Norton Secure VPN Review

When it comes to ad-blocking, many users will be happy to know that it can successfully block ads. The mobile apps have dedicated ad blockers, both on iOS and Android. That means they can effortlessly play games without worrying about being interrupted by ads. 

In addition to this feature, Norton Secure VPN comes with an ad-tracking blocker. This feature allows you to block ad trackers, which are cookies used by advertisers to track your online activity. This is especially helpful if you want to reduce the number of targeted ads. By stopping ad-tracking cookies, Norton VPN prevents those annoying ads to a great extent and enables a faster browsing experience in the process. 

When picking a VPN service, it’s really important to ensure it has a strong no-logging policy. Norton VPN advertises its strong privacy policy, but how much of it applies in practice? One big issue with this is that Norton VPN has US-based jurisdiction which indicates that not all information is treated the same. 

It won’t store some key information like the information about DNS requests, browsing history, cookies, and which websites you visit. In that sense, you can say your browsing experience will be anonymous. However, some information such as device name, version number of your operating system, language, and some other information may be logged. 

Norton VPN won’t store your IP address, but it can access it which helps collect usage data and identify whether your subscription is active or not. 

Norton Secure VPN boasts various security and encryption features. It utilizes 256-bit AES encryption which is also known as military-grade encryption to protect the data transmitted over the network. Up until recently, Norton VPN supported only the Wireguard VPN protocol which prioritized speed. Now, Norton VPN also supports OpenVPN protocol which allows you to choose whether you want to prioritize speed (UDP protocol) or security (TCP protocol.)

This VPN features a kill switch and split tunnel that shuts down the internet access if the VPN connection drops. This feature helps prevent data leakage. Finally, there’s DNS and WebRTC leak protection to prevent the leakage of DNS queries and real-time communication data. 

The most basic package for Norton VPN starts at a little over $4 for one device per month (effectively). You can choose whether you want to cover 5 or up to 10 devices. Keep in mind that you can’t subscribe to Norton VPN every month. Instead, you need to subscribe for the entire year. Luckily, Norton often hosts discounts, so you can get it for cheaper. Check the table for a breakdown of prices. 

The above prices are without discount, but at the time of writing this article, all plans are available with a big discount. These discounts are available often so you may be able to save more money with Norton VPN compared to other VPN services which are usually pricier.

Norton Secure VPN supports torrenting. However, you need to be careful when torrenting using this VPN service because its capabilities are somewhat limited compared to other VPN services. For instance, it only provides basic torrenting support by connecting the users to regions where torrenting is permitted and not legally regulated, but not much beyond that. 

If you’re a frequent torrent user, you may want to subscribe to some other premium VPN providers such as NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Norton VPN also provides peer-to-peer (P2P) support which allows P2P traffic on all its servers. That makes it suitable for torrenting, but keep in mind that it lacks features such as port-forwarding or SOCKS5, which would allow faster downloads. That makes it a less desirable option for torrenting.  

Keep in mind that torrenting can be illegal depending on the jurisdiction and nature of the content being shared. Some countries have strict laws against torrenting, especially when it involves the sharing of copyrighted materials without authorization. This article serves to share information and doesn’t promote torrenting of copyrighted material. 

Norton Secure VPN IP addresses are located in 28 to 31 countries around the world and in over 70 cities. There are servers in around 19 countries in Europe, 3 countries in Asia, and around 4 servers in the Americas continents alone. It’s worth noting that there’s a bit of variance in the total count of countries. 

Servers are mostly located in The United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, Brazil, and other countries. They have a wide range, meaning you’ll be able to access them in a range of locations around the world. Unfortunately, one downside of this VPN provider is that it can’t be accessed in China or India, due to strict regulation and censorship practices.  

Many people choose Norton VPN because they’d like to access streaming platforms such as Netflix US, UK, or other locations. Let’s see how Norton VPN copes with geographical restrictions. 

It can access Netflix US, but it will struggle and may not be able to stream all TV shows or movies that you’d want to test. There was a bit more luck with Netflix UK, but the program still struggled with unlocking all TV shows or movies. 

The good news is that it can access Netflix on other locations, as well as BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and HBO Max. That said, if you travel and subscribe to the aforementioned streaming platforms, you can watch your favorite TV shows and movies without a problem. 

Gaming Performance

Norton VPN can be a decent VPN provider if you’re into gaming. If you play on your mobile device, Norton VPN won’t hinder your speed and will provide you with a seamless experience, while also helping you block out ads.

If you have a decent internet connection and bandwidth, you can also enjoy playing online games on your PC while maintaining anonymity. It’s worth noting that if you connect to some of the servers overseas, expect some speed drop and some high ping.

In this section, we’ll discuss whether Norton VPN is difficult to install and use. We’ll explore how beginner-friendly it is too. 

How Easy Is It to Set Up?

Norton Secure VPN is considered easy to set up, especially if you have used other Norton products. All you have to do is download the app and install it. The same applies if you’re downloading the mobile apps for it. Let the system install the app, and it’s pretty much plug-and-play from that point on. 

Platform Compatibility

Norton VPN is available on a lot of platforms. Unfortunately, it’s not available on systems running the Linux operating system and its related distributions. Nevertheless, it will work on all other desktop and mobile platforms. With that in mind, you can access Norton Secure VPN on:

• Windows
• MacOS
• Android
• iOS

Browser Compatibility and Extensions Available

Norton VPN is available on all popularly used browsers including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. It also comes with several extensions that can be used with Norton’s other security products.

• Norton Safe Web: Helps check the safety of websites before they’re visited.
• Norton Password Manager: Available with Norton Security Suite and works as a secure vault for storing your passwords.
• Norton Family: Parental control for children helps make sure children visit websites that aren’t harmful or malicious for them. 

Norton offers a myriad of products, which is why navigating through its customer support can be difficult. There’s 24/7 phone support, live chat support, and email support. All services are at your disposal 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which is great if you have some urgent issue.

There’s also an online form through which users can submit their information for fast help and community forums where users can seek help from the Norton community. Finally, there are video tutorials and help centers but they’re more focused on Norton’s other products.

In addition to a range of high-quality security products, Norton Secure VPN is a great option if you’d like to protect your browsing activity affordably. Even though it has some shortcomings like speed and log policy issues, it’s still a great option that will maintain your anonymity and security.