Norton Secure VPN Review
Norton is a name which you know that you can trust in the digital security world. While their VPN service is new, you can trust that their no-logging policy, as well as their money back guarantee, are genuine.
Norton Secure VPN Review Summary
Norton Secure VPN is recommended for those who are already familiar with Norton’s other products as it will feel very familiar to you. Norton Secure VPN is also a good choice for those who are new to VPNs. Advanced VPN users will find themselves disappointed as the goal is clearly to easily onboard new users, and they will not like the lack of support for torrenting and p2p.
Norton Secure VPN Features
Norton WiFi Privacy has very few visible features. The only options that you are given as far as features go are:
- Choosing what country to connect to
- Whether or not to have ads blocked
- Selecting whether or not it opens up on the login
- Choosing to automatically connect
These are the four most basic features, and you are given nothing else as far as your options go. This makes it very simple to use.
Features which are built into the software include these encryption levels for different operating systems:
- Android: OpenVPN using Blowfish 128 encryption
- iOS: IPSec using AES 128 encryption
- Windows: OpenVPN using Blowfish 128 encryption
- Mac: OpenVPN using Blowfish 128 encryption
This is top of the line encryption, and a great feature for those looking to protect themselves from hackers.
A very useful feature which they do not mention, or give you the option to turn off and on, is their killswitch. We have observed it operating, but there is no indication from Norton’s website that they actually have one. How the VPN behaves, however, clearly indicates that they have one protecting you.
Reliability
We tested Norton WiFi Privacy extensively on a Macbook Pro. The test lasted for well over a week, and no reliability issues came up. Norton VPN has good connections which do not drop. We also took the time to run it through its paces, with multiple downloads and streaming at the same time, and did not experience any issues.
We spoke with Norton and they claimed a 99.8% server uptime. That’s pretty impressive, and in line with what we experienced.
Platforms and Compatibility
Norton has created clients for the following platforms:
- Windows
- Mac
- Android
- iOS
These are the standard platforms, but it would be good to see them rollout specific clients for Chromebook, iPad, and Android tablets as others have. For now though, the ‘one-size-fits-all’ mobile clients work well enough.
CPU Load / Resources
At 179 MB on disk, Norton VPN may just be the fattest VPN you can download. This compares to the lightweight IPVanish at 22 MB on disk. The slightly more feature heavy Total VPN and Hidemyass VPN are 49 MB on disk.
As you can see, this is version 1.0.0 of their VPN client. Over time, they could put this on a diet so that it takes up less disk space on your device.
Of note is the fact that no slowdowns were noticeable while using it. It is a very large application for a VPN, but it does not appear to create any noticeable difference in CPU speed.
Norton Secure VPN SERVERS & COUNTRIES
Norton VPN currently have over 1400 servers in 13 different countries, with 25 different locations between those 13 countries. They have also been sure to spread their servers across the world. You can find a server in the following countries:
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Singapore
- Spain
- UK
- USA
For a VPN which started very recently, that variety of countries is a good start. This also makes it easy for those who are trying to unblock content in these popular countries. Expats always appreciate that. Norton no doubt used their connections to get this many VPNs up and running so quickly.
Reliability & Speed Tests
Norton’s VPN service, which they call Norton WiFi Privacy, is found to have a speed that is comparable to most other VPN providers. It is very important for you to be sure to take into consideration the country that you are connecting to. Your speed will be impacted by the speed available in the country you are connecting to. To illustrate this, here is the Internet connection on the day of testing with no VPN: 
Here is what happened when connected to the server in South Africa: 
The problem in this instance is South Africa as they have notoriously slow Internet. Norton has a feature which automatically chooses the best connection for you. This is recommended as you will typically get speeds in this range: 
12 to 13 MB per second is about the average for any VPN you will use. For an honest assessment, when you’re using Norton WiFi Privacy it does feel slightly slower than other VPNs. This was the conclusion that we all came to, it may not reflect your exact experience.
Pricing and Payments
Norton bases their pricing on a yearly subscription. This subscription amount will vary depending upon the number of devices you wish to have connected. This is similar to how all of their other security suites operate. The yearly going rates as of this writing are:
- 1 device – $50
- 5 devices – $80
- 10 devices– $100
They also offer their other security tools in package deals with their VPN. This should be the case as their VPN is on the expensive side. One device for $4.99/month sounds like a good deal, until you remember that Private Internet Access has a similar service for $3.33/month with a five device limit. Packaging different security tools together with Norton is the best use of this VPN. They can be a complete security solution for all of your Internet needs, all on one bill.
Support
Given the fact that Norton has been in the digital security realm for so long, you can be sure that they have developed their customer support network. The different ways which you can get in touch with them include:
- Live chat: This is a pop-up window in the bottom right corner of your browser when you go to their website. This provides adequate support, and is quite timely.
- Norton Support: This is a dedicated webpage where you can choose the type of help that you are going to need. It also features an FAQ page where you can learn more and teach yourself, rather than need support.
- Norton Forum: Your issue has come up before, and it is going to be in the forum. This is another opportunity to learn rather than to just bug support and have them sort it out for you. There is also a chance to get help from the community that the support team will not give you.
- Phone support: Given the fact that Norton is a huge company, you can be sure that they have a dedicated phone team that will be able to help you with all of your questions. This phone support can also come with remote assistance.
Norton has learned over the decades how to care for their customers. This applies to their popular security tools as well as their VPN.
POLICIES & LOGGING
Perhaps the most trusted name in online and digital security is Norton. They have provided cutting edge antivirus software to the online community for decades. When they announced they were coming out with a VPN everyone here at BVP was excited to see what they offered.
We have been quite pleased to see that they have a no-log policy on all of their connections. Norton also push the WiFi privacy features of their VPN hard. This is commendable as every VPN provider should highlight this important aspect of VPNs. Their automatic kill switch feature is also appreciated.
Expert Recommendation
Positives: Norton is a name which you know that you can trust in the digital security world. While their VPN service is new, you can trust that their no-logging policy, as well as their money back guarantee, are genuine. The built in killswitch is going to help out everyone who uses this VPN. Their ad blocking technology is also a nice little touch.
Negatives: While their client is very reliable, it lacks options that an advanced user would want. For the VPN novice this could actually be ideal as it takes a lot of worry out of their hands. P2P and torrent users will be disappointed that they can’t do this over the service.
Final word: The ideal Norton WiFi Privacy user is someone who is already familiar with all of their other security products. We would like to encourage anyone who has another product from them to also add this to their stable of security tools. Anyone who is new to the VPN world would also be wise to choose them as their provider.
Norton Secure VPN User Reviews
Norton VPN -
Norton vpn is fast and reliable. I have had no issues with their connections ever since i paid for my service. Their customer support are great and have been helpful each time i have called in with an issue.
Norton VPN -
I have been using norton products for the longest time i can remember. When i learnt about their VPN from their customer support i instantly go interested. I have been using it for the last 2 months and it is amazing. Works perfectly on my phone and PC.
Norton VPN -
I have had this service for the last 6 months. The experience has been great. The speeds are pretty good allowing me to do everything i do online including gaming without any hitches.
Norton VPN -
It is pretty fast and allows me to watch stuff in HD. The customer support has been great every time i have contacted them i have had my issues handled professionally.
Norton VPN -
I have been a norton user for many years and when i read about their vpn service it was easy to make the switch. They have a no-log policy on all of their connections which is a big deal for me and am sure it is for many of you out here.
Norton VPN -
I paid for this service primarily to access streaming services. It has worked seamlessly through the seven months i have been using it. Their customer support are quick to respond the few times i have had to seek help from them.
Norton VPN -
I have been using this VPN for the better part of this year and it has served me well. I have used Norton’s other products before and thought why not give their vpn a try and am glad i did. Their customer support is always quick to respond whenever there have been problems.
Norton VPN -
Have been using them for a couple months – web browsing, occasional movies, DCSS (turn-based low-graphics game online), some Second Life. The documentation says you should put info into your control panel, but you can get by without doing that – at least, certainly you don’t need to do it for every single connection. I plugged one or two into control panel and then found I didn’t need to for others.
Connections to Asia from China are good. Service rarely drops over hours, although you may need to restart the computer occasionally. Also was able to buy a subscription with the exact same setup that Vypr/Paypal somehow refused when trying to get Vypr. Love having the choice of less than year-long subscriptions also.
Norton VPN - UK SERVERS IN CALIFORNIA?
have only had account 5 weeks. bought it specifically to connect to uk servers. very limited success in doing this as Norton VPN tells me im connected to london server (for exampe) but the numberNorton VPN displays is a USA IP address. quick check on various “whats my ip” sites confirms im actually connected to USA. ALSO when connected to a USA server yesterday my google account name appeared on the usa website screen! i was NOT even logged into a google service at the time. so what data is being sent? time for me to try another VPN
Norton VPN - UK SERVERS IN CALIFORNIA?
have only had account 5 weeks. bought it specifically to connect to uk servers. very limited success in doing this as Norton VPN tells me im connected to london server (for exampe) but the numberNorton VPN displays is a USA IP address. quick check on various “whats my ip” sites confirms im actually connected to USA. ALSO when connected to a USA server yesterday my google account name appeared on the usa website screen! i was NOT even logged into a google service at the time. so what data is being sent? time for me to try another VPN