CyberGhost VPN is a free virtual private network that offers the most important features that such a service must have – without any unnecessary extras. In the following, I’ll tell you about my CyberGhost experience.
VPN provides secure connections on insecure channels
Almost nothing works without networks anymore. Whether it’s a well-established intranet within a company, or simply the connection of computers to the Internet – communication, data exchange and productivity of a company are inextricably linked with the concept of network technology. But how do you securely connect different, spatially separated networks?
The larger a company is, the more complicated it becomes to set up and use a company-internal network. This is especially true if several sites are to be connected and operate over long distances.
If each location has its own internal network and, in the best case, is connected to the Internet, the branch offices are far from being able to communicate with each other. At least not on secure and encrypted channels. Laying miles of cable to physically connect different sites is obviously unrealistic at this point. So how can two company locations be connected easily and securely? Virtual Private Network (VPN) is the keyword in this context. Such an interface provides secure and direct access to an internal network.
But how does a VPN work?
Imagine the following scenario: Company location A, based in Berlin, has a connection to the Internet as well as its own intranet, which organizes and ensures communication and data exchange within the branch. The same applies to company location B in Cologne. Only the secure exchange of data between the two locations does not yet work. In order to send data securely from location A to location B, to communicate digitally and to be able to access the other network, VPN software is needed that creates a private, virtual network on the unprotected channels of the Internet to which both locations are connected. Using this virtual network, both sites A and B can then access each other’s internal network as subscribers, exchange data and communicate digitally.
The VPN software is simply installed on the respective Internet connection device, usually a router. Based on the protocols used, exchanged data packets can be encrypted; access keys and identification mechanisms can be used to control access to virtual private networks. Simply put, a VPN is a secure network embedded in an unprotected network, such as the Internet.
However, despite all the encryption, it is possible to trace who the various VPN peers are on the basis of data packets sent. This possibility and the fact that the number and size of sent file packets is visible to third parties may allow conclusions to be drawn about what data is exchanged within a VP network.
Thus, a virtual private network is not necessarily a tunnel solution that runs completely incognito, but rather a glass tunnel that is protected from unwanted access, but not invisible. Because a virtual private network can be subject to large and sudden peak loads at any given time, it makes sense to implement network virtualization. This disguises the complexity of the network and thus increases performance.
What applies to the connection of different networks can also be implemented with regard to individual computers. For example, an employee can access a company network from his home computer via a VPN. By connecting to a VPN, it is therefore as if an external computer is a direct part of the network to which it is connected. In this context, if the external computer were to access the Internet, for example, it would do so via the physical network to which it is connected via VPN.
However, not only computers or networks can be connected to each other via VPN on the channels of an unprotected network. Secure connection to a more remote server and also direct encrypted communication between two different servers over an unsecured network can also be implemented using VPN. One could even integrate a virtual private network, to which only selected clients would have access, into an existing internal network.
CyberGhost Review
This provider has more than 2,240 servers in 60+ countries (read more) and offers extensive features, including custom clients for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Torrents are also allowed on most servers. Moreover, CyberGhostVPN offers its users a 30-day money-back guarantee – in case you are not satisfied after all. Moreover, there is a live support available that can help very quickly in case of any questions or uncertainties.
CyberGhostVPN is the market leader among all VPN providers in Germany. The headquarters is located in Romania. Having the headquarters in the USA would be a less good alternative due to the NSA scandals, so Romania is ideal as the main location and offers users comprehensive security. The service is subject to the laws of the country of Romania. In Germany, there are some stores where you can easily buy a CyberGhost subscription and even pay with Bitcoins. This ensures maximum anonymity.
There is a free service package that allows for a VPN connection, but in my Cyberghost experience, it is worthless. This version is only interesting for users who have absolutely limited financial circumstances and definitely cannot spend any money at all on their encrypted connection. Moreover, free providers can also be dangerous. Because: you sell your data to the highest bidder. The virtual private network is compatible with various operating systems such as Windows, OSX, IOS, Android and Linux. As far as the operation is concerned, you should keep in mind that the user interface and the website are written in English when choosing a suitable provider. A German version of this service is planned in each case, but a time frame for it has not been determined yet. What I do not like is that it is apparently quite difficult to cancel one’s subscription and pay for it.
Easy to use
The CyberGhost VPN is very easy to use. This is an absolute plus point. In the bottom left corner, there is a “Country” menu item. There, based on which version of the VPN you have, you can pick the country where you want to connect to one of the available VPN servers. At the bottom right, you can select the respective server – in some countries, such as Germany, there are several servers. Here you can also see the respective connection speed as well as the number of connected users.
Bandwidth
CyberGhost Torrent (read more) – my Cyberghost experiences show: In some places, for example, the P2P or Torrent function is disabled – for example, in the USA. In other places, however, these functions are obviously active. But: caution is advised here. This is because unlimited bandwidth is often promised, for example for CyberGhost Torrent, which is not necessarily adhered to. As is sometimes the case with mobile networks, in some cases the speed suddenly slows down. In my opinion, we are definitely not talking about unlimited bandwidth here.
- In my tests, I found that the German servers, 70 in total, are very fast – in contrast to the Dutch servers, for example, which were much less fast than I had hoped for.
- In terms of bandwidth, I would therefore like to state: The terms and conditions, which can be found on CyberGhost’s website, state that the bandwidth is unlimited. However, it is important to remember here that this depends enormously on the server with which the connection is established. Especially when it comes to CyberGhost torrent. Quote:
- “CyberGhost offers a volume of 80 GB per month, which includes all traffic. If the transfer volume is exceeded, CyberGhost is entitled to block the data transfer until the end of the respective month or limit the bandwidth.”
- At the moment, the data volume is not measured. However, CyberGhost VPN reserves the right to make appropriate measurements via special tracking systems and thus prevent unfair use in case of unusually high utilization.
Privacy protection
CyberGhost VPN offers an ideal way to protect one’s privacy. Thus, the user’s activities on the Internet via the encrypted connection are not recorded or stored anywhere – not even information about the operating system or the language used for surfing. In addition, plug-ins on Facebook can be blocked.
Conclusion
CyberGhost follows a strict no-log policy – so no log files or logs are stored at all. Nevertheless, you know how much bandwidth you are using at any given time. The no-log policy is essential for a free internet, and distinguishes CyberGhost among a number of other features.
Moreover, it’s great that there are some stores in Germany where you can easily buy a CyberGhost subscription and even pay with Bitcoins. It doesn’t get any more anonymous than that.
Another advantage is that the company’s headquarters is in Romania and thus falls under the local laws there. This ensures that the no-log policy is in place. This is also very important if you want to watch Netflix with CyberGhost.
VPN CyberGhost is a simple VPN with many limitations, but it is the cheapest provider on the market. Netflix USA
PROS
- No storage of log files
- Option of comprehensive data protection
- Reasonable price
- Free VPN server available (even if with limited functionality)
- Log in Netflix USA, great!!!
CONS
- There are only a few countries with VPN servers
- Bandwidth is limited to 80 GB and is not always fully available
- Torrent is forbidden on some servers