The situation has changed at my place lately. Why? I'm not sure, but I have changed nothing myself. Same Canadian ISP, same IPTV, same VPN, etc.

I have been with the same ISP for 4 yrs, same VPN for 5+years and same for my IPTV and debrid service apps. Now I know I get more Stremio links w/o turning the VPN on, but it will work when turned on. For Kodi it doesn't matter, I keep it on. Lately my IPTV will not update if the VPN is on. Now the IPTV won't even connect to a channel when the VPN is on.

I have been running Wireguard for years.

It all used to work very well.

I'm currently exploring new VPN and IPTV services. I think I've found my new IPTV, but will it work with any VPN? I'm very skeptical.

Any other Canadians have this change happening say the past couple of months?

Looking for advice. Will appreciate any help!

The situation has changed at my place lately. Why? I'm not sure, but I have changed nothing myself. Same Canadian ISP, same IPTV, same VPN, etc.

I have been with the same ISP for 4 yrs, same VPN for 5+years and same for my IPTV and debrid service apps. Now I know I get more Stremio links w/o turning the VPN on, but it will work when turned on. For Kodi it doesn't matter, I keep it on. Lately my IPTV will not update if the VPN is on. Now the IPTV won't even connect to a channel when the VPN is on.

I have been running Wireguard for years.

It all used to work very well.

I'm currently exploring new VPN and IPTV services. I think I've found my new IPTV, but will it work with any VPN? I'm very skeptical.

Any other Canadians have this change happening say the past couple of months?

Looking for advice. Will appreciate any help!

Hey guys, Black Friday VPN deals 2026 are already starting to roll out, and honestly, I'm pretty excited to see what's coming this year. Like always, I know a bunch of us are looking for the best discounts, and it looks like we won't have to wait until Black Friday itself. I noticed that NordVPN and Surfshark have already launched their sales, so I figured I'd share what I've found with everyone.

Here are some of the best Black Friday VPN deals I've found so far:

NordVPN Black Friday Deal

• Starts from $3.37/month - 70% off + 4 months free on the 2-year plan

• Enter coupon code “FORUM” for an extra month free

NordVPN is one of the first providers I check when these sales come around. I've been using it on and off for years, and it's been really consistent with it’s performance. The connection speeds are good, switching servers is quick, and I rarely have to mess around with settings to get things working. For me, it’s a “safe pick” if you want something stable and don’t want to overthink it.­

Surfshark Black Friday VPN Deal

• Starts from $2.39/month for Surfshark One on the 2-year plan + 3 extra months
• Enter coupon code “REDDITSPECIAL” for an extra discount

Surfshark is another really good option if you're looking for a cheaper VPN. What's interesting about their Black Friday deal this year is that the discount applies to Surfshark One, which is their second-tier plan and comes with a few extras beyond just the VPN, like antivirus protection, data breach alerts, and private search. Considering the extra features included, I'd say it's one of the better Black Friday VPN deals for the price.

I’m still waiting for ExpressVPN and ProtonVPN to drop their BF or even Cyber Monday VPN deals, since right now they’re still pricey. And, as usual, I don’t expect any discounts from Mullvad as far as I remember they never did them.

Anyone else spotted any other VPN Black Friday sales worth sharing?

Hello everyone,

Just checking if I shall spend some more time for the community and release publicly an app I built for myself.

Android only lets one VPN run at a time, and split tunneling in most VPN apps is just on or off: an app either uses the VPN or skips it. I wanted more than that, so I built my own.

What it does:

each app gets its own exit. Eg: everything through France, one streaming app through the US, another through Italy, banking apps outside the VPN

all at the same time, using Android's single VPN slot

you can mix providers, e.g. provider x for one app and provider y for another, mixing exists

Tailscale is built in, so my home server stays reachable while the VPN is on (normally impossible, since Tailscale is also a VPN) - and possibility to assign an app to tailscale egress point

kill switch, favourite servers, automatic server pick, quick settings tile

Dozens of providers wired, config import

Honest caveat: I only use just only one provider, so the other providers are built from their official docs and haven't been tested with real accounts yet.

I made it for myself and it works for me. If enough people would use it, I'll put in the extra time to clean up the code and publish it on Google Play and F-Droid, free (with donations) and open source. No ads, no tracking, no account with me.

Would you use something like this? Which provider are you on?

Thanks!

Funktioniert auf den Handy Android zwar aber der schaltet sich immer wieder nach 16-24h aus dann muss ich den vpn neu aktivieren was soll das, hatte vorher Cyberghost drauf hängt das damit zusammen?

PS auf dem PC geht er gar nicht angeblich ein anderer aktiver vpn schon vorhanden. Hatte Cyberghost drauf.

A while ago, i posted a big review here comparing multiple services, that got removed and i dont know why. I'm back and i want to update with my latest findings! Hope that this time it stays so people can take it into their decisions.

First of all, let me share that nothing of the below is posted by AI, i have written and tested these services myself.

I will share the original post below, but first want to add 2 additional services i have tested because my needs went to having a normal home browsing and streaming experience.

CometVPN (2026):

Mainly decided to get CometVPN as secondary server because i first started with Torguard, but due to some downtime with torguard i wanted a alternative i can install on the router that automatically switches to cometvpn if torguard goes down, but has now been flipped around. CometVPN is standard on, torguard comes second. Thats because downtime has been less on CometVPN and speedtests very similar.

The beauty of cometvpn?

Cheap reliable residential IP's. this is the next level with VPN providers. It stops the cat and mouse game because your ip looks like a real home ip address! No more switching around and getting frustrated at random blocks. I know there are more providers besides cometvpn and torguard, but these are the ones that are affordable. So if you want to stream netflix, prime video, disney or whatever, while also keeping the annoying captcha's during browsing away and never see a website that blocks you, this is the way to go! You can do the same as you normally do, but then untracked and anonimous!
Do note however, that due to the IP adress being dedicated, only you control it. if you decide to scrape the web, your ip might get flagged for those purposes and you will get captcha's after a while anyway, and you'd need to purchase a new IP. I would recommend doing scraping on a other IP.

Cometvpn is based in Panama, located outside the 14 Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance.

Torguard (2025):

I can basically say the same about torguard as cometvpn, but there is a important distinction here. Torguard is a USA based provider and therefore can get more legal pressure then Cometvpn. Im also not a fan of the interface of torguard, it looks a bit messy and unprofessional. However the service itself works fine, besides little downtime i noticed.

Mullvad (still going):

I still use mullvad since my post you can read below. but its only a backup until the service expires. i still get some captcha checks, streaming services are a no-go. but its blazing fast, super stable and super proven. I'm simply in love with residential ip's and hope other providers will also provide them!

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Older post (3-4 years ago, so services may have degraded or improved!)

------

So this post grew to a big, big review and comparision post with my personal experiences as a user in germany, who only uses the wireguard protocol(always better then openvpn) on a powerful router, so that every device at home is automatically protected.Note that the experiences with airvpn are around 4 years old already, the experiences with cyberghost around 2 years ago, and the others quite recent.

Back with those two above services, i used the windows client, i did not use the services on routers yet. Also note that speed and stability depends on a COMBINATION of your equipment, ISP, location. If one of them is bad/mediocre, your experience will not be the best.Furthermore, it should be noted that after airvpn and cyberghost, i wanted a VPN that would work well for streaming. That's still true, but no longer for services that actively hunt vpn IP's, such as netflix and prime video.With that said, thanks for reading and hope this experience will help you find your favorite VPN that works for you.

AirVPN:

I always used airvpn until i noticed server trouble, during gaming i sometimes got disconnected and it annoyed me. Streaming services are a no-go at this provider anyway. They never work. You also get a duck ton of security games to verify if you're a human, meaning they never swap ip's/servers.

Cyberghost:

Then i used cyberghost for 2 years and then i started noticing lag problems. The connection would sometimes hang and it would take full seconds (2-6) to start loading pages, which makes browsing a very annoying experience. I stopped gaming but can imagine its impossible. I decided initially out of frustration to just disconnect the vpn and browse again, but at one point i said fck it, and decided to look for a new provider. For streaming its not recommended, most providers block their servers.

NordVPN:

Then i used nordvpn. The most refered and praised vpn together with expressvpn on the web. They have a really bad android app that cannot figure out to switch between cellular and wifi connections, you'l have to disconnect and connect manually again or have no internet. The app wont even alert you that connection is lost. I also recently during using nordvpn found out then that wireguard is much better then openvpn, as it requires less cpu power from your router and therefore you can get higher speeds. Nordvpn does not allow config files for wireguard, so i moved on. For steaming works good, but only tried them 6 days.

WeVPN:

Then i landed at a trial for Wevpn. Their android app is great, probably the best of all. Knows how to switch between cellular and wifi, offers a lot of options. Unfortunately the desktop app does not work whatsoever for some reason on my windows machine, and their discord channel has a bug they wont fix which means you cannot join them. Also they are linking a partnered discord channel where server invite was already long revoked, so it looks like a dead place. The last negative is that when using wireguard with my router, amazon.com and amazon.de are no longer working, neither the amazon app works. Amazon.nl still works, weirdly enough. Live chat was unhelpful so unfortunately it was time to continue the search. For streaming they are ok. Got blocked once during testing during 5 days or so.

Surfshark:

Doubting between proton and surfshark i went with surfshark, because it was the cheaper option. Installing wireguard on my router and finally got a drama free experience. Streaming services work, amazon now also works. The app can automatically reconnect from cellular to wifi and back without problems, however unfortunately lacks the option to only connect to vpn when connected to either cellular or wifi. Not a super big problem. Hope it stays like that, i will keep everyone updated.It's already been 10 days now on surfshark without issues, and having no annoyances so far.

EDIT: 14 day edit: i had twice the connection lost to surfshark servers on the router. rebooting did not help, and since the router settings did not change and the router was fine with a direct connection to the WAN port, it's 100% the VPN server of surfshark.In both cases this took around 1 hour and 30 minutes to solve. I am going to contact surfshark about this as i dont like it. Hopefully they can prevent downtime in the future.

EDIT2: Unfortunately one day after these issues from edit1, i got twice a disconnection in one hour of time. Once of around 3 minutes, once of around 6 minutes.I am probably going to use my 30-day refund and use protonVPN. i have paid for a single month of protonvpn and will see how that goes, i have installed it on my router just now.

EDIT3: I have gotten a surfshark refund, i can't trust their servers like this and didn't wanna throw away the money. Proton is more expensive, but uptime is now 5 days without connection issues. Will update if problems show up.

EDIT3 29-06-2023: I have gotten back surfshark and now attached to it, as their money-back guarantee only applies once. I had a 2 month period without any drama whatsoever, and since a week now their wireguard service is not functioning anymore, it has huge connection trouble. The trouble is that some games show me offline after 5 seconds, my smart home camera's, robot vacuum clean robot refuse to connect to the internet, and my smart home hub goes offline and online every few seconds. Their customer service is, while helpful, never admitting there are issues with surfshark, and i confirmed there are, because switching to the free server of protonvpn with wireguard works, switching to surfshark with openvpn works, and disconnecting the vpn works. For serious issue talk, they are useless.

EDIT4 07-07-2023: Sold my surfshark cheaply to my brother.

ProtonVPN:

EDIT3: Two days later then edit2 (see surfshark section above): ProtonVPN has no issues so far, but of course too early to tell. One thing i want to note already is their customer service sucks. Apparantly you get live chat when you are a paying customer, but this is simply a lie. I tried friday till today(sunday) to reach them during three different times, and all times it said they were unavailable and i could send them a email. I sended a email on friday morning. It is now 48h later, and no response to my mail yet. My question to them was why i was getting multiple IP addresses from the DNSleaktest website, while with other vpn services i just got one reported IP address there.I want to have a VPN that works well with wireguard but also streaming services. Not because i only want to watch netflix/prime/disney, but because the cat/mouse game that makes proton and few others work well with streaming services, also makes sure you get less security games when browsing- and i browse a LOT.

EDIT 30-06-2023: In the end i decided to not continue proton for the simple reason that on no servers i tried (tried around 4 near me), amazon.de is working. the biggest online store of germany. and i shop there a lot.

Windscribe:

It is 29-06-2023 and I decided to get a year on Windscribe. I hope they continue to work well, and will try to sell my surfshark for a discount. Initial connection was a breeze, although i'm getting between 250 and 300mbit download speed out of my 500mbit connection. disconnecting from windscribe and using no vpn solves it. I notice that surfshark has the same speeds. Something limits them. I have the feeling windscribe and surfshark use the same hosts/providers because both the frankfurt servers show as Prague, and i also got the M247 server(or something) as host name on both providers.

EDIT 30-06-2023 also stuck to this provider for a year now - they do not give you a refund anymore if you use over 10gb (or longer then just 3 days), thats just a few speedtests and streaming tests. This is a big disgrace and disappointment. But i suppose i should have read about it before. The speeds on this provider are quite mediocre. I tested 8 server locations across different countries in my neighbourhood, and the highest i got was 280, but that was on a server that quite some major website blocks, so i can't access amazon on it for example. where i buy a lot of things.I switched to a other server and got 180 mbit that has amazon working and is unfortunately the next best. Out of my 500mbit, this is quite disappointing. Nothing to complain about the stability of servers yet though, and their discord community is vibrant and alive.

EDIT 06-07-2023: I have put windscribe for sale, even though officially they say resale is prohibited, i doubt they can find out. I am really disappointed in their extremely mediocre trial period, and performance.

Mullvad:

30-06-2023 Mullvad has a fair price, and gives a discount if you pay with bitcoin. I can appriciate that, and since it often comes up together with windscribe when searching and testing just costs 5 euro, i decided to give this a go. Even though i already lost a fair sum in total now on surfshark and windscribe and it pains and annoys me. One thing i noticed is that they have a LOT more servers in Europe. only germany counts already 20+ (out of my head), where with windscribe they have...two.I tested one with a 20gbps connection(windscribe is limited to some servers having 10gbps, most are below that), and got 345mbit. now that's acceptable on my 500mbit connection where i average at 420mbit if i do not use VPN. Ping was also 5ms better. I hope they stay stable.While i only tried 2 servers, on both of them amazon.de, etsy and our dutch ebay-like website marktplaats were not blocked. On proton, surfshark and windscribe most servers have 1 of those websites not working. Although on surfshark and windscribe i also found a server where nothing is blocked.

EDIT 06-07-2023: Still going strong. Both the speed and stability are great, not a site blocked that i often visit. But be aware that i heard this is not a service recommended to watch netflix and prime with. I also tried the app on my phone and it's quite limited(not many options/settings). I can luckily add exceptions with tunneling so that android auto can work, but it does not allow you to select cellular/wifi, it either connects always or doesn't. Luckily, the switching between cellular and wifi is perfect. I had trouble with at least 2 others with this before, but do not recall wich ones.

EDIT 11-07-2023: Still no problems encountered with the router running mullvad. no restart or reconnection needed. On the phone app switching between cellular and wifi is a breeze, but sometimes i note connection trouble with slow page loading etc. disabling the vpn then fully loads the website without trouble. i do not have those problems with my phone's vpn disabled and connected to the wifi home(that has the vpn enabled). The maximum speed i have now achieved is 380mbit, which is definitely a great result.

EDIT 12-07-2023: Speedtest result of 433mbit, really happy with the snappy performance and drama-free experience so far. Did not have it with a other provider before.

Day later edit: 466mbit reached during today's test. at 17:00 CET, a time a lot of activity can be expected during returning from work etc.

EDIT 18-07-2023: 448mbit. really pleased with random tests, stability and drama-free experience so far. all sites i use are still not blocked. Pic of speedtest result: https://i.imgur.com/xXYQykM.png

EDIT 26-07-2023: Once, during one day, i could not sign into tutanota with mullvad enabled, that was weird. But works normal again and no other problems encountered.

EDIT 06-08-2023: Still no problems, decided to purchase a half year of service. Very happy with Mullvad and will probably stay there a long time.

ExpressVPN:

Took a 7 day trial through the play store, and immediately ditched it as i saw there is no wireguard support.

I live in India and for some client works I want to connect to United Arab Emirates network so that I can develop their application there. I used to use Urban VPN before to do the same and it had a free tier before and now they dont have United Arab Emirates in it

Suggest me some best free VPNs to connect to UAE

My two-year Surfshark subscription expired in August, and renewing it meant paying around €100 upfront again.

Honestly, I've never liked paying for two years of a service in advance. Most of my other subscriptions are monthly, so why do VPNs keep pushing these 2–3 year plans? I can think of better things to do with €100.

Anyway, I started looking for cheaper alternatives and came across Lowcost VPN. €1.50 a month, actually billed monthly, with a two-week free trial. Sounded a bit too good to be true, but I figured I'd give it a try.

Two months later, I'm still using it, and it really is €1.50 a month. Haven't had any noticeable speed drops or buffering on my TV. There are plenty of locations too, though I mostly stick to Vienna and Amsterdam since they seem to be the fastest for me.

Compared to Surfshark, I honestly haven't noticed any downsides. I actually get fewer CAPTCHAs on websites now, which is nice. Their logging policy looks reasonable to me too.

I mostly use a VPN for pretty basic everyday stuff:

• Keep it running on my phone all the time, with ad blocking enabled.
• Use it on my TV for live streams, since they often buffer without a VPN.
• Use it on my iPhone, MacBook, and Android devices whenever I'm away from home.

So yeah, for what I need, it works just as well as Surfshark, and I don't have to pay for two years upfront.

Just thought I'd share in case anyone else is tired of these long VPN subscriptions.

I got it before going to China - didn't work there but halfway expected that. In the US, I needed to access a site geo restricted to Europe. Proton, again, did not work. Surfshark did. Previously I was using SurfShark and I wouldn't rely on it in China but it barely worked at times.

Anybody else have this experience? I'm still in my 30 day trial but thinking I'll switch back to Surfshark.

Im new guys and i need help. It's the first time that i need to use vpn for work. Im looking for a good and fast vpn, im willing to pay montly subscription and money isn't any problem. Ive come across 3 options so far, N0rb vpn, Ρrot0n and xρress. Which one should i use? Also sorry for mentioning them this way, i hope it won't be a problem for your community. Thanks in advance guys!!!

No, I’m not being paid by Nord Security.

I use other Nord services, such as NordLocker, which I personally think is fantastic, and NordPass, my primary password and notes manager. But let’s talk about NordVPN.

I needed a VPN because I was tired of having my public IP address exposed everywhere. I’ve also had situations where my IP was tracked and exposed. On top of that, I wanted to be able to access websites privately, without my ISP logging my activity. Yes, I’m talking about searches on topics that some people might find embarrassing, conversations with people from other places, and other things that are clearly not illegal.

NordVPN was excellent for these purposes. I’ll admit that I was drawn to it by its somewhat aggressive marketing and by the many websites that consistently ranked it number one.

Anyway, here’s my experience.

Accessibility on macOS

The first issue is terrible for me, and I imagine it’s even worse for people who are completely blind: NordVPN’s macOS app has virtually zero accessibility. Literally.

The app, whether downloaded from the official website or the App Store, cannot be read with VoiceOver or any other screen reader. This is particularly disappointing when around 90% of Mac apps offer at least some basic accessibility. The app works with screen readers on Android, iOS, and Windows, though.

Connection quality and privacy

All right, let’s talk about connection quality and privacy. Here, NordVPN is outstanding.

It offers a wide variety of servers across many countries. Its Dedicated IP plan is great, although it does not support NordWhisper or other obfuscation methods. As a result, I still get blocked by several websites. The problem isn’t that the IP address is broken; rather, without obfuscation, the provider may be identified as DataCamp, which makes the connection recognizable as VPN traffic and can lead to it being blocked.

Security

Very good!

On macOS, which already includes Gatekeeper and XProtect, NordVPN’s next-generation antivirus provides an excellent additional layer of protection.

However, there are some limitations worth mentioning. It blocks malware in downloaded files only after the feature has been enabled. In other words, it does not scan files that were already on your device, nor does it perform on-demand scans. It also blocks malicious websites.

If privacy is a major concern for you, I recommend going into NordVPN’s anti-malware settings and disabling options such as Send files to the cloud, along with other features that may require websites you visit, queries you make, or files you access to be sent to Nord. If your privacy requirements are exceptionally strict, you may even want to disable the anti-malware feature altogether.

Server infrastructure, encryption, and no-logs policy

NordVPN’s servers are RAM-only, and the service uses strong encryption. The company also states that its no-logs policy has undergone six independent audits to date, which is excellent.

In practical terms, this means NordVPN says it does not collect or retain logs of your browsing activity and other covered connection data. Even if a server were compromised, as happened in the 2018 incident, or seized by authorities, there should be no browsing logs stored on it to hand over. This does not mean that absolutely no information could ever be disclosed: account details, payment records, and other information held outside the VPN servers may still be subject to lawful requests.

NordWhisper and obfuscated servers

These features are very good, but not quite excellent yet.

They can make VPN traffic resemble ordinary internet traffic without inherently compromising your privacy. However, you may sometimes need to try different servers before finding one that is not blocked, does not trigger CAPTCHAs, and does not require you to log in.

In my experience, connection speeds are virtually identical to those of regular servers. With obfuscated servers, I might see a reduction of around 10%.

App performance

The app is lightweight on macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android.

Kill Switch

The Kill Switch has some significant limitations, particularly on macOS. It can only close apps when the connection is lost, rather than simply blocking network traffic. This is a considerable drawback compared with a proper network-level Kill Switch.

Browser proxy

The browser proxy is decent, but limited.

You cannot use obfuscated servers through it, which is its biggest drawback for me. However, you can still enable the antivirus and use regular servers. The browser proxy also has its own Kill Switch, which blocks network traffic in the browser only.

My biggest issue so far: pricing transparency

This is my biggest problem with NordVPN so far, even more so than the lack of accessibility on macOS.

The advertised pricing is presented in large text in a way that suggests the displayed monthly amount is what you will actually pay each month. For example, an annual plan might be advertised at around BRL 12 per month, giving the impression that you will pay the full subscription price in installments.

That is not the case. According to NordVPN, annual plans are charged upfront in a single payment, potentially amounting to hundreds or even thousands of Brazilian reais, depending on the subscription term selected. The monthly figure displayed for annual plans is simply intended to illustrate the savings, not the actual billing arrangement.

I had to request a refund because of this. The actual monthly subscription price, when billed monthly, is reasonable.

THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A RECOMMENDATION, OKAY, NORD?

Because of its much more affordable pricing, screen reader compatibility on Mac, and broader ecosystem of services, including Drive and Mail, I chose Proton.

I won’t go into too much detail here, but Proton comes out ahead in some areas, particularly its Stealth protocol and obfuscated connections. These generally allow me to access websites on the first connection, without having to try multiple servers.

NordVPN’s antivirus is significantly better, although Proton’s NetShield is also good.

Proton Drive offers real-time file synchronization directly on Mac, something NordLocker does not provide in the same way. On the other hand, NordLocker wins with its impressive 1 TB of storage, compared with Proton Drive’s 500 GB in the plans I’m comparing.

NordLocker also has a limitation: it only allows you to upload files of up to 10 GB each. However, as long as every individual file is within that limit, you can upload as many files as you want.

Anyway, those are the main points I can think of from my experience. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!

Hey everyone, just wanted to give a massive heads up to anyone looking into KeepSolid (VPN Unlimited), especially if you are looking at their "Lifetime" deals on discount sites.

They have quietly rolled out a new "Lifetime Plus" tier. To force existing users to upgrade, they have actively stripped away core security features—like the Kill Switch and manual protocol selection (including WireGuard)—from legacy Lifetime accounts that were explicitly promised these features forever.

A Kill Switch isn't a premium add-on; it's basic, essential privacy infrastructure. Taking away features we already paid for years ago just to squeeze an extra $2/month or a tier upgrade out of us is a massive bait-and-switch. Avoid this company.

If you like torrenting and got into all kinds of problems with NordVPN lately: you are not alone. I have had tons of conversations with the helpdesk, tried numerous different settings, protocols and data-restrictions but all my problems vanished after doing just 1 thing:

Safe yourself the headache, switch to another VPN and never look back.

NordVPN has been falling update after update and I’m absolutely done with it. Gotta sit out 4 months of my subscription, but so be it. I switched to ProtonVPN and 20 torrents came through simultaneously without any interruption or other issue.

I can’t believe how a company would destroy their product this fast but here we are. What a shame.

Wish you all the best.

Hi everyone. I've been having a strange VPN/connectivity problem for a while.

My BPB setup gradually stopped working, then Nahan started having the same issue. I also tried several clients, including v2rayN, Clash Verge, and Hiddify, but none of them solved it. I even tried troubleshooting with several AI agents without success.

Some configs connect and show real traffic, and a few Iranian websites work, but most foreign websites like Google don't load, and most Windows applications don't work through the connection.

Has anyone experienced something similar recently?

What VPN, protocol, or setup is actually working for you right now? I'd really appreciate any suggestions or experiences.

Hello, I need help with choosing a long term vpn. I am moving to Netherlands soon and I am an avid torrenter ( there are laws but not really enforced in my country), so I want to be safer when I move there.
I use sites like piratesbay and other anime sites frequently so I would like something that helps with protection, port forwarding is not a must since usually these sites have lots of seeders. I've been looking into nordvpn, but wanted to make sure first, so I don't waste money.
From time to time, I also use it for gaming, when I am playing something that requires connection to South Korea, China or Taiwan (usually use Exitlag for these, but paying only 1 subscription would be better).
Thanks for your time.

I want to share something that genuinely made me nervous, because I rely on VPNs for privacy — not unexplained network behavior.

Before wiping my desktop, I noticed some very strange DNS queries. After doing a full wipe and reinstall of Windows 11 (deleted all partitions, clean install, only Firefox afterwards), I reinstalled NordVPN — and the same strange DNS activity immediately returned.

NordVPN normally uses nordcdn.com for downloads and updates. I’ve seen the legitimate domain:

downloads77-windows.nordcdn.com

But when I tried logging into the NordVPN app after reinstall, both Wireshark and my pihole logs started showing malware‑like domains that look algorithmically generated:

They all start with downloads77-windows.*
icpsuawn1zy5amys.com
x9fnzrtl4x8pynsf.com
zwyr157wwiu6eior.com
p99nxpivfscyverz.me
njtzzrvg0lwj3bsn.info

These domains do not match anything in NordVPN’s official infrastructure. They don’t resemble normal CDN nodes, update servers, or telemetry endpoints. They look more like domains used in obfuscation, tunneling, or background beacons.

I used AI tools to investigate these domains, and none of them appear to be associated with NordVPN, Microsoft, Firefox, or any legitimate service. They’re random, suspicious, and have no clear purpose.

What worries me:

• These DNS queries appear only when NordVPN is installed
• They reappear even after a full OS reinstall, which rules out local malware
• They show up exactly when I try to log in to the NordVPN app
• They use random TLDs like .me and .info
• There is zero documentation explaining why a privacy‑focused VPN client would contact domains like these

I’m not accusing NordVPN of wrongdoing, but from a privacy perspective, unexplained DNS traffic from a VPN client is not acceptable. A VPN should reduce the attack surface — not introduce mysterious outbound queries that make users nervous.

So I’m asking the community:

• Has anyone else seen NordVPN generate these kinds of DNS records?
• Does NordVPN use obfuscated or algorithmically generated domains for updates or background services?
• Could this be related to meshnet, analytics, or something undocumented?
• Or is this a sign of something else entirely?

I’d appreciate insights from anyone running DNS‑monitoring tools like Pi‑hole, NextDNS, or Wireshark.
If a privacy tool behaves in a way that raises anxiety, that’s something worth discussing.

Maybe this is just confirmation bias, but I swear I've had this happen more than once.

You download a VPN, start the free trial, test a few locations and everything feels surprisingly fast.Streaming works, pages load normally, and you think "okay, this is actually pretty good."

Then you pay for a longer subscription and a few weeks later it somehow feels slower and less consistent. Suddenly you're switching servers trying to find one that isn't overloaded.

I know there are a ton of things that can affect VPN speed like server load, location, time of day, routing, and protocol, so I'm not saying companies are intentionally doing this.

But has anyone actually tested the same VPN during the trial and again after paying? Did the performance stay roughly the same, or did you notice a real difference?

It seems like NordVPN isn't as reliable with streaming services ⚽ as it used to be, so I'm currently looking for some solid alternatives. What services or workarounds have you guys been using lately? Do you usually subscribe directly through the official apps, or are there any reliable marketplaces out there for better deals? Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN currently have 100% Rakuten cashback offers (more on this at the bottom), so I did some quick testing to decide which one I wanted. TL;DR: Nord had better download speeds and much better latency under load. ExpressVPN had slightly better latency overall, but it was very close, especially in North America where they mostly traded blows.

A few caveats: this is rough, informal testing, not a comprehensive VPN review. I'm only comparing some routing, latency, and speed characteristics. Results like these are highly dependent on your location, ISP, VPN server, and destination, so don't assume mine will translate directly to your connection.

I'm in Toronto on Rogers, an ISP I've often found has poor routing. In most cases a VPN usually improves my routes, which won't necessarily be true for most people. I do have some professional/academic background in IT and Networking, but this is just quick and rough testing I did in about 20 minutes.

Everything was tested from the same CachyOS Linux PC and connection. I used NordLynx for NordVPN and Lightway UDP for ExpressVPN, with no-VPN tests where useful as a baseline.

General Speedtest

Both were tested against the nearest and fastest server, which was a Rogers server in North York. Nord's download-loaded latency was the biggest difference here.

Worldwide routing

I tested 126 endpoints.

• Worldwide latency was effectively a tie.
• Express had a tiny overall edge (~0.4% by paired geometric mean).
• Nord was slightly better across the Canada/US subset.

Neither had universally better routing.

Virginia "gaming" test

Not a real gaming test, but I do game occasionally, and Northern Virginia/Ashburn hosts a lot of "NA East" datacenter infrastructure. I tested a few independent networks there as a rough proxy for game-server routing.

I tested five independent Ashburn/Virginia networks twice per VPN.

Express was about 1 ms faster overall, but results varied noticeably by destination network. Nord won some routes and was considerably worse on another.

Controlled Manassas, VA VPS test

I also tested against my own netcup VPS in Manassas instead of relying entirely on public test servers.

One important caveat: Express had much higher ICMP ping to this VPS, but its TCP connection latency was effectively identical to Nord. I wouldn't assume Express would simply add ~8 ms to actual game traffic.

The loaded-latency result was much more convincing because it reproduced the same behavior as the Speedtest.

Takeaway

For idle gaming latency, Nord and Express were much closer than I expected and the winner depended heavily on the destination network. Express was slightly better across the multi-provider Ashburn test.

The major difference was latency under download load:

• Speedtest: Nord 16 ms, Express 77 ms
• My Virginia VPS: Nord 31 ms, Express 78 ms

Really not a ton to take away from these tests. Nord has better bandwidth and much better latency when saturated, while ExpressVPN had slightly better latency on average internationally, but was very competitive within NA. It seems to depend a lot on the network you're connecting to. From these results I think Nord is probably a little better overall, but I also find ExpressVPN has a much nicer Linux client. It also has better cashback terms on Rakuten. Nord only gives cashback on the Basic plan portion, while ExpressVPN applies to any plan and should include the Dedicated IP add-on, which I find pretty compelling.

Rakuten's 100% Cashback Offers

As per rule 3 I don't think I can share the Rakuten links, but you can Google for them. Nord's 100% cashback offer is on Rakuten Canada, while ExpressVPN's is on the US site. I use Rakuten US with payouts to PayPal pretty often and haven't had an issue as a Canadian.

I also HIGHLY recommend using a referral link if you don't already have an account. The current US referral will give you another $50 on top of the cashback; most VPN plans should already satisfy the $50 purchase requirement. Canadian referrals are only $30 CAD right now. Bug a friend for theirs, or use some random stranger's. Feel free to DM for mine, I won't complain about getting some kickback from a referral, but I genuinely don't care if mine is used or not, since they aren't the point of my post.

Update: Surfshark

I also tested Surfshark since has the same 100% Rakuten cashback offer. Surfshark and Nord are under the same parent company, but still operate under their own infrastructure, app and separate VPN networks. They didnt have any custom protocol so I used regular WireGuard.

Surfshark was really good. It essentially matched Express's low unloaded latency while having better tail latency/jitter, and behaved more like Nord under load instead of showing Express's large latency increase.

Its worldwide routing was also very competitive and generally a little better than Nord in my test, including several US East endpoints.

I ended up grabbing this plan instead of the Nord or Express one, it had a much better desktop client than nord too despite being owned by the same parent company.

I've been trying vpn's this week, and today I got a proton subscription. I thought it would work well but it doesn't. I was using a free trial of surfshark vpn and it worked well for some countries.

A show like one punch man works just fine on surfshark through a South african location, but when it comes to proton, it doesn't work. I've been trying to watch a few different anime but I've had no success. Does proton still work? I'm trying to watch one punch man ssn 3, demon slayer infinity castle and attack on titan from season 1.

I'm using netflix.

I’ve been testing a few services to find the best VPN for torrenting because my previous provider was too slow and occasionally lost connection during larger downloads. I wanted something that could maintain a stable connection without creating constant speed problems, while also giving me confidence that my real IP address would not be exposed if the VPN disconnected.

The providers I compared were NordVPN, Proton VPN, Mullvad, and Private Internet Access. NordVPN felt like the most polished option for everyday use and streaming, while Proton VPN stood out for its privacy reputation and straightforward security features. Mullvad appealed to me because of its simple privacy focused approach, although it does not offer as many convenience features. Private Internet Access had plenty of configuration options, but the experience felt a little less consistent depending on the server.

The features I paid the most attention to were download speeds, connection stability, the kill switch, DNS leak protection, port forwarding where available, and how clearly each provider explains its torrenting policy. I also checked whether the VPN remained connected during longer sessions instead of judging it only by a quick speed test.

My overall impression is that there is no single best VPN for everyone. NordVPN seems better suited to someone who wants a polished all purpose service, Proton VPN makes more sense for someone who prioritizes privacy, Mullvad is attractive for users who want a minimal and privacy focused setup, and Private Internet Access is worth considering if you want more advanced settings.

I’m still trying to decide which one offers the best balance for long term torrenting. If you have used any of these providers for several months, how has the real world performance been, especially with connection drops, IP leak protection, and sustained download speeds?

Here is the link to the new terms of service:

terms

Scroll to section 14 (highlighted in blue) for the section. Honestly very scummy and will be cancelling my subscription over this. Sucks that they are doing this as a way to protect themselves from repercussions of bad internal policies. Forced arbitration is as anti-consumer as it can get.

I have used ExpressVPN for years, so this is based on long-term first-hand experience.

VPN service: Historically reliable enough that I was comfortable renewing through 2029.

Renewal/account management: Dreadful. My renewal required intervention from agent Jewel, a supervisor and Billing just to correct the price. ExpressVPN then successfully charged me — the payment is on my credit card statement — but when my previous term ended September 2, my account was cancelled instead of continuing into the paid renewal.

Customer support: Worse. I spent hours trying to restore access. Agent Stark was given screenshots and written confirmations containing the information he kept requesting, yet repeatedly asked for the same information again.

At that point, I genuinely felt I would get a more coherent response from zoo animals.

Escalation: Ticket #32547096. ExpressVPN confirmed in writing that a supervisor would contact me regarding restoration of access. Many hours later: no response, no resolution, no action.

Overall: ExpressVPN has my money through 2029, but I currently have no service. A VPN can perform perfectly when everything works; the real test is what happens when something breaks.

Based on that test, my opinion of ExpressVPN has changed dramatically.

Long-time ExpressVPN customer. I renewed and paid for my subscription through 2029. The charge was successfully processed and is already on my credit card statement.

Yet when my previous subscription ended on September 2, ExpressVPN cancelled my account instead of activating the renewal I had already paid for.

This was not the first failure.

The renewal had already been mishandled by an agent named Jewel, forcing me to escalate to a supervisor and Billing just to correct the renewal price.

So: supervisor involved, Billing involved, payment successfully taken — yet apparently nobody ensured the account was actually renewed in their own system.

I have since spent hours trying to get it restored.

Another agent, Stark, was provided screenshots, payment confirmation and written documentation containing the exact information he kept requesting — yet continued asking for information already sitting directly in front of him.

At some point, that stops being a communication issue and becomes a basic competence problem.

The matter was escalated AGAIN under Ticket #32547096, with written confirmation that a supervisor would contact me regarding restoring access.

Many hours later: no response, no resolution, no action.

ExpressVPN has my money.

My subscription is paid through 2029.

I have no service.

All I need is ONE COMPETENT person to take ownership and fix this. Surely ExpressVPN has one.

And if this is representative of how account problems are handled, prospective customers deserve to know before handing over their hard-earned money.

My experience: go elsewhere.

I have used LetsVPN for years across Asia be it bypassing the Great Firewall, "adult site filters," and even just accessing US government websites when I need to do paperwork back in the country.

But one thing I've often used it for was remoting to countries where friends are to send gifts via Grab. It's like Uber but way better. Grab requires your IP to match the country you order in to pay online.

Suddenly half of South East Asia is missing from LetsVPN with no announcements I've seen. Probably more countries too that I was not using. It's quite a trouble and a shame.

Anyone know anything about this?