Even considering the latency aspect, the nearer locations should always be faster than others that are an ocean away, not to mention that some of the farthest countries struggled to come up with any results at all. On the other hand, speeds are a true letdown. One thing is for sure though: the actual latency results are always better than those estimated by the software. These latency shifts can be due to different external factors such as server flow at the time or the general internet infrastructure of each country. The Great White North is obviously much farther away than every other European country, but at the time of testing the ping displayed on the app was lower than any of them, hence the results being better. While testing from Europe, we would have expected that closer locations would provide better results, but that was not the case: Canada achieved the best speeds.
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The software also provides a predicted latency for each location, which is a nice way to find out which server is better at the moment, even if it’s not the closest to user’s true location. Even though there’s much space for improvement (Africa is an untouched territory, for instance), users should be thrilled with these numbers since they still cover most of the world. From common countries like the U.S., the UK, Canada, Australia, and Japan, to less familiar locations such as Israel and the United Arab Emirates, the service provides a considerable number of options across its 12,000+ servers covering 74 countries. Private Internet Access stands out when it comes to the number of servers available. Less important but still indicative of PIA’s great customization level, the app’s aesthetic aspects are also editable, with light and dark themes, dashboard appearance, different tray icons and, and more. An optional kill switch and adblocker are also available. Other highlights are the options to use split tunneling, port forwarding, and to set personal proxy preferences (Shadowsocks or SOCKS5). Connection protocols, encryption levels, and cyphers are only some of the customizable features available – all of them with a decent number of options. The settings page is a true playground for experienced users. Private Internet Access is one of these services: a provider that keeps it simple but still presents a wide variety of features for users of all platforms. But users also like to be given the chance to alter as many settings as possible to have a sense of control over the program they’ve just purchased. Customization OptionsĪ clean and user-friendly interface goes a long way towards making a well-received service, since most customers want simple apps where everything just works by default and requires no in-depth knowledge to manage. Private internet Access also allows port-forwarding and offers a bunch of additional tools, such as a kill switch and an adblocker. The VPN network list is displayed in a large scale with the expected ping for each location, but users can also alter several connections settings such as protocols, encryption level, remote ports, and much more. What’s more, user interaction is kept to a minimum thanks to a compact app that displays only the connect button and IP addresses.īut PIA is also appropriate for those who like to customize their experience in great detail. Someone looking for a simple ‘connect & go’ experience will find just that, since the software automatically suggests the best server for a smoother and faster experience. Private Internet Access is an intuitive and comprehensive service, suitable for both beginners and experienced VPN users. The company also allows potential customers to try the product for 30 days with a risk-free money-back guarantee. The software has gone through diverse changes since its launch in 2010, and yet one thing that has never changed is the quality of the service, which allows users to anonymously browse the internet using several encryption and privacy tools to ensure total security on various devices. Part of the London Trust Media group, Private Internet Access (PIA) has been a benchmark VPN service for a long time. Some of them fail due to a faulty service, others because they fail to understand who their clients really are. There’s a great number of VPN services out there, and yet only a few companies manage to accomplish the goals that they set themselves.