IPVanish

IPVanish VPN (also known as IPVanish) is a US-based VPN service owned by Ziff Davis.[1]

IPVanish VPN
Original author(s)
Initial release2012
Operating system
Available inEnglish
TypeVirtual private network, Internet censorship circumvention
LicenseProprietary
Websitewww.ipvanish.com

History

IPVanish was founded in 2012 by Mudhook Media Inc, an independent subsidiary of Highwinds Network Group in Orlando, Florida.[2][3]

In 2017, Highwinds Network Group was acquired by CDN company StackPath which included IPVanish as part of the acquisition.

In 2019, IPVanish was acquired by J2 Global with their NetProtect business.[4][5][6]

Cooperation with Homeland Security

According to a June 2018 article by TorrentFreak, court documents showed that IPVanish handed over personal information about a customer to the Department of Homeland Security (HSI) in 2016.[7] The customer was suspected of sharing child pornography on an IRC network.[7] 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.”[7] 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."[7][8]

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."[7]

Uses

IPVanish funnels the internet traffic of its users through remote servers, obscuring the user's IP address and encrypting data transmitted through the connection. Users can simultaneously connect an unlimited number of devices.[9][10]

Like other VPN services, IPVanish also has the ability to bypass internet censorship in most countries.[11] By selecting a server in a region outside of their physical position, VPN users can easily access online content which was not available in their location, or play games that are regionally-restricted due to licensing agreements.

Technical details

Encryption

IPVanish uses the OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec technologies in its applications, while the L2TP and PPTP connection protocols can also be configured.[12] IPVanish supports the AES (128-bit or 256-bit) specifications, with SHA-256 for authentication and an RSA-2048 handshake.[13]

Servers

IPVanish owns and operates more than 1500 remote servers in over 75+ locations.[14] The largest concentration of VPN servers is located in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.[15] The company suspended operations in Russia as of July 2016, due to conflicts with the company's zero-log policy and local law.[16][17] 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.”[18]

IPVanish is headquartered in the United States, which does not have mandatory data retention laws.[19]

Recognition

In 2016, Lifehacker AU rated the service as its #1 VPN.[20] In a 2018 review highlighting IPVanish ‘zero logs’ policies and nonprofit support, CNET ranked IPVanish as one of the best VPN services of the year.[21] The reviewer also noted that its integrated plugin for Kodi, the open-source media streaming app, was 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”.[22] An annually-updated TorrentFreak article reviewing the logging policies of VPN services lists IPVanish as an anonymous provider.[2][23][24] Tom's Guide wrote that the lack of a kill switch on the mobile application "may be a downside for some".[9]

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. "The Best Anonymous VPN Services of 2016". TorrentFreak. 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  3. "IPVanish Interview - BestVPN.com". BestVPN.com. 2018-03-07. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  4. VPN, Desire Athow 2019-05-07T15:08:22Z (7 May 2019). "IGN owner J2 Global snaps up major VPN brands". TechRadar. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  5. "IPVanish". J2 Global. 2019-04-29. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  6. Internet, Anthony Spadafora 2019-07-24T19:01:28Z. "SaferVPN.com acquired by NetProtect". TechRadar. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  7. Andy (2018-06-05). "IPVanish "No-Logging" VPN Led Homeland Security to Comcast User". Archived from the original on 2018-06-08.
  8. "Privacy Policy - IPVanish VPN". ipvanish.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-27. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  9. Rivington, James (23 January 2020). "The best VPN services 2020". tomsguide.com. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  10. "Best VPN For Darknet & Dark Web". vpngorilla.com. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  11. "Watch BBC iPlayer in the USA: Unblock to Access Content Outside UK". AddictiveTips. 2017-10-09. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  12. "VPN Protocols - IPVanish". ipvanish.com. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  13. "IPVanish VPN". sabaitechnology.com. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  14. "IPVanish VPN Review Best VPN?". themreview.com. 19 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-19.
  15. "VPN Server Locations - IPVanish VPN". ipvanish.com. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  16. "IPVanish VPN". PCMAG. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  17. "IPVanish removes Russian VPN servers from Moscow". IPVanish. 2016-07-12. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  18. "Some VPN firms shut down Hong Kong servers over security law concerns". CNBC. 17 July 2020.
  19. "Protect Yourself from Data Retention Laws - IPVanish". ipvanish.com. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  20. "The Five Best VPNs For 2017". Lifehacker Australia. 2016-12-27. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  21. "These are your best, most secure VPN options". CNET. 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  22. "IPVanish VPN review". techradar.com. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  23. "Which VPN Services Keep You Anonymous in 2017? - TorrentFreak". TorrentFreak. 2017-03-04. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  24. "Which VPN Services Keep You Anonymous in 2018? - TorrentFreak". TorrentFreak. 2018-03-04. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
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