UnblockUs is an unusual service that is
slightly different to regular services, because it’s not actually a VPN. Few
details are given on the website, so it’s hard to discover how it actually
works. It’s configured by changing the DNS addresses on the computer to custom
ones run by UblockUs. This can either be done manually or by downloading a
small utility on the computer for those not sufficiently knowledgeable to do it
themselves. There isn’t any software to install, because UnblockUs appears to
do something unusual with DNS requests, which is a sort of lookup service to
turn URLs of websites into IP addresses. When you access a site like Netflix,
Hulu, Pandora and others that stream video and audio to US residents, it
appears as if you are located in the US. A major benefit of UnblockUs is that
it is possible to configure a router with the DNS settings and then any device
in your home such as a PC, tablet or smartphone would automatically use the
service. Also, many such devices can be individually set up to use UnblockUs’s
DNS servers.
UnblockUs
works in a unique way, and it has no software to install. Sign up online
Another advantages is that because your
network traffic doesn’t go through a third-party network, there are no
bandwidth limitations and no loss of speed. The PC communicates directly with
the web server, so it’s fast and unlimited, but the downside is that only a
couple of dozen US websites and services are supported. Admittedly, they are
the most popular ones that most people would want to access, but it’s still
limited. If a site is not on the list, then it won’t work and you will appear
to be located in the UK as usual. There doesn’t appear to be any encryption, so
it would be possible to eavesdrop and monitor what you’re doing on the internet
and there isn’t the malware protection that you get with services like Hotspot
Shield. A similar service to UnblockUS is UnoTelly, and it’s also worth
checking out if you’re looking for a DNS-based unblocking service.
Boxpn costs $45 a year (just over $3.2 a month),
which isn’t much to pay for a VPN service. It offers some useful extras and for
just 62p a month it will monitor network traffic and filter out any malware.
This does not mean that you can do away with the anti-virus software on your
computer, but it does add an extra layer of protection for very little money.
Another useful extra is the addition of an Android or iOS smartphone or tablet
to your account for $1.98 a month.
There isn’t any software to install on the
computer, and after signing up and creating a Boxpn account at the website, you
simply add a new network connection by going to the Network and Sharing Center
in the Windows Control Panel. You’ve probably never noticed before, but Windows
supports VPNs and has an option when creating an internet connection to specify
a VPN. You simply enter the Boxpn server address, enter your username and
password when prompted and that’s it. Clicking the network icon at the right
side of the taskbar displays network connections, and you simply choose Boxpn
whenever you need to use the VPN. It offers a secure encrypted connection, a
choice of US, UK or EU servers and unlimited bandwidth.
CyberGhost is a popular service, which
offers four different plans. It starts with a free VPN that has a limit of 1GB
a month of internet traffic and a maximum speed of 2Mbps. It’s fine if you want
to browse the web anonymously occasionally, but it only has access to free
servers, and we ended up being located in Hamburg, Germany, when we tried it,
so it wasn’t much use for accessing US sites and services. The Classic VPN plan
is much better, and it provides access to both free and premium servers around
the world for $64 a year. The price is a bit on the high side, but you do get
unlimited traffic and speed, although the speed drops after the first 20GB. The
Premium and Premium Plus plans don’t have any limits at all, so you just set it
and forget it, using it all the time.
CyberGhost
is a popular service, which offers four different plans.
The software is attractively designed and
packed with information, features and settings. Getting online is easy and you
just click a button to connect to the service. Internet traffic usage is
displayed as bars at the bottom of the window, making it easy to see how much
you’ve used. A list of servers can be displayed and there are dozens available.
Switching to a different one is straightforward and they can be seen on a world
map too. The best feature, though, is the video portal, which lists video
streaming services that can be accessed. There are comedy, crime, drama,
science-fiction and action categories. Selecting a category lists the shows
available, such as Bones, Burn Notice, Castle, Fringe and so on in the crime
category. Clicking a link takes you to the site. It isn’t a complete list, but
it’s still useful. You can always open a web browser and go to whatever site
you want, such as Netflix, Hulu and so on, and then choose the content you
want.
JustFreeVPN is a free VPN that is worth
trying. Like Boxpn, you don’t need to install any software; you just go to the
Control Panel, open Network and Sharing Center and then create a new
connection. Choose the option to create a VPN and then enter the username and
password provided on the JustFreeVPN home page. There’s a choice of three servers:
one in the US, one in the UK and one in Canada. You can set up all three
connections in Network and Sharing Center and then you can choose which one you
want to use. Just click the network icon at the right side of the taskbar.
JustFreeVPN
is a free VPN that is worth trying.
The performance is a bit on the slow side,
but it’s free and there are probably a lot of users. You need to open a couple
of ports on the firewall manually and set up port forwarding on the router, but
it’s not too difficult to do this, and the menus on modern routers are not too
difficult to get to grips with. It seems fine and since it’s free you might as
well try it and see if it meets your needs.
