Introduction Hidemyass Speed Guide
Hide My Ass! (HMA!) Is a UK-based company, with Its claim to fame being its number of readers — it has over 400 million, now. This supplier has witnessed its share of controversy with respect to consumer privacy. It recently made upgrades to it service in the hopes of winning back the loyalty of its subscribers and redeeming itself. Hidemyass Speed Guide
We took it For a test run to find out how much it has improved and whether it is well worth the cost.
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What’s a VPN?
When you trigger a VPN, it generates an encrypted tunnel to Guard your information as it moves from the computer to a server. From there, your data releases onto the open internet. It’s a simple concept, but one with tremendous impacts to security and your privacy.
It prevents anybody lurking Network from intercepting or monitoring your activity. Though the airport or coffee shop Wi-Fi network looks safe (it might even be password-protected) it is not actually secure unless you are using a VPN. For another thing, a VPN may stop your Internet Service Provider (ISP) from gathering information about your online activities so it could sell anonymized user information to the highest bidder.
A VPN makes it more Challenging to correlate your Online activities with your identity. Since your traffic is exiting in the VPN company’s server, you appear to have its own IP address, effectively concealing your true location. Additionally, it compels even the most determined attacker to test to sort through all of the traffic from different users on the same VPN server to find what they’re after. For these reasons, and much more, you need a VPN in your lifetime.
Note that your traffic is only encrypted by a VPN until it exits via the VPN server. Provided that the site your information must be protected all the way along its journey. Additionally, while VPNs can provide a modicum of anonymity, a tool such as the Tor network is far better at hiding your identity.
VPNs have long been used by journalists and political activists To circumvent censorship in countries with repressive internet policies. They are also useful if you are searching to circumvent geographic restrictions on streaming content. A VPN can spoof your existing location, giving you access to restricted content like BBC streaming or MLB TV. Many VPNs do not appreciate these activities (which might be in violation of terms of support or even local laws) and content providers like Netflix are also cracking down on users who spoof their location and the VPN services they use to perform it.
There’s a Fantastic opportunity Which you might not have ever laid hands on a VPN before. Don’t worry if that is true! We have got an entire feature on the best way to set up and use a VPN. Hidemyass Speed Guide
VPN Protocols
There are several techniques to make a VPN connection. My Preferred method employs the OpenVPN protocol, which is famous for its speed and reliability. It’s also open minded, and therefore has been chosen over for possible vulnerabilities by anyone with the interest to do so.
Hide My Ass uses OpenVPN on Windows, using an older version Of the app that supports L2TP, and PPTP, also. There are also two distinct versions of this macOS app which, taken collectively, support IPSec (IKEv1 and v2), L2TP, and PPTP. Be aware that these old versions of the app are being phased out from the developer. The iOS version uses just IPSec, along with the Android app uses only OpenVPN.
That is a bit of a hodgepodge, and I am disappointed that Hide My Ass does not offer OpenVPN on all platforms. That said, a number of this matter is using the platforms. Apple requires developers to jump through additional hoops if they wish to include OpenVPN in an app, but a lot of them are beginning to move in that way. I would like to see Hide My Ass do the same, across the board.
Your Privacy With Hide My Ass
With any security product, you want to be sure that the Business behind it’s going to be operating on your best interests. This is particularly true for VPNs, which are intended to improve privacy and safety. If a VPN company is simply as nosey as your ISP, there’s not much point in using it.
When I examine VPNs, ” I read the company’s privacy policy And speak with representatives to be able to better understand how your data is used and stored. In the case of Hide My Ass, the company should be praised on its clear privacy policy. It states that Hide My Ass logs your username, the timestamp of connection and disconnection, the amount of information transmitted, your actual IP address, and the IP address of the host you connected to. This is not radically different from what is offered by other providers. In fact, it’s very similar to Golden Frog VyprVPN’s policy.
What is notable is that Hide My Ass Will store this data for two to three weeks, while VyprVPN stores it for only 30 days. Other services hold even less information, or they eliminate it immediately. Hide My Ass says that it retains this data for this particular time period in order to enhance performance, prevent fraud, and stop bad guys from using the VPN to send spam. The company, especially, also lists file sharing as one of the illegal actions it takes this information to stop, despite the company being fine with the use of BitTorrent on certain servers.
It might be possible that this information could be used To correlate an individual’s identity to particular activity on the internet, but it will likely be very hard. In spite of this information, an audience would have to know which VPN host to watch then compare this activity from Hide My Ass’s logs, and have the ability to parse out the target’s traffic from everybody else using the exact same server.
The Hide My Ass privacy policy also clearly says that it Does not track or store the real content of your internet activity. So, the support isn’t looking at your sites or the documents that you are downloading. That’s great, and exactly what you want to hear by a VPN company.
Before, some VPN companies monetized users by Injecting ads in their internet traffic. Hide My Ass says it doesn’t do this, and goes much farther. A company representative explained to me the firm doesn’t gain from user data at all.
The actual place of a VPN company also issues, as it Can inform what protections are given to clients. Hide My Ass works under the legal jurisdiction of England and Wales, also gets its own company headquarters in London. Notably, the UK at large does have data retention laws. That’s not perfect. Other VPN services operate in countries without data retention laws, or in ones which have positive privacy protections for consumers. Hidemyass Speed Guide
I don’t believe it is likely to make a determination About the benefits of a company based on its place. It is very important to understand the laws and policies at work in a company with this kind of intimate access. I encourage readers to consider this information, and pick a VPN service.
Programs and Server Locations
A Vital differentiator between VPN services is the number of Servers and their distribution. A great deal of servers means you are more likely to find a server that’s not bogged down with other users. For its part, Hide My Ass has a very respectable 876 servers in its disposal. Nevertheless, Personal Internet accessibility, NordVPN, and TorGuard VPN have over 3,000 servers. These are my benchmarks for robustness in the VPN server category.
Geographic distribution of these servers can be very important. A great deal of locations means more to pick from for purposes, but also ensures that no matter where you travel there will always be a server for your very best performance. Hide My Ass has a very impressive server places across some 220 nations. It’s easily the broadest record among the VPN providers I have reviewed.
The list of server places that were accessible offered by Hide My Ass is noteworthy since places often ignored by VPN companies are covered by it. It has, as an instance, server places that are numerous throughout the continent of Africa–a rarity among VPN businesses. It maintains servers in China, Russia, and Turkey, which have especially repressive net policies.
Some customers might be concerned about a VPN company’s Usage of servers. These are software-defined servers which make servers that are several are effectively operated as by a single physical server. Virtual servers can also be configured to act as if they are in 1 state when they’re in a different, which is an issue if you are concerned about where your information is traveling.
A company representative told me that a complete 225 of the 286 server locations offered by Hide My Ass are all servers. Only 61 of the host locations are hardware, and 450 of Hide My Ass’s 876 servers are all virtual. That is far beyond other services. NordVPN, Private Internet Access, TunnelBear, IPVanish, and TorGuard only use infrastructure.
A company representative explained to me that bulk of the Company’s physical server infrastructure is located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Miami, New York, Prague, Seattle, and Singapore. This doesn’t quite jibe with what Hide My Ass lists on its site. I’d love to see future versions of Hide My Ass be clearer about when you’re connected to a virtual server.
Setup and interface
Obtaining Started with Hide My Ass! Is super simple and the upgraded apps are very user-friendly. You’ll be given a license key, As soon as you register for your account. It is possible to use your own credentials (password and username ) to log into any app. With the aim of this inspection, we’ve tested out the Windows client as well as the iOS app. Hidemyass Speed Guide
Desktop
Once you’ve Logged in and launched the desktop , you’ll be greeted with the Success! screen. Simply click Got It! To get the app’s screen. Here you have three choices for modes: Location Mode, Immediate Mode, and Freedom Mode.
In Immediate Mode, you can click on the arrow And you’re going to be connected to the fastest server for your existing site.
In Location manner, which can be chosen by you You connect to. Click on Change Location to view your options. There is a listing which allows you to select servers based on various criteria. All will show you an state listing. Clicking on the arrow will show you specific locations within that nation.
Quick Access shows you a list of servers you have Recently linked to, as well as some choices. Streaming will give you a selection of two servers suitable for unblocking popular streaming services such as Netflix, one in the united states and one in the united kingdom.
Peer to Peer shows You all that allow filesharing. Finally, there’s the Favorites option; to mark a server as a popular, the center can click .
Going back To the main screen, the one other option here is Freedom Mode, which is targeted at users who wish to bypass censorship. This mode will connect you to a host in the nearest country that is regarded as free of censorship.
You can Get into the Settings by clicking on the menu icon at the top left corner of the main screen and selecting Preferences. Here, you will see three tabs: General, Network Security, and Kill Switch. In the Generalscreen, you may change your startup options, such as beginning when your pc turn on or if the app starts.
You also Have a Private Privacy section housing one option that relates to Quick Access in Location Mode. If you would like to conceal your recent history, then you can uncheck the box.
Next, We’ve got the Network Security screen in which you can choose settings for wifi protection that is automatic. It is also possible to turn on the IP shuffle feature making it harder for somebody to detect your location by periodically changing your IP address. One option in this display lets you utilize TCP using OpenVPN. This is only recommended if UDP is blocked or throttled. TCP is more secure, but UDP is typically faster.
The Last tab will be the Kill tab, so that it works for many applications, where you can toggle on this feature. You decide whether to use it and can even add single software.
This Is a fairly robust program and it is definitely both visually pleasing and searchable.
Mobile
Many Providers will have a mobile program that’s unrecognizable compared to the desktop version. However, HMA! Has streamlined its product, and the iOS app looks nearly like the Windows version.
Once you’re Logged in, you’ll get to the main screen, which is exactly like the main display in the program. Here you can choose from Location Mode Immediate Mode, or Freedom Mode.
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The Only real difference is that if you select Location Mode, your choices are presented in another manner. You have three tabs: Nations, Cities, and Favorites, but lacking are the additional options found in the desktop client, such as Streaming, Peer to Peer, and speedy Access.
To Get into the streaming servers from the program, you’ll need to go to the Cities listing and locate the Liberty Island server beneath US, New York. Even the UK Town server can be located on this listing for access to BBC iPlayer and UK Netflix.
Moving on, The settings for the app can be retrieved by clicking the menu icon at the top corner of this screen and select Settings. There you’ve got two options: Private privacy and Connection Rules.
In The Link Rules segment, you can correct wifi security preferences and choose whether to auto reconnect when wifi or mobile connections are interrupted.
The Personal solitude department has 1 option: Share usage data with third parties for analytics, which will be your permission to”allow app and device usage information to be shared with third parties for analytics.” Bear in mind that this is permitted by default so it may be among the first things you wish to turn off.
Overall, This is a sleek and intuitive program, but some users may be missing extra features like a kill button and also the option to change protocols.
Servers and performance
The Hide My Ass! Network comprises over 850 servers covering over 190 nations. A number of them are virtual servers, but a consumer support representative was unable to tell us how many. Hidemyass Speed Guide
As we Discussed previously, HMA offers many options for selecting the right server, including different styles and the ability to mark servers as favorites. Servers that allow P2P are indicated with a P2P emblem.
We analyzed Various servers for performance in also the UK and the US in terms of downloading, streaming, and browsing. Aside from there being a noticeable lag in page loading times when attached with a UK server, In general, when surfing, there were no issues. This isn’t uncommon for distant remote servers (the evaluations were carried out in Toronto, Canada), but might be bothersome, particularly for users who have already slow net rates.
We did not See any lag or streaming while streaming 1080p using any of those test servers and could play online games with no difficulties.
HideMyAss! and Netflix
Hide My Ass! unblocks Netflix! But do not expect to link to any Waiter and go. When we tested servers that are random using US Netflix using the client, we had no chance. But if you choose the Streaming choice from the dropdown inside Location Mode, you’ll see two options: a US host (USA, New York, Liberty Island) and a UK server (UK, Donkey Town). Note that in the program that is cell, you’ll have to obtain these.
Connecting To Netflix server gave us access to the US without difficulty. Linking to the UK one allowed access to UK Netflix as well as BBC iPlayer. Many providers just focus on providing US Netflix access, so it is refreshing to see one that strives to give access to the UK library too. What is more, BBC iPlayer is seriously cracking down on VPN use, so the ability to unblock this service is a nice perk.
If you are You might have to go everywhere. HMA! Is having difficulty unblocking this support at a customer care representative and this time informed us that there is no estimated timeframe for when it might be functioning .
HideMyAss! in China?
Hide My Ass! Doesn’t work in China. It used to, but recent HMA! Responses in support forums have suggested that the service will work for a few users. You can try your luck, but you’d best look elsewhere if you want a China VPN.
HideMyAss! Speed test performance
For any VPN That can be used with our evaluation procedures, speed tests which have been designed to be as empirical as you can are run by us. We use a evaluation server to connect to VPN servers in Australia, the United Kingdom, the Usa, Hong Kong, and Germany. For every place, we download a test file (50MB in size) from a US server. This is done four times per day. The average speed for each test is listed along with the aggregate data is displayed.
You can view From the easy chart below HMA! Compares to the other VPN services we’ve been testing. While it doesn’t have the fastest rates, it’s close to the front of the pack in regards to median rates.
You can see that the spread in outcomes is not as tight as a number of the additional test VPNs by clicking the comprehensive tab. This usually means you might observe some inconsistency in regards to speeds.
It is Important to note that these tests are not definitive and may serve as an overall indication of the performance you might see. The volatility of the internet adds a significant factor of randomness. What is more, you will probably see perhaps smaller or larger disagreements, and more wait times using a slow link. Hidemyass Speed Guide
Customer Services
If you need Any help while setting up or using the service, HMA! Includes a couple of alternatives for you. Clicking the Help tab on the website, you’ll find a Getting Started section along with a Knowledge Base. These each house articles associated with setting up questions. So before searching for other options, that you might want to explore both there is a crossover.
Additionally, You’ll locate. This is segregated into different subjects; while some are recently active some appear to be out of date. There are a number of general FAQs.
If you do not Find what you’re looking for, or you just need a response, you can click the live chat button at the base right-hand corner of the screen. The service is prompt and educated, and agents were able to solve. At one stage, a representative advised he would escalate the issue and was not able to answer some safety questions. This was responded to in.
Safety and privacy
Hide My Ass! Is based in the UK, which means it is subject to data retention legislation. The UK can be a Five Eyes (and Fourteen Eyes) country, so it’s part of an alliance which allows tracking by outside authorities. Plus, it’s home to the Snooper’s Charter which imposes regulations on British ISPs that affect user privacy.
For many VPNs, data retention laws in their home country are not really a problem. That is because they function with a real policy that is no-logs where no visitors or connection logs are kept by them. They can’t be tied to an individual user, even when they do maintain link logs.
Regrettably, HMA! Is not among these VPNs and has a privacy policy that many users will discover off-putting. For one, while using the service, you can expect your IP address will be logged, along with the amount of data and timestamps used. This is a for VPNs in general. The fact is that information can and has been used to trace the activity of people, Though an IP address is considered to be personally identifiable information. IP addresses are used in cases to help find and convict criminals. We’re pro-privacy while we certainly don’t condone actions that are criminal, and it simply doesn’t cut. Hidemyass Speed Guide
Moreover, Hide My Ass! Telephones the VPN IP address Attached to a session. Here is the IP address when you visit it that a site operator can view and record. Since the real and VPN IP addresses are logged, involving the finish and VPN website logs, it would technically be possible to piece together all of an individual’s online activity. You might have seen news of a 2011 FBI case involving HMA! Where it passed over logs that were used to track down a hacker that is LulzSec. This is a marker for privacy.
1 way to Make this less of a problem and to perhaps confuse things a bit is to make the most of this IP address shuffle attribute. When enabled in the Network Security screen of the app, this periodically switches outside your IP address for another one. It would not make you untraceable but may put in a layer of obfuscation.
Privacy Issues aside, on the safety front, Hide My Ass! Fares pretty well. It uses. This is in combination with RSA keys and perfect forward secrecy. It employs exactly the protocol UDP by default, but you can change to TCP inside the desktop client. PPTP, L2TP, IPSec are also available, depending on what app you are using.
The background versions boast an Integrated kill button which can be tailored To work for programs. A kill button will kill the internet connection should the VPN link drop for some reason. This feature isn’t available in the mobile programs
A live chat Customer service representative advised us that there is not any DNS leak protection. But a different firm representative promised us that there is actually DNS and IPv6 leak security, but no WebRTC leak protection. When the service was analyzed by us for leaks, we did not observe any DNS leak problems aside from leaks that are WebRTC. HMA! Whereas ones will be preferable from a privacy standpoint, does use public DNS servers.
One handy Feature that Hide My Ass! Offers is automatic wifi security, which can be customized in the in the Network Security part of their client or the Connection Rules tab of the app that is mobile settings.
Features and pricing
Hide My Ass! Offers one merchandise with prices varying depending on the length of term you register for. It’s definitely not among the providers which might be an immediate turnoff for some users. A 12-month planwill put you back $6.99 per month, which can be higher than the normal cost for a similar duration. What is more, a great deal of VPN providers that are top will offer a protracted plan; for instance, a two- or three-year term with steeper discounts. Hidemyass Speed Guide
If You are not prepared to sign up to get a one-year term yet, HMA! Does offer a six-month plan for $7.99 a month or you could cover a monthly basis for $11.99 a month. These prices are a little above average if you compare to competitors.
Payment Options include UnionPay, PayPal, and major credit cards. Regrettably bitcoin along with other cryptocurrencies are not viable payment procedures. There is a money-back guarantee, so if you’re not entirely satisfied with the service, you’ll have your payment deducted.
So what do You get for the money? Hide My Ass! Has a community of over 850 servers in over 180 nations. Some are dedicated to accessing streaming sites and specific servers allow P2P filesharing (read: torrenting). All plans have unlimited bandwidth and you can join up to five devices. Programs are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android. The VPN can be manually configured with a few routers and Linux. Routers are available as an alternate.
From a Security perspective, HMA! Provides perfect forward secrecy encryption wifi security, and the desktop apps include a kill switch. On the other hand, the logging coverage issues which plagued the ceremony in the past stay, so privacy is a problem.
Conclusion
For the most part, HMA! Offers a fantastic support. It’s infinite bandwidth, fast speeds, and an adequate network of servers. It’s in a position to unblock streaming services like Netflix UK Netflix US, and BBC iPlayer. Additionally, it gives strong security, programs, and superb customer care.
On the Surface, it seems like HMA! Would be a fantastic option for torrenters, without a data Caps and some servers acceptable for P2P. The problems with the solitude Policy are a concern for those looking to torrent, as well as any other privacy-conscious users. This is the only for this Provider, but it is a large one. Other issues include the inability to work Reliably in China and also the price tag. Hidemyass Speed Guide
Click here to sign up for Hide My Ass! Today!