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This is an updated version of my previous VyprVPN in China Review.
Just a few weeks ago I put up a review of VyprVPN and how it worked for me in China. Much further back, maybe about six months ago, I had a chance to try out VyprVPN.
To tell you the truth, it didn't work that well the first time around. And my review reflected that.
Well, I was soon contacted by VyprVPN. They seemed genuinely surprised that it didn't work out for me, and I gave VyprVPN another shot.
I couldn't believe how fast it was the second time around. Now talking about VPNs, speed isn't everything. But as far as speed goes, it's not just one of the fastest I've used – it may be the fastest out of over ten VPNs I've tried over the course of five years in China.
Connecting to the VPN was fast. Streaming video was fast. Browsing the Internet was fast.
Is speed enough? Get VyprVPN here.
There are some things that might turn you off to VyprVPN though, so pay attention.
One is that it's a bit more difficult to install. On my first time around I almost gave up. I'm a real idiot when it comes to computers and as soon as they asked me to create folders and unzip files into them I set it aside for a day before I came back to it. I also didn't have a file unzipper which I had to find and download. My second time around I had an idea of what to do and paid closer attention to the instructions the provided(they have everything laid out pretty clearly). It wasn't so bad, but compared to 12VPN which it just "click, click, finished", some people may have trouble with it.
Server locations is another thing which you may or may not care about. They've got the most important locations down, which would be The US and The UK, which means that you'll have access to Hulu, Netflix, and BBC iPlayer. Unlike web based browsers like Securitales, you'll be able to access IP restricted sites like these. TV and movie streaming sites are some of the most popular IP restricted site which you can get access to by changing your IP with a VPN. This is good.
But they've only got 5 sever locations, which when compared to services like Hide My Ass and 12VPN which have upwards of 10 or 20 locations, 5 is a pretty small number. HOWEVER, most of the time this doesn't matter for users in China. We're trying to get OUT OF CHINA, not get into anywhere else. 1 VPN server is enough to do that, so what do you need 20 for? Do you really need to browse the Internet from a server in Siberia? No.
Server Locations
- US x2
- UK x1
- Europe x1
- Hong Kong x1
The biggest deciding point for most people is the cost. Their cost plan is pretty straightforward, especially for users in China. Because PPTP and L2TP are blocked in most places, that means that there's only the monthly SSL/OpenVPN plan available. At 20 dollars a month, it's a bit more expensive than others, not by much, but it is. For any decent VPN service you can expect to pay 10 to 20 dollars a month, but 20 is pretty much the top of the scale.
Here's what you should consider though.
1. You get what you pay for most of the time – If you've got the cash, VyprVPN is DEFINITELY worth the extra money. What's an extra 5 bucks (30 RMB) a month worth to you? This could cut your video buffering down a lot, saving you time and frustration.
2. They are not blocked. I can write all day about cheaper VPN servers, but the thing is that most of them are blocked. As of July 2011, 12VPN and StrongVPN are blocked in Fujian (near Xiamen) – and possible in other parts of the country. I can't really recommend other VPN services.
One last thing – VyprVPN has a stellar support team. You might not think much of this, but to me, it's a big deal. After years of dealing with VPNs that I can't install, or times when the VPN just won't connect in China, having a friendly support team around to figure things out is worth a lot. ESPECIALLY for users in China, who will find that VPN sites and VPNs themselves frequently run into problems, having a fast and friendly support team is important.
Summary
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Who should use VyprVPN
1. Watches lots of video online (hates buffering)
2. Downloads big files
3. Wants to access Hulu, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, etc
4. Has basic computer skills to navigate installation
5. Doesn't mind spending a bit more for quality
Who shouldn't use VyprVPN
1. Just using VPN for basic Internet browsing
2. Using the VPN on iPhone, iPad, or other phones that need PPTP/L2TP
3. Doesn't want to deal with installation process
4. Wants to save some cash
5. Located at work or school where you can't install stuff on the computer
VyprVPN official site Personal, private and secure VPN
For users in China who think VyprVPN isn't for you, I'd suggest Securitales. No installation, 16 dollars for two months, and can be used on iPhone and other mobile devices as well as at work and school.
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