Overall
-
Speed
(4.9)
-
Security
(4.8)
-
Stability
(4.6)
-
Streaming
(4.6)
-
Downloading
(4.8)
-
Brand
(5)
-
Design
(4.8)
Summary
NordVPN is a robust and speedy VPN with plenty of servers and locations, P2P optimized servers, and Double VPN make for an appealing service. It supports both WireGuard (NordLynx) and OpenVPN; speeds aren’t as fast when using OpenVPN, which is to be expected. Renewal prices are a little higher than others but overall, this is a quality VPN with all the features you need and with plenty to offer for all levels of users.
Pros
+Regularly audited to confirm no logging claims
+Unblocks most streaming services
+Excellent Split Tunneling Support
+Great speeds over most locations
+Effective kill switch
+Speedy live chat support
Cons
-Some slight connection issues on occasion.
-Above-average renewal prices
NordVPN is one of those brands you consistently hear about or see now and then, either through the radio, YouTube, or TV ads, you name it. They market well and on a global scale.
They have a vast amount of servers and locations that are reportedly very fast. The website and the apps look great but is the hype real? We will find out.
In this article, we will explore NordVPN’s network speeds.
NordVPN Features:
| Features: | |
|---|---|
| Lowest Price: | £2.89 p/m with 2 yrs upfront |
| Money Back Guarantee | 30 Days |
| Does this VPN Keep logs? | NO, proven by Audit. |
| Number of servers | 5663 |
| Countries | 59 |
| Number of devices per license | 6 |
| Kill switch | Yes |
| Dedicated IP? | Yes - Not all Locations |
| DNS, WebRTC Leak Protection? | Yes |
| Obfuscated Servers? | Yes |
| Based in country | Panama |
| Support | Live Chat, KB, Email |
| Supports Streaming? | Yes |
| Supports Torrents? | Yes - Not all Locations |
| Supports Tor In-App? | Yes |
| Audited? | Yes |
| Protocols Supported? | OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2 |
| RAM Disks? | Yes (Reportedly) |
| Port Speeds | A mixture of 1 and 10Gbps port speeds. |
| Warrant Canary? | No |
| Port Forwarding? | No |
| Should I? Yes. | Buy Now |
Network and Speeds:
For many, speed is the number one priority, latency is also significant, especially while gaming, and it seems NordVPN duly delivers. Note that speeds will vary over different protocols. Wireguard is one of the fastest VPN protocols available but can only connect over UDP, which can be problematic for some, be sure your VPN provider supports it. NordVPN does.
We tested the most common locations available, and testing was done on a reasonably powerful system through a 1 Gbit line within the UK.
Tested using a 1 Gbps line:
| Location: | Download | Upload | Latency | Protocol | ISP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA - NY | 500Mbps | 25.3Mbps | 116ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Dedipath |
| USA - Chicago | 526Mbps | 27.0Mbps | 149ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Packethub |
| USA - FL | 512Mbps | 29.7Mbps | 126ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | M247 |
| USA - LA | 515Mbps | 37.6Mbps | 172ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | M247 |
| Canada - Toronto | 526Mbps | 31.7Mbps | 149ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Packethub |
| Canada - Vancouver | 524Mbps | 35.0Mbps | 177ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Packethub |
| Argentina | 15Mbps | 4.5Mbps | 268ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Baehost |
| Mexico | 378Mbps | 34.7Mbps | 217ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Packethub |
| Brazil | 351Mbps | 18.8Mbps | 226ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Packethub |
| United Kingdom | 375Mbps | 24.7Mbps | 37ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Zare.com |
| Germany | 538Mbps | 50.1Mbps | 34ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Packethub |
| Netherlands | 524Mbps | 49.1Mbps | 56ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Packethub |
| France | 447Mbps | 49.9Mbps | 32ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | M247 |
| Sweden | 534Mbps | 49.8Mbps | 54ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | M247 |
| Italy | 525Mbps | 49.7Mbps | 56ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Datacamp Limited |
| AU - Sydney | 410Mbps | 18.3Mbps | 315ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Packethub |
| AU - Melbourne | 423Mbps | 22.0Mbps | 304ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Host Universal |
| AU - Brisbane | 449Mbps | 17.0Mbps | 319ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Ransom IT |
| Hong Kong | 355Mbps | 25.6Mbps | 282ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Packethub |
| Japan | 403Mbps | 22.5Mbps | 271ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Packethub |
| South Korea | 140Mbps | 15.24Mbps | 396ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | KT |
| South Africa | 334Mbps | 24Mbps | 258ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | Psych Networks |
| Israel | 345Mbps | 47.4Mbps | 86ms | NordLynx (Wireguard) | DataCamp |
As you can see, speeds across the board are consistently fast using NordLynx (Wireguard) except for Argentina and South Korea; Argentina is a costly and limited region, so it’s to be expected. South Korea was a little hit or a miss, and sometimes speeds had been a bit erratic, much lower or a good bit higher. OpenVPN UPD/TCP and IKEv2 were always consistently slower than NordLynx.
Each location was tested 12 times over three different protocols, servers, and providers in the same region. Each test is an average based on those.
NordVPN also provides what they call “Speciality Servers” – this includes P2P capable servers and Double VPN servers.
Double VPN servers route your traffic through two or more servers; depending on how they are set up on the server side, they can disguise the client-connecting IP and offer another layer of encryption. Again this is entirely dependent on how those servers are set up internally. There are currently around 78 servers available for Double VPN.
P2P servers appear to be optimised for downloading torrents and other P2P activities. At the time of this review, there are around 5113 P2P optimised servers in 49 locations.
Surprisingly, using both sets of servers didn’t reduce speed or latency and produced speeds similar to regular servers.
Top 3 Fastest VPNs:
| Provider: | Speed: | Stability | Purchase: |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 9/10 - Very Fast | 9/10 - Very Stable | Buy Now |
 | 9/10 - Very Fast | 9/10 - Very Stable | Buy Now |
 | 9/10 - Very Fast | 9/10 - Very Stable | Buy Now |
Good Service
The speeds have been great but sometimes my stream is a bit iffy, might just be me but all good otherwise 🙂
Did you find this review helpful? Yes No
Streaming Works
Switched from another service whos connections are extremely flaky, NordVPN works as it should.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes No