Providing the highest standard of protection for users privacy is at the core of AirVPNs service. Since this VPN was established by a group of hacktivists and civil liberties activists who met at a pirate festival in Rome, a strong commitment to online freedom and privacy can be expected from them. AirVPN offers top encryption and impressive security that aims to keep your information safe against surveillance from government organizations or eavesdropping from large corporations and other parties.
Apart from acting as a valuable tool to defend your privacy, AirVPN also helps you to overcome online censorship and other restrictions, allowing you to access websites and media content freely. In this review, well present the most important aspects about this Italian VPN provider so that you can decide if AirVPN is the solution that you are looking for.
Privacy and Security
AirVPN leaves out weak protocols like PPTP and it only supports OpenVPN, which is widely considered as the most secure option available. Furthermore, AirVPN has implemented Perfect Forward Secrecy to ensure that OpenVPn remains safe. Since it is possible to connect to internet using OpenVPN over SSL and SSH tunneling, you can hide that the fact that a VPN is in place. Connecting through SSH/SSL tunnels helps to ensure that the use of a VPN is not detected and will allow you to avoid issues caused by deep packet inspections. While speed can be affected, the advantage of this setting is that is is very effective to tackle censorship, even in countries in which internet is heavily monitored.
When it comes to encryption, AirVPN uses 4096-bit Diffie-Hellman keys that are regularly refreshed and the client gives you the option to choose how often they should be updated. Online traffic is also secured with AES-256-CBC Data Channel and HMAC SHA1 Control Channel. The fact that AirVPN uses separate entry and exit IP addresses through each server, enhances the protection for customers. Additionally, the provider offers the option to set up the VPN service through Tor.
VPN through Tor is a great solution to make privacy protection even stronger, although it should be notes that it affects the speed of your connection. Tor is ideal for keeping your anonymity intact and using it in combination with VPN, offers an effective way to defeat censorship and ensure that your privacy is not compromised. Another reason why AirVPN is chosen by many privacy concerned users is the fact that it doesnt keep logs. Although the provider is based in Italy, which is known for cooperating with organizations like the NSA and the GCHQ, providers in Italy are not required to keep any logs and AirVPN is committed to protect the privacy of its customers and to contest any requests for information.
Features
With AirVPN you can enjoy unlimited traffic without time or speed restrictions and the use of IP addresses will contribute to keep your identity concealed. P2P is allowed in their network and their dynamic Remote Port Forwarding feature is designed to improve P2P performance and will allow you to deal with restrictions imposed by your ISP. Since up to three simultaneous connections are supported, you can connect securely to internet using your home computer, your smartphone and your tablet at the same time.
You also get access to comprehensive servers statistics and real-time reports on the status of the network. AirVPN supports DNS routing, which is ideal for bypassing geo-location restrictions. It double-hops your connection through internal servers, allowing you to overcome blocks applied by streaming services. With DNS routing, even if you are connected to a VPN server that is not located in the UK or the US, you will be able to access streaming applications that only work in those countries.
As previously mentioned, AirVPN also offers VPN throug Tor, which means that you can connect first to the Tor Network and then to the VPN service. If you opt for this setting along with an anonymous payment method, you can make sure that your identity remains concealed. VPN through Tor is ideal for users who aim for anonymity as it brings together the advantages of VPN and Tor, allowing you to keep your privacy protected.
We had also noted that AirVPN supports SSL and SSH tunneling, which is an effective solution for users who live in countries in which strict control over internet is applied. Although some countries have opted for blocking VPNs, this feature helps to disguise OpenVPN traffic, making it look like regular SSL traffic, which is difficulty to block. In addition, remote port forwarding is available, which is a practical option for games servers and self-hosted websites.
Servers
At the moment, AirVPN has servers in 15 countries including Canada, France, United States, Ukraine, Spain, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Singapore. The geographical coverage seems limited when compared to other providers, but it includes some of the most popular locations. Although the majority of servers are located in Europe, there are options available in Asia and America as well. The website features reports that allow you to see the status of the servers so that you can choose the one that suits your needs. In general, you can expect great speed results when using AirVPN and the DNS leak tests didnt show any issues in this regard.
Plans
AirVPN doesnt offer a free trial, but for just €1 (just above $1 USD), you can use the service with all its features for three days. This will allow you to test AirVPN and find out what it offers without committing to a full subscription. If you choose one month of service, the cost is €7 (almost $8), three months cost €15 (nearly $17), the six-month plan is priced at €30 (just over $32) and the yearly plan is available for €54, which is less than $60. If you choose the yearly plan, you can save money as the monthly cost is reduced to €4.50, which is roughly $5 USD. Bitcoin is one of the methods of payment supported.
Customer Support
The website presents a great deal of information, but the main problem is that the language used tends to be too technical, which may put off new users. However, the FAQ and particularly, the forums, offer useful details about the service and about VPNs in general. Plus, it is clear that the AirVPN representatives are highly professional and knowledgeable and they are prepared to answer even the most complex questions. They can be reached by email using the web form ticket system. Although there is no live chat and the responses to the tickets can be delayed, you can expect detailed and helpful answers in most cases.
Conclusion
Although AirVPN offers less server locations than other popular options, its strength lays in security and a solid privacy policy. The features available are designed to enhance the security of your connection and to keep your privacy safeguarded. AirVPN is fast and reliable and you can use it to browse, stream and download content without hassle. However, since the language used on the website tends to be complex, it is probably an option that would suit better users with some previous experience with VPN service.
