Is Norton VPN Worth It

Packages And Prices: How Much Does Norton Antivirus Cost

Norton offers four packages that cater to different user needs. The best option for most users is the Norton 360 Deluxe package, which can be installed on five devices and which comes with lots of additional features. This includes 50 GB of cloud storage, a secure VPN service, dark web monitoring, parental controls, a password manager, and more.

An overview of the four Norton Antivirus plans is given below.

While Norton is advertised at relatively low annual prices, you should note that prices increases after the first year of usage. This places Norton on the pricier end of antivirus software, especially when compared to other antivirus programs like Kaspersky or AVG.

Norton 360 prices after the first year of subscription are as follows:

• Norton Antivirus Plus: $59.99/year
• Norton 360 with LifeLock Select: $149.99/year
• Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus: $349.99/year

All packages include some basic features, namely: real-time protection against viruses and malware a smart firewall and a password manager.

The pricier packages have extra functionality, such as access to cloud storage the Norton Secure VPN service dark web monitoring and more.

The table below summarizes all the Norton antivirus packages.

If you want to get Norton 360 for free, the company offers a 7-day or 14-day free trial, depending on your region. Your credit card will not be charged until after the trial period.

Speeds Very Slow On Local And International Servers

Norton Secure VPN is one of the slowest VPNs I have ever tested. Its normal to experience a loss in speed when you connect to a VPN, but not more than 20%. However, the difference was huge with Norton. If my connection was just a little slower, it would have been impossible to stream any movies or access interactive websites.

To test Norton Secure VPNs speeds, I used Ooklas speed test tool and measured my:

• Ping measures the time to get a response from the website or app youre connecting to
• measures the time you need to download files and information from the internet
• Upload speed measures the time you need to send files, such as messages and videos

Norton 360 Review: Can Norton Antivirus Protect Your Devices

Norton Antivirus is known by multiple names, such as Norton Security Suite and Norton 360. It offers four packages with varying features that protect you against malware, viruses, spyware, hackers, and other online threats. Some of its notable features include:

• Real-time protection
• Secure VPN
• Parental Controls

We tested each of these features on both Windows and Mac to present a detailed Norton 360 review. Our tests revealed that Norton Antivirus is an excellent security solution thats easy to use for anybody. It also offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, plus reliable customer service to help you out.

Check out Norton 360 by clicking the button below.

To learn more, read our full review below for all the details about Norton Antivirus features, security, privacy, and more.

Norton is a long-established name in the antivirus domain. It is owned by Symantec Corporation, which launched the first Norton antivirus for PC back in 1991. Today, Symantec is known as NortonLifeLock, and the company has continually grown and diversified its product line.

Norton antivirus is currently known by multiple names, such as Norton 360 and Norton Security Suite. Its available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS and can therefore protect all your devices.

We thoroughly tested and used the Norton Security Suite to see if its worth buying. Keep reading below for our full Norton antivirus review, which includes Nortons features, pricing, ease-of-use, and more.

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The Windows 10 VPN Client Is A Great Option For Some People

We’ve said many negative things about the Windows 10 built-in VPN client and for a good reason. For most users, it’s simply pointless. If you’ve just signed up for a VPN service, it makes far more sense to use the VPN’s dedicated app to connect and switch between servers. It’s simpler to use, and you’ll have the full wealth of features that the VPN offers made available to you.

There is an exception to this rule, though. If you’re technically-minded and keen to avoid the potential bloat of having unnecessary apps installed, the Windows 10 VPN client does offer benefits. You don’t need to install any extra apps to connect to your chosen VPN which is useful if you have limited space, or if your system is very low spec and needs all the help it can get to keep running smoothly. Also, if you’re worried about any security issues relating to your VPN service, this is an easy way to dodge those concerns .

Be sure to check out this roundup of all the best VPN deals now.

Norton Secure VPN Servers & Ip Addresses

Norton Secure VPN has 2,000+ servers in 30+ countries. It doesnt publicly publish the number of servers it has, but a Norton Secure VPN support rep confirmed the server count is over 2,000, which is pretty good. Top competitors have larger server networks, including ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN , but Norton Secure VPN still has servers spread out all over the world to help you find a nearby server thats not overcrowded. The majority of Norton Secure VPNs servers are located in Europe, but theyre also present in North, Central, and South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia.

Norton Secure VPN only lets you connect to a country, and not a city . This prevents you from connecting to a specific city that is closer to your location to get faster speeds. For example, I get faster speeds in Romania when Im connected to a server in New York than in Los Angeles. Norton Secure VPN also doesnt display the server load percentage, which shows you how many active users are connected to a server.

One of my biggest complaints with Norton Secure VPN is it doesnt support P2P traffic on any VPN server. If youre looking for a good torrenting VPN, my favorites are ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access.

Norton Secure VPN doesnt have dedicated IP addresses. Dedicated IP addresses are IP addresses that are only assigned to you. If you need a dedicated IP, PrivateVPN offers free dedicated IPs, and Private Internet Access charges a small fee for one.

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How Do Websites Track Us

Websites can track us in many ways, and the list has only gotten lengthier with time. But cookies remain among the most commonly used data tracking methods today, with more than 40 percent of websites using some type of cookie.

Also known as HTTP cookies or tracking cookies, cookies are essentially a storage file for how you interact with a specific website, remembering everything from what youve added to your cart on shopping sites to what news articles you click on news sites and even language preferences you select.

You might think of tracking cookies like notetakers. And because tracking cookies are specific to a single website, this is why you must accept or decline cookies every time you visit a new site. Traditional tracking cookies store their notes about you directly on a website, whereas third-party cookies store your user data in a separate location that might be accessible to, as the name indicates, third parties like advertisers. Third-party cookies are often the culprit of those ads that pop up on your social media feed after youve visited a shopping website. More than 80 percent of web traffic contains third-party cookies.

Here are a few other commonly used data tracking methods today, including what user data they collect:

Do I Need A VPN At Home

A virtual private network better known as a VPN is an essential privacy tool when youre logging onto the internet from a coffee shop, library, hotel lobby, or any other spot that offers access to free public Wi-Fi. A VPN can block your online activity including the links you click or the files you download, from being visible to cybercriminals, businesses, government agencies, or other snoops.

But what if youre logging onto the internet from your home? Do you need a VPN?

Probably not. When you established your home Wi-Fi network, it is likely that you protected your network with a password. Because of that, you may not need the added security of a VPN to shield your online activity.

Investing in a VPN for home use, then, might be a waste of money, unless you want to keep your web surfing private from your internet service provider or if you choose to access streaming content or sports coverage that you couldnt otherwise access from your location.

Tempted to invest in a VPN service provider for home internet access? You could do that, but it might not be a wise financial move. Its worth noting you might consider a free VPN, but those services may cover their costs in other ways such as selling your data to third-parties for marketing purposes.

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Norton VPN Security Features

When looking at the settings menu of Norton VPN, youll stumble upon four different features:

• Auto-Connect. This self-explanatory feature ensures that a VPN connection is enabled as soon as you boot up your device or wake it from hibernation.
• Kill Switch. Any VPN enthusiast should know that a kill switch stops your internet when the VPN connection drops unexpectedly.
• Ad Tracker Blocking. Online ads and trackers pose significant privacy threats when browsing the web. As such, its great when a VPN blocks these measures.
• Split tunneling. Norton VPN allows you to select which apps should be excluded from the VPN tunnel.

Whats missing is the option to switch between different tunneling protocols when using the app. Weve learned that OpenVPN is used on Windows, Android, and Mac devices. Meanwhile, iOS uses the IPSec tunneling protocol, which is outdated when compared to modern protocols like WireGuard and IKEv2.

Norton Review: Quick Expert Summary

Overall, Norton 360 is my favorite antivirus in 2021 its got a powerful anti-malware engine, a wide range of internet security tools, an intuitive online dashboard, and good customer support, all for a better price than most competitors.

Nortons anti-malware engine uses machine learning, advanced heuristics, and a consistently updated malware directory to identify malware from viruses and trojans to advanced malware like ransomware and cryptojackers. During my testing, Nortons full scan and real-time protection were both able to detect every single malware file I tried to download, with minimal system slowdown and no false positives.

Norton also has:

• Secure VPN .
• Cloud backup.
• And a lot more

Norton is very good, but it isnt perfect. Nortons desktop app isnt the most intuitive software to use, and mobile users need to download 4 separate apps to get full security on their devices. And while Nortons VPN offers encrypted web access to lots of servers worldwide, it failed to unblock Netflixs geo-restricted content during my tests. The VPN is also a bit slower than many competitors, and it doesnt allow torrenting.

Norton 360 has a lot more extra features than most competing antiviruses.

All of Nortons packages are full of high-value features and internet security tools that are easy to use and greatly enhance your cybersecurity protections.

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Norton 360 Review Conclusion: How Good Is Norton Antivirus

To sum up our Norton antivirus review, Norton 360 is one of the best antivirus software for both Windows and Mac. It provides robust security and privacy, plus a range of additional security tools such as a password manager, parental controls, and the Safe Web browser extension. Its also user-friendly and reliable, albeit on the pricier side.

For our final assessment, we combined Nortons ratings for security , speed and system load , privacy , ease of use , and customer service . Our results are as follows:

• Security: 8.5
• Speed and system load: 8
• Privacy: 8

Streaming Norton Secure VPN Unblocks Netflix And Uktv

Norton Secure VPN only unblocks a couple of streaming platforms, so its not a good choice if you want to watch international movies and shows. Before I started testing, I looked at Nortons policies to see what I should expect. My conclusion is that Norton did not put any effort into a VPN that unblocks streaming platforms.

I could unblock UKTV and Netflix from its UK and US servers but no other platforms. The other platforms I tested recognized the VPN and completely blocked my access.

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Does Norton Secure VPN Have An Ad Blocker

The Norton secure VPN blocks most of the ad trackers that are prone to gather your data. Unfortunately, Nortons technology simply cannot outsmart ALL ads that users may face, so provide some leeway with your expectations.

Add to the fact that ad-tracking technology gets updated almost daily it is incorporated into every digital thing we do whether were on mobile devices or not. For now, while sophisticated ad-tracking technology cannot be beaten, it is still good that Norton Secure VPN offers this feature and gives you the option to enable or disable.

Norton VPN Vs Nordvpn Which Is Better

This Norton vs NordVPN comparison concludes with NordVPN winning by a landslide. Its superior in practically every regard, except it lacks a phone line for customer support.

By itself, Norton VPN doesnt come close to the best VPN services in 2021. However, its not a bad addition to an existing antivirus package. With improved compatibility and better geo-unblocking performance, it might even be worth checking out. But right now, its way too expensive.

On the other hand, NordVPN is an excellent choice in any scenario and wont leave you disappointed.

Would you ever choose Norton VPN over NordVPN? Share your hot takes in the comments section below!

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Should You Buy Norton Secure VPN

Symantecs home VPN offering is cheap, but it only works on the most common platforms, with few advanced options, no support for unusual operating systems or appliances such as routers, and lacks basic security features such as a kill switch. However, its UK connection speeds are very fast. Im not a fan of its unexpectedly high renewal costs, though.

For VPN users on a budget, Windscribes annual subscription costs a little more but its also a much better, more fully featured service and you can make a good start with its free tier. Meanwhile, ExpressVPN remains your best choice for privacy, and NordVPN and Surfshark are great for speed and streaming. Check out our best VPN list for even more options.

K.G. Orphanides is a writer and developer whose areas of expertise include internet security, VPNs, Linux for the desktop, small-scale game development, software preservation and computer audio techno

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Jurisdiction Is Norton VPN Located In A 5

This VPN is located in a 5 Eyes country, as I found in this review.

All of Norton operation is headquartered in Mountain View, California. While the US may be a safe place for an Antivirus company to run its operations, but VPN is a different business.

Since VPNs are used to perform privacy-sensitive tasks, it is extremely important that they retain no information about your online activities. Because the US is a key member of the Five Eyes surveillance alliance, it can be difficult for VPN providers to guarantee user privacy and protect them from state surveillance.

Nonetheless, there are no mandatory data retention laws enforced on VPNs in the US and if the VPN itself isnt storing your logs, then it doesnt matter even if the provider is based in a country with a lot of surveillance.

Therefore, Norton VPN softwares jurisdiction isnt ideal, but your privacy depends on the providers logging policy, as discussed later.

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Security Limited But Strong Security Features

Norton Secure VPN has great security features, but theyre not available on all the supported devices. I tested its kill switch, split tunneling, and WiFi security on a Windows laptop, Macbook, Android phone, and iPad. Even though each of these features worked great, I couldnt use them all on a single device. This is incredibly inconvenient and makes the VPN limited.

It will keep you safe during your regular browsing.I ran a few DNS and IP leak tests to see whether my information was visible to anyone on the internet DNS and IP leaks can expose your information, making the VPN completely useless. I was glad I didnt encounter anything unusual. Norton uses AES-256 encryption, which is the strongest around, so theres no doubt about its security.

Norton needs to maintain its reputation, so it cant have any security issues or data breaches. Its VPN is great for people who only need to protect their identity. However, if youre looking for more than browsing and you also need to download torrents or bypass geoblocks, I recommend checking out other VPN services.

Norton VPN Reviews: Great Antivirus But Is It A Good VPN

Norton has come a long way since its DOS-based antivirus program, Symantec Antivirus for Macintosh and Norton AntiVirus for PC in 1990. It took over the security of computers, then mobile gadgets , while combining various malware protection and antivirus technologies for modern internet use.

If youve used Norton AntiVirus in the past, you know that it is one of the more stable antivirus providers in the world. But a VPN is an entirely different issue, so weighing the service of Nortons antivirus with Norton security VPN is comparing apples to oranges.

Norton Lifelock VPN was launched in 2018 and has continued to provide all-in-one digital protection as new cyber threats evolve. The Lifelock VPN is both a standalone product and an add-on bundled into other Norton plans. In addition, you can check other examples of antivirus and VPN all-in-one solutions.

If we go by what Norton is advertising, here is what the Norton Secure VPN solution should provide:

Note that Norton this Norton secure VPN review will only be focused on the VPN solution. This is important because Norton offers VPN services as a standalone, and as part of the Norton 360 with LifeLock.

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