Windscribe VPN Tech Review

[deathsmear]

A virtual private network (VPN)

is a remote access technology that creates a safe and encrypted connection over a less secure network to secure your web traffic against snooping corporations, governments, and attackers.

Windscribe

Windscribe - Free VPN and Ad Block​

is one of the most trustful VPN that provide both free and paid version for all users with high efficacy with Great transparency in terms

Features

1 - Data Protection: AES-256 cipher with SHA512 auth and a 4096-bit RSA key

2- Privacy :

-Dynamic ip
-Double Hop ;Double VPN : If you have the browser extension installed while using the desktop app, you can connect to a second location which helps to further mask your traffic. However, your Internet connection get slower.

-Ad Blocker.
-Firewall:with different modes better than kill switch in other VPN.
-DNS leak protection.
-Anti-social : Strip out all Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, G+ and many other social trackers from websites you visit, that all report your activities to their individual companies.
-Split Personality - Rotates your browser's user agent every time you start your browser, which helps fight browser fingerprinting.
-Whitelist :to add website ;you trust on demand.
-Don't keep logs of your activity, your ISP assigned IP, or any metadata except for your bandwidth usage in a 30 day period. The record of your connection is discarded within 3 minutes of you disconnecting.

3- servers:45 pro & 8 free.

4- VPN Protocol: UDP,TCP & Stealth ( TCP protocol via Stunnel ).

5- Cross Devices Support.

6- Unlimited Devices for one pro account with unlimited bandwidth.
1 device and 10 Gb bandwidth for free account.

7- Optimal speed through Cruise Control: is a unique feature that automatically connects you to the best server which is closest to you

8- Browser extension for better performance.

9- Secure.link generator : Secure.link is a separate service operated by Windscribe. It works in a similar fashion to a URL shortening service, where you create a unique URL that points to any webpage of your choice.windscribe will scan it and give a "Privacy Score", which grades (from A to F, just like in school) the destination page in terms of how invasive it is with tracking practices.

Q & A After Testing​

Is it simple in use? YES

simple regular windows installation
login with your data or begin with free account creation
simply choose location and go.
check video for further details


Is it effective in hiding my IP? YES ; Very Effective.

Is there an internet speed affection using?

YES , Don't Panic ------- It Increased

 

[In2an3_PpG]

Nice review. Currently using Windscribe myself and i believe its one of the best on the market.

 

[Fritz]

Potent privacy… check
No logs… check
Location Canada… click… "Windscribe VPN client has been successfully removed."

 

[deathsmear]

Nice review. Currently using Windscribe myself and i believe its one of the best on the market.

thank you very much , it is new one but grows rapidly.

 

[deathsmear]

Potent privacy… check
No logs… check
Location Canada… click… "Windscribe VPN client has been successfully removed."

thank you for join discussion , i think using chrome extension beside application increase privacy , also The record of your connection is discarded within 3 minutes of you disconnecting better than other VPN who keep log

 

[Fritz]

better than other VPN who keep log

I agree. But we're talking about a country that's part of the Five Eyes and I highly doubt Canada doesn't have its own equivalent of a National Security Letter. Combine that with a gag order and nothing will become public while a handful of agencies merrily siphons off any data to their hearts content. I wouldn't count on the owners to not comply and proudfully go to jail because you pay them 5$/mo., either.

Thanks, but no, thanks. The world is filled to the brim with offshore locations where you can incorporate for a handful of $$$. Why they would register a VPN business in the U.S./Canada et.al. is beyond me.

 

[Arequire]

I highly doubt Canada doesn't have its own equivalent of a National Security Letter. Combine that with a gag order and nothing will become public while a handful of agencies merrily siphons off any data to their hearts content. I wouldn't count on the owners to not comply and proudfully go to jail because you pay them 5$/mo., either.

If a government agency is willing to go through the effort to obtain and serve a NSL on a VPN provider then chances are the person using that VPN is doing something illegal enough to get the agency's attention. They aren't serving NSLs against people who use their VPN to bypass Netflix's region lock or torrent GoT episodes. All VPN providers also clearly state that their service is not to be abused or used for illegal activity and that they will cooperate with law enforcement if they have evidence of said illegal activity.
I'll let a VPN provider explain it more clearly:

Our VPN service and VPN services in general are not designed to be used to commit illegal activity. It is very naive to think that by paying a subscription fee to a VPN service you are free to break the law without any consequences. This includes certain hardcore privacy services which claim you will never be identified, these types of services that do not cooperate are more likely to have their entire VPN network monitored and tapped by law enforcement, thus affecting all legitimate customers.

Being able to locate abusive users is imperative for the survival of operating a VPN service, if you can not take action to prevent abuse you risk losing server contracts with the underlying upstream providers that empower your network. Common abuse can be anything from spam to fraud, and more serious cases involve terrorism and child porn. The main type of logging is session logging – this is simply logging when a customer connects and disconnects from the server, this identifies who was connected to X IP address at X time, this is what we do and all we do. Some providers choose not to do session logging and instead try to locate the abusive customer by using the intelligence from the complaint, for example if someone hacks XYZ.com they may monitor traffic to XYZ.com and log which customers have a connection to this website. Ask yourself this: if a provider claims not to do any form of logging, but is able to locate abusive customers, how are they able to do this without any form of logging?

 

[Fritz]

Yes @Arequire, all that is a given of course. Shielding customers that commit crimes from murder to genocide from prosecution isn't usually covered in the ToS.

Rest assured that actions following the equivalent of a National Security Letter aren't applied with restraint in mind. They grab everything by the boatload and ask questions later. Which leads to everybody and their mother getting caught in the same net. Might wanna talk to former Megaupload customers who still haven't gotten perfectly legal data back.

Hence, this isn't about the occasional whackjob who deserves punishment. It's about my data. Whether I write an e-mail to my granny applauding her apple pie from last Sunday or deal with a customer I expect the intended recipient to read the contents and not some three-letter agency. Yes, I even seal envelopes in real life.

Since all that is a perfectly achievable by not using a high-risk country in the first place, I'll gladly do so and offer the same advice to others. To each their own, as they say. I'd just like it to be an informed decision if I can help it.

 

[Arequire]

It's about my data. Whether I write an e-mail to my granny applauding her apple pie from last Sunday or deal with a customer I expect the intended recipient to read the contents and not some three-letter agency. Yes, I even seal envelopes in real life.

I agree. I don't believe the threat of terrorism or whatever excuse governments come up with justifies mass surveillance but sadly that's the world we live in. I tried to fight it for a while after the Snowden disclosures but it just made me miserable. I'll continue to sign petitions against it and vote for those who want to repeal it but I live in a country with the 'most extreme surveillance law ever passed in a democracy' and a populous who places their physical security over their human rights so I've all but given up trying to combat it.

Since all that is a perfectly achievable by not using a high-risk country in the first place, I'll gladly do so and offer the same advice to others.

You put a lot more faith into these services than I do.

 

[Fritz]

I put as much faith in things as I can reasonably attest. You can make it easier or harder for snooping agencies. Either serve everything on a platter or make them work for it. The latter is my preferred route, since doing work has to be justified in the end, even for agencies with a huge budget.

Why pay for a VPN in a Five-Eyes country when there are others available for the same amount in non-associated countries? No-brainer to me.

 

[HarborFront]

I put as much faith in things as I can reasonably attest. You can make it easier or harder for snooping agencies. Either serve everything on a platter or make them work for it. The latter is my preferred route, since doing work has to be justified in the end, even for agencies with a huge budget.

Why pay for a VPN in a Five-Eyes country when there are others available for the same amount in non-associated countries? No-brainer to me.

So, in your opinion, which are the strong privacy-conscious VPNs not residing in 5/9/14 eye countries, countries which have no data retention law for VPN and do not carry out internet censorship and surveillance? And, do not log you.

Can recommend a couple? Thanks

 

[Quent]

Even some Asian countries have an agreement with the USA being the part of 14 eyes’ country (in this article you can read more about the organization). In such a manner, I recommend subscribing for a VPN which is not only based within the USA or the UK, but also has a headquarters outside of the 14 eyes’ country control. For example, Astrill (based in Seychelles) and PureVPN (based in Hong Kong) look reliable.

 

[HarborFront]

Even some Asian countries have an agreement with the USA being the part of 14 eyes’ country (in this article you can read more about the organization). In such a manner, I recommend subscribing for a VPN which is not only based within the USA or the UK, but also has a headquarters outside of the 14 eyes’ country control. For example, Astrill (based in Seychelles) and PureVPN (based in Hong Kong) look reliable.

Countries like Israel, S Korea, Singapore and Japan are strong allies of the US although they don't belong to the 5/9/14 eye countries.

Country location of the VPN provider is one criteria in the selection of a privacy-conscious VPN. Astrill and PureVPN are located in good countries and so are some of their servers.

However, other criteria like 'No-log' policy, speed, effectiveness of its features like kill switch(firewall), intermittent connections etc, customer service, technical support, refund policy etc. also play a part.

FYI, Astrill needs your personal particulars and phone number during sign up. It is logging you. You want it?

Astrill VPN Review - BestVPN.com

If you type 'Astrill VPN review' and Google search you'll find it don't receive good reviews. As for PureVPN you can see it also don't get good reviews at reddit.

Some references here

Best VPN Services 2017 Has to Offer (+ Reviews) - TheBestVPN.com
The Best VPN Providers Of 2017 - GreyCoder
20+ VPNs Rated on Privacy and Security Side-by-Side

If you are not concerned with your privacy then choose from one of the following VPNs will do the job

ExpressVPN
PIA
IPVanish

 

[Arequire]

Countries like Israel, S Korea, Singapore and Japan are strong allies of the US although they don't belong to the 5/9/14 eye countries.

They're apart of the 41 Eyes:

41 Eyes

Includes all the countries of Fourteen Eyes

with the addition of the allied coalition in Afghanistan;

Tier B countries with which the Five Eyes have “focused cooperation” on computer network exploitation, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey;
Club of Berne: 17 members including primarily European States; the US is not a member;
The Counterterrorist Group: a wider membership than the 17 European States that make up the Club of Berne, and includes the US;
NATO Special Committee: made up of the heads of the security services of NATO member countries;[78][79]

Others
Israel is, reportedly, an observer in Five Eyes.[80] Singapore has also partnered with the Five Eyes.[81]

 

[HarborFront]

They're apart of the 41 Eyes:

I wouldn't pay so much concern on the 41-eye countries as long as they do not have data retention law, no internet censorship and surveillance, not strong allies of the US and not on RSF Internet Surveillance watch list

This is an interesting article detailing the 10-eye and the role of the 41-eye countries

Electrospaces.net: Five Eyes, 9-Eyes and many more

Countries involving in internet censorship and surveillance

Internet censorship and surveillance by country - Wikipedia

Also, a list of countries not having/having data retention law can be found here

Data Retention Laws By Country | Golden Frog

There are a few exceptions which you should NOT be using the VPNs hosted there even though they meet the above criteria

Germany – Monitoring of Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel by the NSA
Switzerland – Working with the US DOJ in disclosing clients’ money informtaion
Canada – Working with law enforcement agencies
Iceland – Working with the FBI and handed over the silk road servers secretly

If these countries can have such problems what do you expect of your personal privacy?

For privacy, below is a list of good countries(taken from the net and updated) whereby you can use the VPN hosted there

Argentina, Austria, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, Seychelles, Taiwan and Ukraine.

PS:- Let me know if any country in the above is wrong and any other good country that can be added. Thanks

 

[Fritz]

Can recommend a couple? Thanks

Some valid points were already made in the meantime. I left the VPN industry a few years ago and I didn't follow the development as close as I did before.

Right now, I use NordVPN which is based out of Panama and I'm quite confident it's a good choice for my intents and purposes.

Essentially, it's not all that hard to avoid bad choices. The problem is that this is not a universal, but rather a personal matter. Somebody who opposes the regime in Iran may well use a provider in the U.S. or Canada. Neither of these countries would send in the troops if the guy criticized the veil law e.g.

Same goes for the other direction – if you want to hide from the Western world, hide in a country with diametrically opposed views, like Russia or China.

Turkey will pretty much leave you alone unless you work against the regime, they're rather touchy on the subject.

Also, in some regions indictments have to be served locally, like in the Seychelles. I highly doubt the NSA would dispatch a public prosecutor to a local court because you critcized Trump's hairstyle.

I would highly recommend to stay out of the EU though, which removes Austria, Luxembourg and Romania from the list above.

In the end, you have to realize that neither one will go to jail because you invested a few $$$ in their service. But again, safety can be increased by a nice margin by just by not making it all too easy.

 

[HarborFront]

Some valid points were already made in the meantime. I left the VPN industry a few years ago and I didn't follow the development as close as I did before.

Right now, I use NordVPN which is based out of Panama and I'm quite confident it's a good choice for my intents and purposes.

Essentially, it's not all that hard to avoid bad choices. The problem is that this is not a universal, but rather a personal matter. Somebody who opposes the regime in Iran may well use a provider in the U.S. or Canada. Neither of these countries would send in the troops if the guy criticized the veil law e.g.

Same goes for the other direction – if you want to hide from the Western world, hide in a country with diametrically opposed views, like Russia or China.

Turkey will pretty much leave you alone unless you work against the regime, they're rather touchy on the subject.

Also, in some regions indictments have to be served locally, like in the Seychelles. I highly doubt the NSA would dispatch a public prosecutor to a local court because you critcized Trump's hairstyle.

I would highly recommend to stay out of the EU though, which removes Austria, Luxembourg and Romania from the list above.

In the end, you have to realize that neither one will go to jail because you invested a few $$$ in their service. But again, safety can be increased by a nice margin by just by not making it all too easy.

Thanks

What's your opinion on the countries with strong privacy as listed below

Data Retention Laws By Country | Golden Frog

Note Austria, Luxembourg and Romania in the above list which you recommended to be removed.

And the list below

The best countries for online privacy: an investigation. • r/privacy