.