Using a VPN service provides many benefits, such as bypassing censorship, enhancing network security and protecting your privacy. One of the newer privacy-centric VPN services is LiquidVPN. LiquidVPN provides some unique privacy enhancing features that other VPN service providers have not been able to duplicate.
Before we get into the real nuts and bolts of LiquidVPN it’s important; we have some general insight into what a consumer VPN service is and how they work.
What A VPN Service is and More Importantly what it is Not
Let’s discuss what a personal VPN service is in the first place. In this case, a VPN, or virtual private network, is an encrypted network that consists of a server and clients sharing resources.
The client dials into the server and then all the data flowing between the client and server is encrypted. This private network lays on top of a public network like the Internet.
All of your Internet traffic passes over the public network to the server, and from the server to the web. The traffic is encrypted from your device to the server third parties (hackers and/or governments) can’t see sniff out your data.
You may have just realized that this would also change your IP address, and that is true, but it’s important to understand that this is not a replacement for TOR.
Why you Should Use a VPN Service
So why should you use a VPN service? We already know VPNs provide benefits like encryption and privacy. What else can a personal VPN service do? Here are our favorites:
1. Securing public Wi-Fi hotspots
2. Prevent websites from tracking your IP address.
3. Stopping various forms of digital surveillance (DNS, ARP, Packet Captures)
4. Bypassing censorship and unblocking blocked websites.
5. Bypassing local network firewalls
6. Safely downloading/sharing files
7. Communicating privately
8. Saving money by unlocking region specific deals on items.
9. Streaming media that is not available in your current location.
10. Prevent your ISP from throttling your “bulk” data. Bulk usually refers to data they deem low priority. Stuff like P2P and traffic to their competition.
As you can see, using a secure VPN service greatly enhance your internet experience. So why choose LiquidVPN over other providers?
How LiquidVPN Stands Out
As far as private VPN services go LiquidVPN stands out as one focused on security and privacy by offering the following key security features:
• Cipher: AES-256-CBC (Standard), Camellia-256-CBC (limited availability)
• TLS Cipher: TLS-DHE-RSA with AES-256-CBC-SHA
• HMAC Digest: SHA512 (SHA2)
• Key Size: 4096 RSA
• Perfect Forward Secrecy: Key are renegotiated between the user and the server every 30 minutes.
LiquidVPN has developed several technologies that are either completely unique to them or that are only available from VPN providers that charge twice as much per month as LiquidVPN. These technologies include:
• Multiple network topologies
• IP Modulation
• LiquidLock
• LiquidDNS
Multiple VPN Topologies
All of the affordable VPN services under 12.00 besides LiquidVPN only provide access to shared IP addresses when you connect to their servers.
To get dynamically assigned public IP addresses you are going to pay around $12.00 or more per month for a VPN connection.
It does not sound expensive until you realize LiquidVPN only charges $7.00 per month for both VPN topologies and they provide a 3rd topology called IP Modulation.
IP Modulation
IP Modulation means that LiquidVPN always changes your external IP address without disconnecting you from their servers. IP Modulation greatly enhances your privacy.
IP Modulation was inspired by router load balancing techniques. Large enterprises use load balancing to distribute computing workloads across multiple resources, like servers.
Load balancing prevents server overloads and is a more efficient use of a company’s hardware.
LiquidVPN flips this line of thought on its head.
By using the same routing techniques and distributing your workload across many IP addresses instead of servers they are able to make your IP address rapidly change while you surf the internet.
The IP addresses switch between users on the modulating topology while you’re browsing the web. This is done as many as 10-20 times per webpage load.
Your real IP address is hidden behind this pool of shared addresses. Besides enhancing your anonymity, this feature makes LiquidVPN the best VPN to use when you need access to lots of IP addresses.
LiquidLock
Think of LiquidLock as a firewall and VPN kill switch. LiquidLock controls your operating system’s firewall to:
• Prevents exploits like WebRTC, IPv4 and IPv6 leaks
• Lets you allow or block local traffic
• Allowing traffic to certain IP addresses, regardless of your network connection
LiquidLock creates firewall rules and configurations automatically and on the fly so that only encrypted traffic leaves your computer. If the data isn’t encrypted, it doesn’t leave your computer. This prevents accidental data leaks that let hackers trace your location.
LiquidDNS
LiquidVPN even has its own DNS service. DNS, or Domain Name System, is a naming system for computers. Basically, it translates human-friendly website names into their real IP address. This is called DNS name resolution.
LiquidDNS, is private, encrypted and most importantly – zero log. When a VPN provider says that it’s a zero log service, it means that it doesn’t keep logs/records of your internet activity. This means that even if a government tries to force a VPN provider to hand over its logs, there are no logs to give up.
The LiquidDNS service prevents DNS filtering and man-in-the-middle attacks. When a company uses DNS filtering, like on a public Wi-Fi hotspot, it prevents you from accessing certain websites. This can be good in some cases, like preventing kids from accessing adult sites. But you wouldn’t want your DNS provider to do this on your own private Wi-Fi network, without your permission.
A man-in-the-middle attack is an attack where a hacker secretly intercepts your web traffic. The hacker can then send you to fake websites that contain malware, or even spy on your private communications with your friends.
LiquidDNS also comes with smart content streaming but we can’t tell you about that. We don’t want to provoke the wrath of NetFlix
LiquidVPN Pricing
Now that you know a little more about LiquidVPN and its benefits, you’ll want to know the cost. LiquidVPN is an affordable VPN service that has three paid tiers:
• SideKick: $7/month for two devices
• Road Warrior: $10/month for four devices
• Ultimate: $18/month for eight devices
You can try LiquidVPN risk-free for seven days. If you don’t like it, you get your money back – and that’s a guarantee. LiquidVPN supports all major credit cards, as well as PayPal and Bitcoin.
