HideIPVPN

HideIPVPN is a personal VPN service that is easy to use, hides your online activity from eavesdroppers, and allows you to spoof your IP address to view content that is restricted to certain geographic areas. VPN technology encrypts all traffic leaving the computer online and ensures data remains hidden from third parties even when on an open wireless network. It has a nice balance of basic features and advanced capabilities, and most users will find the pricing plan that fits their needs.

I downloaded the Windows installer appropriate for my operating system from the website and was up and running within minutes. HideIPVPN supports Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, and iOS devices, which is still unusual in this space. Users can also use the VPN credentials to set up proxy servers within the Web browser and other applications, such as Skype.

Like Private Internet Access, the service also has custom instructions for users interested in installing the service on non-standard hardware, but at the moment the list includes only the Nokia N900 and a network router running the popular (and hackable) DD-WRT firmware. All in all, it is a solid VPN service to consider, so long as you don't need servers outside Germany, the Netherlands, the United States, and United Kingdom. There is also a "Canada-only" plan.

A Refresher on How VPN Services Work
Your Internet service provider assigns your computer an IP address. A geo-location lookup reveals the geographic location of the ISP or the data center containing the server assigning the address. Anyone can perform this lookup and estimate your location. There have also been recent cases when the courts forced Internet companies and ISPs to hand over user information when presented with the IP address.

With a VPN service, users hide in plain sight, as the assigned IP address comes from a server stored in a data center somewhere else.

The service creates an encrypted tunnel between the computer and the destination website or network, and all data flows through that tunnel. Even if you are using a coffee-shop hotspot, you can log into your email or access other accounts without worrying about someone eavesdropping or intercepting data. It's important to remember that the data is only protected while in transit; if the destination site is not using HTTPS, that part of the connection is unencrypted. Anyone who is sitting at that point of exit can see and harvest that information, and there are fairly complicated timing algorithms out there to identify user activity.

Pricing Plans
Similar to many of its competitors, HideIPVPN uses OpenVPN SSL technology to create its encrypted tunnel, although SSTP and PPTP connections are also possible. Users can buy packages giving them access to a pool of IP addresses only in one specific country (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, or Germany) for just $5.99 a month, or buy a bundled plan to access servers in up to four countries, the US, UK, the Netherlands, and Germany, for $9.99.? The most comprehensive plan, including all four countries, is $14.99, which puts it slightly on the pricier end among other VPN services.

Most VPN services block users from using peer-to-peer services or accessing files via BitTorrent while connected. Offenders usually get blocked from the service. HideIPVPN treats the problem slightly differently. Instead of blocking the users entirely, the company offers a dedicated P2P/BitTorrent plan for $7.99, where users connect to Dutch and German servers and start downloading. Users can easily upgrade or downgrade the plan each month.

Users interested in trying out the service before buying can download the trial, which is capped at three hours of usage. It would have been nice to see a more full-fledged trial version, especially since three hours online (that's three hours after creating the account, not three hours of usage) is pretty limiting. The free trial version does allow users to connect to any of the servers in US, UK, Netherlands and Germany, although all P2P and BitTorrent activity remains restricted to Dutch and German networks. It appears there are eight servers available in each region.

Getting Started
I tried out HideIPVPN on a trip, as well as from a local coffeeshop and on our testing network. Performance and the available features are on par with similar offerings, even though some of its advanced features nudge HideIPVPN into the top tier of VPN services.

HideIPVPN sent me a VPN username and password after I registered my email address with the site. The step-by-step instructions for HideIPVPN clearly lay out the process for the newest users. Since HideIPVPN supports the OpenVPN protocol, the installer also adds the TAP-WIN32 adapter, in the same way as VPN Direct and ProXPN installed the adapter?Next: Using HideIPVPN, Performance

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