How To Connect & Disconnect Surfshark
Once youre logged in, Surfsharks settings menu offers a range of servers to choose from, depending on what you want to access. Follow the steps below to get connected.
, and Surfshark will automatically connect you. You can also click the blue connect button and Surfshark will automatically pick the fastest server. It will thenshow an intermediary page, saying attempt 1 of 4 to connect. In our case, the VPN connection succeeded on the first try. From there, you can browse the web with your privacy needs covered.
Disconnecting from the VPN connection is straightforward: Just in the app.
How To Install Surfshark VPN On Mobile
Surfshark VPN works for Android OS version 5 and above. You can use this method to install Surfshark on all android devices as well as iPhone, iPad and iPod.
- Go to Play Store, find Surfshark and download it. Once it’s on your phone create an account and log in.
- After you log in click on the Quick Connect button to secure your device.
- On the app you’ll see a button for locations and settings and you can use them to make changes as desired.
How Does Surfshark Compare To Other P2p VPNs
Surfshark is a good choice for casual torrenting. It protects your identity and encrypts your connection at reasonably fast speeds.
Nevertheless, there are better VPNs for torrenting. Services like ExpressVPN and AirVPN are faster on average, and have additional P2P-specific features.
All these alternative VPNs offer split tunneling, an effective kill switch, and equally strong encryption.
Heres a table comparing Surfshark to its top torrenting competitors:
| VPN Service |
|---|
In a nutshell, Surfshark is a better for beginners, but AirVPN is built for experienced torrenting users.
AirVPNs menus are complicated for beginners.
AirVPN has been operating much longer than Surfshark, and most other commercial VPN services. It has a proven track record of trustworthiness. In fact, in all that time there have been no security breaches, logging or data-sharing incidents.
The services privacy policy is vague, but we have been reassured the VPN does not collect any information that could be used to identify you.
If you want a VPN for more than torrenting, AirVPN doesnt work with Netflix and many other streaming platforms. If you want a VPN to use for streaming alongside torrenting, Surfshark is a better choice.
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Safe Streaming And Entertainment
Concerned about your privacy? Well make sure youre secure at all times.
Whether youre streaming Netflix or playing video games, keep your VPN ON to stay safe from online threats. And the best part about it you shouldnt notice a difference in your internet speed!
Disclaimer:Surfshark does not encourage using a VPN in any way that would potentially violate the Terms of Service of streaming service providers.
Strong Global Server Presence
Now that weve looked at the speeds you can get over Surfsharks connection, it brings the next area under even more scrutiny coverage area. Surfshark has over 1,000 servers in more than 61 countries. For a relatively new service provider, this is a very large network and something that many VPN service providers havent achieved even after years in the business.
Almost all their servers are actual physical servers, with a handful of virtual locations. Virtual locations are instances where the VPN provider doesnt have an actual service in the country but I able to spoof your location as from the area.
Their servers are also very capable and can handle all the protocols and features that Surfshark has to offer.
Aside from that, Surfshark also has several servers that offer users a fixed IP address. Although limited in number, these can come in handy since most ISPs offer regular consumers dynamic IPs only and charge extra for fixed IP addresses.
Finally, we also have the multi-hop connections. These are fixed routes whereby Surfshark runs VPN connections though pairs of secure servers, increasing the security of the connection for its users. Interestingly speed test results were also quite good with a multi-hop
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Who Should Not Try Surfshark
I can only think of two groups of people who probably wouldn’t be happy Surfshark users:
If you are not in group 1 or 2 above, you should definitely give Surfshark a try.
How Fast Is Surfshark
If you connect to a VPN, you can expect slower speeds than usual, as your web traffic has to go through an encrypted server in addition to the public networks server.
Thats normal, but it doesnt mean we dont want to see fast speeds while connected, which is why we tested out Surfshark on our personal hotspots from a 2011 Macbook Pro in Brooklyn, connecting to a New York server, as well as a Windows 10 Acer Aspire 5 from the Philippines, connecting to the countrys server.
As you can see from the below results, our speeds performed much better on the Mac than on the Windows computer, which was a bit lackluster.
However, speed is determined by a large number of factors, including your distance to the server, device make and model, operating system, browser type, and more, so take our speed tests with a grain of salt.
| Devices tested on |
|---|
| 56% |
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Setting Up And Using The VPN
So, its time to use your VPN. To connect to another country, simply open the application, browse through the list of the countries available, and click on the one that you need. Once you dont need to be connected to a VPN anymore, click the Disconnect button and your connection will be back to normal.
In case you want to tweak a feature or two , youll need to open the Settings menu. There, youll be able to see all the extra features offered by your VPN.
It’s always a good idea to enable a kill switch. That way, your Internet will be shut down each time the connection to a VPN server drops. This can protect your online safety from accidental IP address leaks.
Hands On With Surfshark For Android
We installed Surfshark’s Android VPN client from the Google Play store on a Samsung A71 running Android 10. The Android app looks just like the iOS version, with a flat white interface while disconnected, and a teal gradient that appears when you connect to a VPN server. The Android app has similar features to the Windows version, including CleanWeb and Whitelister. It also provides static servers and multi-hop connections.
Keeping your information private is a key feature of any VPN. We tested the service with the DNS Leak Test Tool, running an extended test on a server based in Vienna, Austria. SurfShark successfully changed our IP address changed and did not leak our DNS information.
To test the apps performance on Android, we went to YouTube.com and loaded a couple of videos. The videos took longer to load than on competitors like IVPN. It took about six seconds for each video to play. We also went to Twitch.tv and watched a live stream. The stream took less time to loadabout five secondsand when it played, the video quality looked great, with no noticeable lag or buffering.
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Can I Use A Free Xbox VPN
A free VPN is not recommended under any circumstances. Research into free Android VPNs has demonstrated that:
- 84% leak user traffic, thus eliminating most of the benefits of using a VPN.
- 18% dont encrypt traffic at all
- 38% contain malware
- 80% ask for access to sensitive data.
So with free VPNs, you are not only not getting the benefits of VPNs, you are actually exposing yourself online even more.
But even if they were secure, free VPNs couldnt hold a candle to the speed and accessibility of a paid VPN. Free ones usually have speed caps and offer only a few servers. Paid VPNs do not in fact, having a wide variety of servers helps not only in improving speed but also in overcoming streaming service attempts to ban VPN IPs.
Final Thoughts: Should I Set Up A Virtual Private Network On My Device
In todays environment, protecting your privacy, data, and internet traffic should be a top priority, especially when it comes to your home or Wi-Fi network. Technology has made it possible to do so on any device. Setting up a Virtual Private Network connection is straightforward. So, treat yourself to a little bit of digital safety and privacy.
If youre still undecided, Surfshark makes configuring numerous devices a breeze. With applications for almost every operating system, platform, browser, and device, it will be uncommon that you need to go through the manual settings described above. Even then, Surfshark offers a 24/7 customer care crew that can assist you. Get Surfshark if you want a VPN subscription that easily works for all your devices.
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Safe Surfing For A Price
Surfshark has long been an excellent VPN service. It has a generous unlimited devices policy, letting you hook up as many devices as you like, and provides rarely seen split tunneling and multi-hop features. The company deserves credit for its transparent privacy policies and its tamper-resistant RAM-only servers, too. Surfshark’s recent audit of its VPN infrastructure helps make clear that the company follows best practices and is willing to show its work. All that helps balance out its hefty up-front cost, making Surfshark our newest Editors’ Choice award winner.
Streaming Netflix And Kodi
Does Surfshark work with Netflix?
Yes, Surfshark users can stream 30 international Netflix libraries including Netflix US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, India, Singapore, France, Germany, Italy, and several others. If it cant connect you to the library that corresponds to the server youre connected to, Surfshark will redirect you to US Netflix.
Surfshark also works with , BBC iPlayer, Disney+, ITV Hub, All 4, Hotstar, HBO, Sky, and many other local streaming services.
Overall, Surfshark is one of the best VPNs out there when it comes to securely accessing streaming services.
The VPN works with most devices that run Kodi and is compatible with Kodi addons.
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Surfshark Speed Tests While Torrenting
For your convenience, we did some Surfshark speed tests while torrenting. The size of the file was 3.11GB . It is also important to note that different torrenting clients use different units for tracking speed. Therefore, we manually converted these values to megabits per second, as this is the most commonly used way to measure bandwidth.
- Baseline speed: 296 mbps download/297 mbps upload
qBittorent
| 14m 43s | 28.17 Mbps |
As seen from the data, the speeds were significantly higher with the qBittorrent client than the uTorrent. However, this is most likely uTorrent’s fault, not Surfshark’s. The free version client’s interface lagged a lot, and despite download speeds being very low, the page itself displayed 4K resolution ads on the side. This led us to believe that the available bandwidth was not, in fact, being used for downloading the file, but to load the ads.
Surfshark Prices And Plans
The base monthly price of $11.95 for Surfshark is in line with most of the professional, commercial VPN clients weve found, including ExpressVPN and NordVPN . Its definitely not an app created by an indie company in their spare time, but one surprise is that they do offer a compelling low-cost plan.
| View Plan |
Data effective 4/29/2020. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
For $1.99 per month when you sign-up for two years, you can lock in pricing for one of the best VPN clients around. Thats almost shockingly low compared to other optionsan 83% savings from the normal price. You do have to commit to a two-year plan, but the total cost is under $50.
An annual plan costs $5.99 per month, which is still reasonable. All of the plans include the same features, so youre really only paying based on length of service.
| Provider |
|---|
Data effective 4/29/2020. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
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Can Isp See My Downloads
Yes, your ISP can see your downloads if you’re not using a VPN. As all connection information passes through your ISPs infrastructure, they can see the websites you visit and any other online activity, including the files youre downloading. But a good torrenting VPN, such as Surfshark, can hide your traffic from your ISP.
You Need A VPN If You Want To Browse Securely Online And Watch Us Netflix
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You can connect an unlimited number of simultaneous devices
Once upon a time, virtual private networks were used purely by security engineers, MI5 agents and early internet message board nerds. But with the rise of geo-restricted streaming service libraries, your average Jane and Joe are leaping onto the VPN bandwagon so they can access region-locked content.
So as the humble VPNs audience changes shape, so are the VPN services themselves. More user-friendly VPNs have begun surfacing their heads above the waves so to speak and the popular Surfshark VPN has emerged as one of them.
Launching in 2018, Surfshark VPN now has over 3,200 servers in more than 65 countries and has since released other products like Surfshark Alert and Surfshark Search a personal data detection tool and a pared back search tool, minus the ads, tracking and logging seen on Google.
Surfshark is based in the British Virgin Islands, a territory which has no data retention laws, meaning it isnt required to store any of your data something it backs up in its no-logs claim. Its one of the very few VPN providers that give subscribers an unlimited number of simultaneous device connections, and its pretty secure to boot.
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Install The Program Onto Your Device
After youve downloaded the installer, navigate to where you downloaded it and run the executable file. From here, its a simple matter of following the on-screen prompts to complete the installation process. Surfsharks installer is simple and easy to understand, and after the software has finished installing everything, youre nearly ready to begin browsing securely.
Watch Us Netflix From Anywhere
Not only can you access American Netflix via Surfsharks US VPN servers, the VPN also lets you stream US movies and TV shows from any server location that isnt streaming-enabled.
Simply connect to a country that isnt listed above and youll be able to stream US content.
We love this feature because it allows users who dont live near to the US to enjoy American Netflix content without sacrificing internet speed. You get the speed benefit of a local VPN connection, while accessing the most desirable Netflix region.
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Using VPN For Streaming
One of the most common uses of a VPN is streaming. Thats because most streaming platforms offer different content for different regions, while some streaming options are downright unavailable in certain countries. From a user perspective, thats really unfair.
Luckily, even these problems can be solved by the almighty VPN. By changing your IP address, a VPN service spoofs your country, tricking the streaming page of your choice. Thus giving you the posiibility to watch the Oscars, new movies, TV shows, and sporting events like Formula 1 online from any location.
Unluckily, Netflix and other pages are constantly blocking VPN traffic , making it more and more difficult to bypass geographical restrictions.
As a result, trying to unblock streaming services is a never-ending battle, and a VPN that works today might be unable to help you watch geo-blocked movies tomorrow. Thus, its a good idea to buy monthly VPN subscriptions, constantly switching to the service that works with your favorite streaming site.
Turn On Noborders On Ios
Youre now set up and rocking NoBorders on iOS.
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Router Compatible But No Native App
You can set Surfshark up on your router, but its recommended to use its apps for best performance. Surfshark must be installed manually on a router with firmware that has OpenVPN or L2TP client pre-installed. You can also install new firmware , but this can be a very complicated process and can damage your router, so proceed with caution!
You wont be able to use most of the advanced features available on the apps, either. Some routers support split tunneling, and some support the ability to select different security protocols, but others dont. None of the other features are available on routers. You also have to manually configure each VPN server you want access to into your router, so switching server locations isnt a one-click process like with the app. Youre better off using ExpressVPN if you want a VPN on your router it offers pre-configured routers and has a native app to control the VPN easily.
There are a lot of router-specific guides on Surfsharks website to help you get set up, including a list of compatible routers. I read over the tutorials and theyre all detailed, yet easy to follow. You also have access to 24/7 live chat support if you run into any issues.