Best iPad VPN

Since you are searching for the best iPad VPN, there are probably two possibilities of what you are searching for – one of which I will cover, one of which I will not.  If you are looking for a VPN connection for your iPad to watch Netflix outside The USA (or other geo-restricted TV streaming sites like iPlayer), download torrents anonymously, or browse with a fake IP address, then I will cover how to do this. This will of course include how to bypass your work/school firewall (or China’s for that matter) and access Facebook and YouTube where they are blocked.

What I won’t cover is how to establish your own VPN connection, ie through a Cisco VPN or a VPN router. Unfortunately, that’s beyond the scope of my skill. However, I can direct you to some forums Here, Here, and a tutorial  Here.

So now, on to the fun stuff.

There are basically two choice for VPNs for your iPad – a PPTP and a L2TP VPN.  Though there’s something called an SSL VPN at the Apple Store, I would recommend that you use one of these two because, well, I have good luck with them in the past, and it’s super fast to get set up this way.

The key difference between the Cisco VPN mentioned above and the VPN services that I’m going to talk about in a moment (and this took me a long time to understand this), is that with a PPTP or L2TP VPN through a VPN service, you do not have to have your own VPN server. Everything is set up for you.  If you type “best VPN for iPad” into the search engines, you will find a bunch of computer jargon about Cisco VPN, which is why I want to clarify this (it confused me at the beginning too).  That is going to be for the guy who wants to connect remotely to his work or home computer server from a remote location.

But there are many other of us who don’t need anything like that. For me, I just wanted to be able to access Facebook on my iPad in China.  After Netflix came out with the app for iPhone and iPad, I was then able to access Netflix (and Hulu for that matter) from outside The US, and the same trick would work for other sites like iPlayer, LoveFilm (both from The UK), or other geo-restricted streaming sites from around the world.

Here are the steps you have to follow

1. Choose a VPN Service (I will recommend some below)
2. Choose PPTP or L2TP (PPTP is faster, L2TP is more secure)
3. Sign up and Pay (I’ll compare prices below)
4. Enter the server/login information provided
5. You’re done, you can now use your VPN connection

And just like that, in 5 steps you’re anonymous.  You’re using a fake IP from anywhere in the world.  You can safely access the internet on open networks, you can use an IP from another country, you can bypass internet censorship, and unblock websites anywhere.

Top 3 VPN Services for iPad

There are really tons of services out there, but I’ve had good experiences with these three.  These are not the only ones out there, so go by all means do your own research, but really, you could randomly choose any on this list and be happy.  I’ve highlighted a few of their features to help you make a better decision.

……….

Hide My Ass

Simple set up and simple payment means you get set up fast, with little hassle.  40+ country locations is a huge network, and it includes all the popular locations like The US, The Netherlands, The UK, Germany, and others in Europe, Asia, South/North America.  Their package includes a choice of PPTP and L2TP (for iPad), and it’s only $6.52 per month (super cheap).  The star features are that you can choose servers based on speed and each purchase comes with a 30 day money back guarantee.

>>> Test Drive HMA <<<

……….

PureVPN

For a bit cheaper ($75 per year, compared to $78 at HMA), you can get an account with 30GB limit and 11 VPN servers.  Again, PPTP and L2TP are available, plus there’s live support.  PureVPN is a Hong Kong company, so torrent and P2P fans may prefer to use this service as opposed to HMA which is UK based. They also have a 3 day trial account which can be useful for those looking for a short-term subscription.

>>> Test Drive PureVPN <<<

……….

StrongVPN

This is one of the largest and most widely used VPN networks in the world. There are lots of options, and you can even choose a VPN package based on your current country location.  Live support is great (24/7), and they even have discount packages -  $55 per year for US/UK PPTP VPN (great for iPad users).  If I had to recommend one service, I would recommend this one because you get stellar service, fast VPN servers, and a cheap price.  They do have a wider range of servers, but they’ll cost a bit more, so if you’re looking for variety in your VPN server location, you’d best go with HMA.

>>> Test Drive StrongVPN <<<

……….

Previous Post