IPVanish

IPVanish VPN (also known as IPVanish) is a commercial VPN service based in the United States.[1]

IPVanish VPN
Original author(s)Highwinds Network Group, Mudhook Media, Inc., StackPath, J2 Global
Initial release2012
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Linux
Available inEnglish
TypeVirtual private network, Internet censorship circumvention
LicenseSubscription business model, Commercial
Websitewww.ipvanish.com

While providing end-to-end network encryption, IPVanish allows its users to appear in one of more than 75 different locations.[2] When connected to the service, a user’s true IP address is masked by a decoy IP address which is supplied by IPVanish and shared among their users.[3] IPVanish has desktop clients for Microsoft Windows and macOS as well as apps for Android, iOS, and Fire TV. Alternatively, Chromebook, Windows Phone, Linux, and DD-WRT routers can be configured to use IPVanish. Each subscriber is allowed to use the service on an unlimited number of devices at the same time,[4] backed by a 30-day money back guarantee.

History

IPVanish was founded in 2012 by Mudhook Media Inc., an independent subsidiary of Highwinds Network Group in Orlando, Florida.[5][6] The VPN service started with 32 servers and a client for Windows operating systems.[7] In later years, software support was expanded to include macOS, iOS, Android, and Fire TV. The VPN owns and controls a private fiber-optic network of tier-1 servers.[6] IPVanish owns roughly 90% of its points of presence (POPs), where the company controls the data center and hardware, or "the rack and stack." Its infrastructure is leased from third-party operators in regions "where it doesn’t make sense to have our own gear," such as Albania.[6] In 2017, Highwinds Network Group was acquired by CDN company StackPath which included IPVanish as part of the acquisition. In 2019, IPVanish was one of many VPN services acquired by J2 Global with their NetProtect business.[8][9][10]

Logging controversy

According to a June 2018 article by TorrentFreak, court documents have shown that IPVanish handed over personal information about a customer to the Department of Homeland Security (HSI) in 2016.[11] The customer was suspected of sharing child pornography on an IRC network.[11] The information, which allowed HSI to identify the customer, consisted of the customer's name, his email address, details of his VPN subscription, his real IP address (Comcast) "as well as dates and times [he] connected to, and disconnected from, the IRC network.”[11] The logging of the customer's IP address and connection timestamps to the IRC service contradicts IPVanish's privacy policy, which states that "[IPVanish] will never log any traffic or usage of our VPN."[11][12] In 2017, IPVanish and its parent company were acquired by StackPath, and its founder and CEO, Lance Crosby, claims that "at the time of the acquisition, [...] no logs existed, no logging systems existed and no previous/current/future intent to save logs existed."[11] The story attracted attention on Reddit, when the court documents were posted on the /r/privacy subreddit.[13]

Technical details

Features

IPVanish VPN offers several features, including:[14]

Encryption

For encryption, IPVanish uses the OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec technologies in its applications, while the L2TP and PPTP connection protocols can also be configured.[15] IPVanish supports the AES (128-bit or 256-bit) specifications, with SHA-256 for authentication and an RSA-2048 handshake.[16]

Servers

IPVanish owns and operates more than 1500 remote servers in over 75+ locations.[17] The largest concentration of VPN servers is located in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.[18] The company suspended operations in Russia as of July 2016, due to conflicts with the company's zero-log policy and local law.[19][20] In July 2020, IPVanish removed its servers from Hong Kong, alleging that the Hong Kong national security law puts Hong Kong under the “same tight internet restrictions that govern mainland China.”[21] IPVanish maintains its headquarters in the United States, which does not have mandatory data retention laws.[22]

Uses

IPVanish funnels the internet traffic of it users through remote servers run by the service, hiding the user's IP address and encrypting all the data transmitted through the connection. Users can simultaneously connect an unlimited number of devices.[23][24]

Like other VPN services, IPVanish also has the ability to bypass internet censorship in most countries.[25] By selecting a VPN server in a region outside of their physical position, an IPVanish user can easily access online content which was not available in their location otherwise. IPVanish can be used to play games that are regionally-restricted due to licensing agreements. In their 2017 review of the service, IGN named IPVanish as “one of the best gaming VPNs.” During a speed test of the VPN with League of Legends, the reviewer noted a ping drop of just one millisecond.[26]

Recognition

IPVanish VPN has generally received positive reviews by online publications and industry associations, but is often recognized for being more expensive than the competition.[27] In 2016, IPVanish was awarded the Silver Award for Startup of the Year from the Info Security PG's Global Excellence Awards and Lifehacker AU rated the service as its #1 VPN.[28][29] PC Magazine rated IPVanish “excellent” in an April 2017 review, praising its nonrestrictive BitTorrent practices while noting it as one of the more expensive VPNs.[19]

In a 2018 review highlighting IPVanish ‘zero logs’ policies and nonprofit support, CNET ranks IPVanish as one of the best VPN services of the year.[30] The reviewer also noted that its integrated plugin for Kodi, the open-source media streaming app, is unique to the VPN industry. TechRadar rated the service 4 out of 5 stars in their March 2018 review, commending it for its powerful features while criticizing its “lethargic support response”.[31] An annually-updated TorrentFreak article reviewing the logging policies of VPN services lists IPVanish as an anonymous provider.[5][32][33] Tom's Guide wrote that the lack of a kill switch on the mobile application "may be a downside for some".[23]

In September 2015, the ex-husband of Phillip Morris USA tobacco heiress, Anne Resnick, was accused of hacking his estranged wife’s phone to spy on her during the divorce proceedings.[34] During the deposition, the husband plead the Fifth Amendment 58 times when questioned about bank records indicating subscriptions to mSpy as well as IPVanish.[35]

See also

References
  1. "IPVanish review: A U.S.-based VPN that could stand to go a little faster". PCWorld. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  2. "IPVanish VPN: Online Privacy Made Easy - Fastest, Most Reliable VPN". IPVanish VPN. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  3. Henry, Alan. "Five Best VPN Service Providers". Lifehacker. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  4. "IPVanish Supplies VPN Connections for Every Device You Own". IPVanish. 2020-07-09. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  5. "The Best Anonymous VPN Services of 2016". TorrentFreak. 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  6. "IPVanish Interview - BestVPN.com". BestVPN.com. 2018-03-07. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  7. "IPVanish VPN Then and Now". ipvanish.com. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  8. VPN, Desire Athow 2019-05-07T15:08:22Z. "IGN owner J2 Global snaps up major VPN brands". TechRadar. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  9. "IPVanish". J2 Global. 2019-04-29. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  10. Internet, Anthony Spadafora 2019-07-24T19:01:28Z. "SaferVPN.com acquired by NetProtect". TechRadar. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  11. Andy (2018-06-05). "IPVanish "No-Logging" VPN Led Homeland Security to Comcast User". Archived from the original on 2018-06-08.
  12. "Privacy Policy - IPVanish VPN". ipvanish.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-27. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  13. proevp. "IPVanish claims '0 log policy' busted for logging everything and giving logs to feds". Archived from the original on 2018-06-08.
  14. "The Best VPN Service Provider with Fast, Secure VPN Access". ipvanish.com. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  15. "VPN Protocols - IPVanish". ipvanish.com. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  16. "IPVanish VPN". sabaitechnology.com. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  17. "IPVanish VPN Review Best VPN?". themreview.com. Retrieved 2019-07-19.
  18. "VPN Server Locations - IPVanish VPN". ipvanish.com. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  19. "IPVanish VPN". PCMAG. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  20. "IPVanish removes Russian VPN servers from Moscow". IPVanish. 2016-07-12. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  21. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/17/vpn-firms-shut-down-hong-kong-servers-over-security-law-concerns.html
  22. "Protect Yourself from Data Retention Laws - IPVanish". ipvanish.com. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  23. Rivington, James (23 January 2020). "The best VPN services 2020". tomsguide.com. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  24. "Best VPN For Darknet & Dark Web". vpngorilla.com. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  25. "Watch BBC iPlayer in the USA: Unblock to Access Content Outside UK". AddictiveTips. 2017-10-09. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  26. Elliott, Matt (2017-04-04). "IPVanish VPN Review". IGN. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  27. "IPVanish VPN Review: A Jack-of-All-Trades". Tom's Guide. 2017-06-30. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  28. "Global Excellence Awards - Info Security Products Guide". infosecurityproductsguide.com. Archived from the original on 2018-04-29. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  29. "The Five Best VPNs For 2017". Lifehacker Australia. 2016-12-27. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  30. "These are your best, most secure VPN options". CNET. 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  31. "IPVanish VPN review". techradar.com. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  32. "Which VPN Services Keep You Anonymous in 2017? - TorrentFreak". TorrentFreak. 2017-03-04. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  33. "Which VPN Services Keep You Anonymous in 2018? - TorrentFreak". TorrentFreak. 2018-03-04. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  34. Carrega-Woodby, Christina. "Husband suspected of installing spyware on wife's phone to track divorce proceedings - NY Daily News". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  35. "Ex accused of hacking heiress' phone to spy on new lover". New York Post. 2015-09-30. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
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