Avast secureline VPN review and “Lightning-quick,” but with a shady past? Given Avast’s previous data-selling scandals, how safe is SecureLine VPN? After conducting further research and testing the VPN, I believe it to be safe. Avast secureline VPN review has to go to great lengths to compensate for its dubious earnings techniques.
Furthermore, the data came from its antivirus products rather than the VPN itself. At the very least, the corporation has become more privacy-aware as a result of its previous experiences. You can’t make the same “error” twice in the cybersecurity industry and expect to thrive!
Avast secureline VPN review has great speeds on both local and remote servers, and it doesn’t collect data.
However, my research indicates that its unblocking powers are only ordinary. Despite the fact that I couldn’t view BBC iPlayer or use any of the Netflix libraries I tried, I was able to watch Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max without buffering.
Streaming only lets you access a few platforms, like HBO Max, Hulu, and Disney+
Avast secureline VPN review isn’t a streamer’s dream, but it’s also not a complete letdown.
Because SecureLine has dedicated streaming servers in the following regions, I had great hopes:
- New York, Miami, and Seattle are all in the United States.
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Wonderland, United Kingdom.
Streaming servers should provide you with greater access to regionally specialised content, buffer-free streaming, and quicker loading times. But after trying these and more than 20 other server locations, I could only use a few streaming services, like HBO Max, Hulu, ITV, and Disney+.
None of the Netflix libraries worked for me: US, UK, German, Swedish, Canadian, Japanese, or French. DAZN, All4, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video (US) did not function for me, even on their streaming servers.
HBO Max, Hulu, ITV, and Disney+ are all unblocked
I had no trouble watching shows on Disney+, ITV, HBO Max, and Hulu
I was ecstatic that nearly every US server location worked. HBO Max is only available in the United States and a few Latin American and Caribbean nations. I watched HBO Max episodes in HD without buffering using Avast’s Boston server.
Despite Disney+’s robust VPN detection technology, SecureLine easily circumvented all limitations.
ITV was unblocked with ease using the UK’s Wonderland server. If you enjoy British television, you’ll be pleased to learn that Avast secureline vpn review allows you to watch ITV (also known as Channel 3) online. I was able to view The Only Way is Essex without any delay.
Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, All4, and DAZN are among the services that are blocked
While connecting to Avast SecureLine’s VPN servers, several prominent streaming services rejected me. If you want to watch Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or BBC iPlayer, you’ll need a VPN with stronger streaming capabilities.
Avast secureline VPN review United Kingdom, Japan, or France. Netflix’s annoying geoblocks prevented me from testing more than 20 servers.
In order to view Baseball Girl (Yagusonyeo) on Netflix Japan, I also connected to a server in Tokyo. Even though I used a Japanese server, all I got was the “Sorry for the interruption” error message, which meant that Netflix had blocked me.
Amazon Prime Video is region-locked as well, so you can only watch titles that are already available in your country. I was expecting to use their Gotham City server to access Prime Video’s US collection, but the geo-restrictions are too high for this VPN.
Because BBC iPlayer is only available in the United Kingdom, I figured Avast’s unique Wonderland and London servers would enable me to view The Outlaws. That was not the case, though.
Regarding the problem, I contacted Avast secureline VPN review support. Most platforms (particularly Amazon and Hulu US), according to its spokesman, have robust geoblocks and prohibit incoming VPNs. People recommend streaming servers in the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands, Frankfurt, Miami, New York, and Seattle.
Almost as fast as advertised
Although not “lightning-fast,” the automated (IPsec) protocol is still excellent. My speeds were steady on both nearby and remote servers. With only a small lag, it’s also fast enough for multitasking: surfing, gaming, or streaming.
Your connection speed is mostly determined by your baseline speed and the proximity of the server to which you connect. You have two options: either let Avast secureline VPN review select the quickest server for you in Smart mode, or choose one yourself in Manual mode.
Smart VPN Mode
First, I tested my speeds with its Smart VPN mode, which picks the best server for you based on where you are and what you are doing.
- You can even set it to automatically turn on anytime you want.
- connect to potentially dangerous networks.
- Torrent apps or websites can be used.
- go to banking websites.
Video streaming
This mode functions similarly to split tunnelling. It allows you to route part of your traffic through the VPN while providing direct internet access to other devices or apps for better speeds. It was fantastic to find this capability on MacOS, which is really uncommon.
VPN mode (manual)
After that, I switched to Manual VPN mode, where you may choose and choose your own servers. This option allows you more flexibility and access to information from many areas.
I individually tested ten servers and found that they all performed well. Some servers are nearby (Frankfurt, Luxembourg, London), while others are far away (New York, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Montreal, Sao Paulo, and South Africa).
Even on distant servers in Brazil and Australia, where my speed was somewhat slowed, I saw no change. I was still able to browse and view videos on YouTube without any problems.
Are Avast SecureLine’s gaming speeds fast enough? Yes
The speeds of Avast secureline VPN review are fast enough for enjoyable gameplay; I had no trouble playing on servers that were far away.
Overwatch is one of my favourite games, so I naturally wanted to test whether I could play it on Avast’s servers.
When using a VPN, you should expect a 15-20% reduction in latency. I’m delighted to inform you that utilising Avast’s server in Amsterdam, which is roughly 1,150 kilometres from my location in Vienna, I experienced less than that. I was able to play my favourite online games without any annoying freezes.
My latency was consistently around 60 milliseconds, which is sufficient for lag-free gameplay even in high-bandwidth first-person shooter games. I played Overwatch in high resolution on Avast’s server in Oakland, New Zealand, which was one of the farthest away from my Vienna location. I anticipated a bigger delay because the farther you are from the server, the higher the ping.Avast secureline VPN review has great speeds on both local and remote servers, and it doesn’t collect data.
small yet well-distributed server network
SecureLine’s network coverage is modest, although it is well-distributed throughout six areas. It only offers 700 servers in 30 countries, which isn’t much when compared to a premium VPN’s typical size.
Avast secureline VPN review has only one server location in most regions. When it comes to server networks, bigger is usually better since it means faster speeds and better streaming. Since there is only one server, your connection speed and stability may change during peak times.
There are two modes in Avast VPN
Manually changing servers is possible.
When you click “Change Location” on the desktop version, you can connect to any server you like. You can also select one of the following regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, North America, or South America.
It is smart – it selects the most appropriate server for your location and activity.
The Smart VPN mode, unlike Manual VPN, does not enable you to change servers. Instead, it uses your location and the sites you wish to visit to determine the best server for you.
You may pick servers based on their function, such as P2P or streaming, in addition to their location. I like these categories since it saves time looking for the ideal server for torrenting or streaming your favourite shows.
This option is not available on the mobile version. To find the server you wish to connect to, scroll down. Even though the useful purpose-region distinction has been taken away, you can still search by country and find clearly marked streaming and torrenting servers.
Solid Security with Customizable Features
When it comes to security features, SecureLine VPN checks all the boxes. It’s AES 256-bit encryption protects you from hackers and prying eyes, and is used by government and financial websites.
It also contains a kill switch, but you must manually activate it. I’d much rather have it turned on by default. You can forget to activate it, leaving you vulnerable without even realising it!
I strongly advise you to do so right now, because a VPN without a kill switch is like a car without a handbrake in terms of security. If your VPN fails, a kill switch will cut you off from the internet. This way, none of your data will be exposed.
However, the capability of a kill switch is only available in manual VPN mode. I’d stay away from the smart mode as much as possible to be safe.
On MacOS, SecureLine uses IPSec, while on Windows, it uses OpenVPN. Because it provides the ideal mix between speed and dependability, OpenVPN has become the industry standard. If you can’t use OpenVPN, IPSec is a good option, but it isn’t as secure or reliable as OpenVPN.
The experimental Avast secureline VPN review Mimic protocol, which is still being offered as a beta feature, is the third option. This protocol, according to Avast, is beneficial in places where IPsec is not available. From what I’ve seen, this protocol isn’t very reliable. When I used it, my connection would always fail.
Due to its simplicity and speed, it might eventually replace OpenVPN and IPSec. But WireGuard isn’t supported. IKEv2, which is likewise fast and especially useful for mobile devices, is also not supported.Avast secureline VPN review has great speeds on both local and remote servers, and it doesn’t collect data.
However, there is no security against DNS leaks. Even if you use a VPN, a DNS leak is a security flaw that allows your ISP to see your online activity. I did leak tests to ensure its security, and the results revealed no DNS, IP, or WebRTC leaks, indicating that your data is completely secure.
I used VirusTotal to check for viruses before installing the VPN. Even while this is uncommon with VPNs, taking extra precautions never hurts. My scan was clear, as expected:
With a tainted past, privacy is shaky
Despite the fact that it is now attempting to be as open as possible, I believe Avast’s privacy is still a weakness.
To be honest, I’m not sure I trust a firm that sells sensitive user data to corporations for a profit with my personal information.
Avast secureline VPN review Antivirus was discovered to have harvested and sold the data of over 435 million customers to corporations such as Google, Pepsi, and Microsoft in 2019. Jumpshot, Avast’s marketing analytics business, was bought in 2013. Later, due to the data-selling controversy, the firm shut it down.
Avast secureline VPN review has been secretly logging every click a user makes, including their search history, age, gender, location, and event information from their social networks.
Avast’s main aim is to make the world a safer place, “Avast CEO Ondrej Vlcek said on the company’s official blog. After almost seven years of collecting and selling information to make money, he shut down the operation.
I find it perplexing that a security firm behaves in this manner and only after a public outcry issues a vague and forced apology. Is it possible to ever trust someone like that?
Avast, on the other hand, says that the personal information that Jumpshot got from “Clickstream data” was not recognisable because it was put together with other information.
However, because Avast secureline VPN review gathered data from its antivirus users, you shouldn’t be too concerned.
SecureLine states that it does not track any of your activities and that “nobody can see which apps you use, which websites you visit, or what material you engage with.”
However, a deeper examination of its privacy policies reveals that it does log the following:
- connections’ time stamps
- sent data volume
- IP address of your computer (for downloading, authorization, etc.)
The Czech Republic, a Tier B country, is home to the company’s headquarters. That is, it is not a member of the 5/9/14 Eyes but works with them. As a result, logging all of this information is invading your privacy, especially considering its authority. It may disclose your information in specific circumstances.
All EU users, however, should be allowed to opt-out of having their personal data shared, according to GDPR. But this isn’t the case in this case.
VPNs that are really zero-log should not track or store records of nearly any activity, much less send them over.
Torrenting: Fast but Risky
Despite the fact that Avast offers P2P servers, I still do not advocate exchanging files with them due to their history and logging policies. Avast secureline VPN review has great speeds on both local and remote servers, and it doesn’t collect data.
Dedicated P2P servers are designed to provide greater security when it comes to filing sharing. Despite the fact that this sounds fantastic in principle, I do not believe Avast is a decent VPN for torrenting. After all, it collects user data, logs a lot of data, and is based in the Czech Republic.
Even so, I was curious about its peer-to-peer network. I used BitTorrent while connecting to its torrenting server in Prague to get two classic movies in the public domain.
My download proceeded without incident. Your speeds will increase as you add additional seeders. My download speed was around 1.5 Mbps, which was decent given I only had around 2-3 seeds for each movie I was downloading.
Don’t forget to activate your kill switch to prevent data leakage if your VPN connection drops during torrenting. Go to Menu/Preferences and check the kill switch box if you’re using Manual mode.
In six countries, Avast provides a good selection of torrenting servers
- Czechoslovakia is a country in Central Europe (Prague).
- France (Paris)
- Germany (Frankfurt)
- Dutch (Amsterdam)
- the UK (London).
- in the US (Miami, Seattle, and New York).
On a PC, go to “Change Location” and choose the P2P tab just above “Streaming” to see the entire list of its torrenting servers.
However, before torrenting, I strongly advise you to verify your country’s policies and restrictions. Also, please be aware that neither my team nor I support illegal torrenting.
Is Avast SecureLine VPN compatible with China? No
- Customer support verified that SecureLine is unlikely to function in China.
- The obfuscation features of Avast secure line VPN are insufficient to circumvent China’s Great Firewall.
- You might be able to connect, though, depending on your protocol, operating system, and IP address.
- If you need to avoid the Great Firewall, I recommend using a reliable VPN for China that has more powerful security safeguards. Even with a paid VPN, I’d be wary about using one in countries where access to the internet is limited. Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, for example, are banned countries.
It only works with the most popular apps and devices
It is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices, but not with Linux or routers. I had no problems using it on a Windows PC, Mac, or iPhone.
It’s a shame it can’t be installed on a router because it could protect a lot of other devices. It may be used to broadcast video to an Android Smart TV, and Nvidia Shield TV, or a Mi Box, for example.
On the plus side, add-ons for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Avast Secure Browser are available.
Because it employs a proxy rather than a VPN, an app is less secure than a browser VPN extension. A VPN programme, on the other hand, secures everything from your internet traffic to the apps you use.
Connect up to 10 devices simultaneously
I saw no performance differences when my MacBook, iPhone, iPad, and Windows PC were all linked.
If you sign up for a subscription through the company’s website, you may connect up to ten devices regardless of the bundle you choose, which is a lot. Most VPNs only allow 5–6 devices per subscription, which is higher than the industry standard.
However, to connect up to ten devices, you must pay for a membership. I could only install the programme on my laptop during my 7-day free trial, but I could link it with a mobile device using a code.
Quick and easy set-up and installation
The procedure of installation was simple and quick. You can rapidly activate the VPN after downloading and installing the programme, which takes only a few minutes. By clicking on the “Change” button, you may move between servers.
The pricing of Avast secure line VPN is reasonable, but I’m not a fan of the yearly subscriptions. Its 3-year plan, which starts at $3.75/month, is the cheapest.
Yearly plans are a bit much for me. You can acquire a monthly membership if you purchase through the App Store or Google Play. Only five devices can be connected. The good news is that you will receive an email detailing how and when to cancel your membership before it is charged.
There’s also a seven-day free trial that requires no financial information. Both were tried. I tried it out on my Mac first. I got my membership through the App Store on my iPhone, and when the 7-day trial was over, I linked it to my laptop.
If you change your mind, you may get your money back within 30 days. However, their return policy isn’t quite “no questions asked.”
The reimbursement must be justified. It will direct you to assistance through chat, email, or a toll-free phone number, depending on the cause. Avast secure line VPN review will attempt to resolve your issue before refunding your money.
Support and dependability
I liked Avast secure line VPN review customer service, but I was sad that it was only available to paying clients.
Live chat, email, and even phone support are available. The caveat is that you can only do this if your subscription is active. Because you need to input your membership key whether you’re using a free product or a trial, there’s simply no way to contact them.
Its knowledge base is the only thing you can do. A knowledge base, no matter how comprehensive, will never be able to fully replace real-time customer service.
However, once I received my membership, I was able to contact the company’s customer service. I first inquired about why I couldn’t view Netflix US and other platforms using its live chat. Because I acquired my membership through the App Store, its live chat operator couldn’t answer my question. Instead, they referred my case to a mobile team that specialised in it.
When I asked why the free trial version didn’t operate on my Mac, I received no response
I received a comprehensive answer to all of my inquiries in around five hours per email after they transferred them to the mobile staff.