VPN Reviews

HotSpotVPN Review – Privacy And Anonymity At Your Fingertips

By Paul Liu
Monday, August 5th, 2013

HotSpotVPN is one of the oldest VPN providers in the world. Launched in 1998, the service is brought to you by WiFiConsulting Inc. which is Washington DC based security and consulting firm. In this thorough HotSpotVPN Review, we will have a look at the features provided by the service and decide if it is worth subscribing.

Server Locations and Site Access

HotSpotVPN offers VPN servers in United States of America. While the choice of server locations is really not there, the service would help US expats and travelers to unlock their favorite US based content from abroad as well allow people from all over the world to bypass ISP and network based restrictions. Once you are connected to the service, you would be able to unlock sites like Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Pandora, Gmail, CWTV, Hulu, ABC, NBC, CBS, HBO Go, Amazon Prime, Fox, Discovery, YouTube, Vonage, NFL, MLB, Skype and Google Voice from any location in the world (even from countries like China, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Brazil and Qatar).

VPN Speed and Bandwidth

HotSpotVPN delivers its service through severs connected to Gigabit nodes. The service does not limit bandwidth or throttle speed in any way so it is ideal for activities like downloading, VOIP, FTP, online gaming and streaming of HD TV shows and movies.

Privacy Settings

HotSpotVPN offers protection and security through PPTP and OpenVPN protocols. The PPTP protocol comes with 128 bit encryption whereas the OpenVPN customers can choose from 128 bit Blowfish, AES 192 bit and AES 256 bit encryption levels. The ability to choose protocols and encryption levels allows customers to make a choice between speed, security and compatibility. The service is well suited for securing online activities such as browsing, emailing, FTP, VOIP and messaging and at the same time it provides protection from hackers and sniffing programs while using low security wireless networks at coffee shops, malls, airports and other public places.

The company does not record or keep a track of customers’ online sessions. In addition, the company does not hand over user data to third parties unless required by law.

Supported Operating Systems

HotSpotVPN’s security solution works with Windows, Android, iPads, iPhones, Snow Leopard OS X, PocketPC, Windows Mobile, Symbian, FreeBSD, Linux, Solaris and OpenBSD. The setup and installation is easy thanks to the excellent video tutorials and step by step instructions provided by the company. The service can also scan your online traffic for viruses and malwares and even block all kinds of advertisements which is not possible with other VPN services.

The company also offers a zero configuration hardware VPN solution known as Tiny Hardware Firewall that offers high security for your mobile and computing devices from almost anywhere. For instance, Tiny Hardware Firewall allows you to use 256 bit OpenVPN on your iPhone without the need to jailbreak your device.

Customer Support

The company offers customer support through its helpdesk. The support staff is well-experienced and makes it point to respond to most support queries in a timely fashion.

Pricing Options

HotSpotVPN’s PPTP solution is available from $3.88/day and $8.88/month. The OpenVPN solution is available from $10.88 – $13.88 per month ($10.88 for 128 bit encryption, $11.88 for AES-192 encryption and $13.88 for AES-256 encryption) and includes a complementary PPTP package so you can secure your computer and mobile device at the same time. The annual plans are available for 10 times the monthly price but the option to subscribe to a quarterly or half-yearly plan is not available. The company does not offer refunds so it makes sense to subscribe to a daily or monthly plan first in order to test the service.

Final Verdict

The HotSpotVPN service clearly delivers on most parameters. Although the service is somewhat expensive and does not offer more choice of server locations, it offers several security features that are not available with other VPN providers. So if you are looking for a VPN service that has the backing of a VPN pioneer then you can check the offers from HotSpotVPN. For more information, please visit: www.hotspotvpn.com.