The Best VPN for Torrenting and Free Streaming
For those that use torrents as well as stream programs for free online, a concern that should always be considered is the fact that the copyright holders can trace who has been watching the content.
However, it is possible to get around this by using a VPN. A VPN is a virtual private network. It takes your internet connection, and then it diverts it to a server owned by the VPN company which then accesses the content. By doing this, it means that any activity that you do online cannot be traced.
Can I use a free VPN?
The answer to this is no. I can stress enough how dangerous it is to use a free VPN when you’re doing anything online, let alone torrenting and streaming. In order for a company to be able to divert your IP address to their server onto the site you’re accessing, it required a lot of server power. Why in that case would a company be giving this away for free? The reason why companies do this for free is because they’re actually storing the logs. They can, and will sell these details onto other companies in order to pay for the upkeep of the servers. This also means that they could sell the data onto the copyright holders which would really put you in hot water.
Please note though that 100% free VPNs should not be considered the same as VPNs that give a free months trial, or they give two months free when you buy a yearly or two year subscription. They will still charge you money over the period, they’re just giving you a bonus for signing up for a longer term. These companies can be trusted.
What is the best VPN for torrenting and streaming?
You might wonder then, since you’ll be spending money, which VPN provider you should be using when it comes to torrenting and streaming. I’d suggest that you stay away from Express VPN. Not only are they overpriced for what they offer, I have found their support to be extremely lacking in the past. I certainly didn’t feel as though I was being treated as a premium customer with the service I received.
My go to VPN for the last three years now has been Private Internet Access, otherwise known as PIA.
What I’ve always liked about them is that they do not store any logs at all, so your privacy is also assured. In addition to this, the price that you pay is incredibly low. They have applications available on Windows as well as MacOS. In addition to this, it can also be accessed on Android and iOS devices.
One thing I really like about the connection offered by Private Internet Access is the fact that there is an option to turn on the VPN kill switch. What this means is that in the event there was a fault on the server you were connected to, if the VPN is turned on then it would automatically cut the internet connection. This means that you’re not exposing your own IP address to the outside world. Your privacy remains private, which gives you an overall more secure browsing experience. This is a really nice function that a lot of the more expensive VPN providers aren’t doing. Having said that, in the three years I’ve been using PIA, I’ve never had drop off on one of the servers, but it’s still really good to know that the option is there to protect me if need be.
Another thing to factor in is the number of simultaneous connections that you can have with PIA. At any one time, up to ten people can be connected on the same account. Even if ten are connected, they’re all treated as separate connections so there won’t be any drop in internet speed. This is excellent value for money. Even if the other people in your household aren’t streaming or torrenting, it means that their privacy can still be maintained online by using the app at all times.
The latest iteration of the PIA software also utilises WireGuard technology. In short, this is a much more robust VPN protocol which is also more efficient. This means it uses up less system resources, and also consumes less power as a result.
When you add this onto the fact you get blistering fast speeds at a rock bottom price, why would you go anywhere else for a VPN?
