The performance hit will be felt when surfing. The same can’t be said for standard browsing. Streaming performance is excellent, and the ad serving rarely interferes in that regard. Other VPN programs can require technical understanding to get running right, but this option is perfect for the casual user.Īlthough Hotspot Shield provides a VPN, hotspot protection, secure connections, threat protection and so forth, it’s primary focus is on streaming content from U.S. This VPN software is very user-friendly, and a big reason for that is that the software is able to configure itself and operate with only minimal interaction from the user. This is all handled on its end, so when you receive data from them, you can be reasonably sure that the data you receive is threat-free. Anchorfree also protects the connection with detection for viruses, malware and other threats. For one, the connection is secured with 128-bit SSL encryption, which means that you can connect to servers that require this kind of security. Hotspot Shield also has a number of features that help protect you. and thus serve you the media that you want to watch or listen to. When you run Hotspot Shield, these sites and services can’t tell that you’re connecting from outside the U.S.

Prominent examples include Hulu, Pandora and YouTube. There are a number of websites that block access for legal reasons to users outside the U.S. Another benefit is that you can connect to Wi-Fi hotspots and other unsecured connections with a degree of safety. The biggest benefit for the average user is that it makes you appear to be connecting from within the United States. This connection masks your IP address and can provide advanced users with a number of other benefits. When you run Hotspot Shield on your computer, it creates a virtual private network or VPN between you and Anchorfree, which is the company that develops the software. Hotspot Shield is a VPN solution for Windows that provides a secure connection, hides your IP address and allows you unfettered access to a wide range of U.S.-based Web services.

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