Each year, the world is becoming more connected through the internet. Interconnectedness has made our life much easier, but they also come with their fair share of issues.
Data theft, tracking, ads, and malware have become increasingly common. So, how to protect yourself? That’s where Nord VPN comes in.
What Is Nord VPN?
Nord VPN, as the name suggests, is a VPN. But it’s not just any VPN! Unlike the thousands of VPNs available, Nord VPN stands out because of its features, easy-to-use UI, and thousands of users backing it up.
If you have looked up VPNs, Nord VPN must have come among the most recommended ones.
Nord VPN provides a secure, encrypted tunnel for online traffic flow. Nobody can see through the tunnel, access your online data, or find your actual IP address and location. Here I have given a complete guide on how to use it and all its features.
Why Should You Use Nord VPN?
Using a VPN is a no-brainer at the current time. But why choose Nord VPN? Here are some of its best features:
Keep Data Safe
Your top priority should be keeping your data safe in this digital world. Data is the new currency, and everyone wants their hands on it. Using Nord VPN, you can easily protect your online presence by hiding it efficiently.
Once you are connected to a VPN server, all your data sent and received is hidden from the ISP, government, and other third parties. That’s not all, as you also get a new IP that hides the virtual location and makes your online actions challenging to track.
Nord VPN also comes with a double VPN, which is an additional protection layer. With Double VPN, your online activity hides behind two servers instead of one, which is known as VPN server chaining.
Protect From Malware
Not too keen on hiding your data? How about keeping yourself safe from malware and viruses? The internet is filled with exploitative websites and apps. Nord VPN will smartly block unprotected sites and protect your PC from potential malware.
Before connecting to any website, NordVPN checks a real-time list of domains and URLs which are known for hosting malware.
When it detects that you’re visiting a dangerous page, it will block your access automatically.
Instead of landing, you’ll get a warning message telling you about the threat. Threat Protection will make your browsing safer and smoother without tracking your activity.
Block Ads
Internet is filled with ads. Almost all websites have them, including ours. That’s the easiest way to monetize a website. But some websites take it too far and inject ads at every nook and cranny of the web page, maliciously forcing users to click on them.
And that can be pretty frustrating!
With Nord VPN, you can say goodbye to ads. Enable the Threat protection feature, and the intrusive ads won’t disturb you anymore.
Fastest VPN
Now most VPNs claim to be the fastest, but according to tests run by AV-TEST, Nord VPN came ahead in speed against popular VPNs like Express VPN, PIA, Private VPN, etc.
We cannot verify the authenticity of that claim but can vouch that it is fast in our experience.
Other Important Features
Here are all the other notable features of Nord VPN:
Dark Web Monitor: This cybersecurity feature prevents others from exploiting account information leaked to the dark web.
It continuously scans dark websites for your information, like your account credentials, and alerts you when it discovers anything so that you can take steps to protect the vulnerable account.
Dedicated IP: This is a static IP address that is assigned to a single website hosting account, meaning no one else can use it.
But there’s also a dedicated IP that you can get on top of your VPN subscription. In this case, a VPN encrypts your connection, routes it through a remote server, and assigns you an IP address that isn’t shared with other users.
Meshnet: Meshnet is a way to safely access other devices, no matter where in the world they are. Once set up, Meshnet functions just like a secure local area network (LAN) — it connects devices directly.
This makes Meshnet an excellent fit for activities requiring high speed, low latency, and advanced security — such as file sharing, active work collaborations, and intense multiplayer gaming.
Secure Encryption: When data is sent over the internet, it needs to be split into packets. This way, your private data is split, encapsulated, and passed through the encrypted VPN tunnel. And when it arrives at the VPN server, the outer packet is removed for accessing the data through decryption.
Your encrypted data looks like gibberish to any third-party observer. Neither ISPs nor hackers can read it, even if they manage to intercept it. No government can get logs of your browsing history since there are none.
Safe When Disconnected: This is a feature that prevents the device from making unprotected connections by continuously monitoring your connection to the remote server. If it accidentally drops, the Kill Switch will block internet access or specific apps to keep your internet traffic safe.
This means it secures your private data from accidental exposure. It’s the last line of your VPN defense.
Your connection stays blocked until the encrypted tunnel is restored or you disable the VPN Kill Switch.
Split Tunneling: VPN split tunneling is an advanced feature that lets you choose which apps need virtual private network (VPN) protection and which can access the internet directly.
The first group benefits from the safety of the secure tunnel of your VPN, while the second group enjoys faster speeds and access to local services. Split tunneling is available on Windows, Android, and Android TV NordVPN apps.
Smart DNS: This feature helps users securely access all kinds of content. It’s implemented directly in the, so there’s nothing to set up, update, or activate — all you need to do is connect to the correct VPN server. Once you do, you enjoy the benefits of smart DNS while shielded by VPN encryption.
Private DNS: A Domain Name System or DNS is like the phonebook for the whole internet. It resolves domain names (such as nordvpn.com) into the IP addresses machines use to connect. In other words, it translates web servers’ extended, complex numeric characters into human language and vice versa.
How To Get Nord VPN?
Nord VPN is a paid software. However, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try NordVPN risk-free and decide whether you want to keep using it.
You can subscribe to three plans: Standard, Plus, and Complete.
The standard plan provides the VPN, malware protection, Tracker, and ad blocker.
The Plus plan provides a Cross-platform password manager and a Data Breach scanner on top of the features in the standard plan.
The Complete plan provides 1 TB of cloud storage and subsequent-gen file encryption on top of all the features available in the Plus edition.
The Standard plan is $12.99, Plus is $13.99, and the Complete plan is $14.99 per month. The prices, however, fall up to 60% if you opt for the two-year plan.
To get Nord VPN, head here and choose the plan you want to buy. Purchase it by completing the payment.
Now download the NordVPN app from here. Install it on your PC. Now sign in with the account you purchased it on, and it will get activated.
Once you’ve signed in, click on the Quick Connect option to connect to the fastest available server. Other than that, you can select a server from the list of countries available on the left menu or select it directly on the map.
After a few moments, the status will change to Connected with the server’s location and IP address.
A pop-up on Windows will confirm that you have connected successfully.
Wrapping Up
So, that’s it. If you have any questions regarding this topic, ask us in the comment section below, and we will try to help you.