Jump to IPVanish - IPVanish is a more technical VPN for advanced users due to its more. Chromebook users can access the IPVanish VPN with set up.
If you have an account with a VPN provider, you can use it on your Chromebook, too!
While most VPN companies have something you can download for Windows or Mac that's a one-click-install setup, on your Chromebook you'll need to enter the information manually. It's not difficult; you don't need to know any network jargon or define any extra parameters, and any VPN setup to work with OpenVPN is compatible.
Before you start, you should check to see if your VPN company has an app in the Chrome Web Store. There are a handful of VPN providers that do, including NordVPN, TunnelBear, ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost, and you install their apps like you would any other app or extension. But if your VPN company doesn't have a Chrome app, here's what you'll need to do.
Importing certificates
If your VPN provider uses a CA Certificate for a connection you'll need to import it into your Chromebook.
- Get the CA Certificate from your VPN company. A CA Certificate is a key that verifies your trust, and your Chromebook already has a number of them installed for web services. You'll need to import the one you were given from your VPN provider if you were given one. Store this file on your local storage so you can import it.
- Open a new tab in the browser and put chrome://settings/certificates in the address bar, then press enter.
- Click the Authorities tab at the top of the page.
- Press the Import button and choose the file you downloaded.
- A box will open asking what you trust this certificate to verify. If you're unsure, you can leave everything unchecked (recommended).
- The certificate will import and install.
- Use these same instructions to import a User certificate if you are provided one. Simply choose the User certificates tab instead of the Authorities tab.
Enter the VPN network settings
Next, you need to enter the account and server information you'll use to connect. You'll do this in the settings as well.
- Click your account photo in the lower left of the screen, then click the gear icon to open the settings.
- Near the top, in the Network section, click the Add connection button.
- Click Add OpenVPN / L2TP.
You need to fill in the information about your connection in the box that opens. If your Chromebook came from your work or your school, you'll need to get this information from the person who administers your Chromebook. Otherwise, you'll find it at your VPN provider's website.
- Server hostname: The name or IP address of the server you'll be connecting to.
- Service name: The connection name that shows in the settings. You can name it anything you like.
- Provider type:
- Select L2TP/IPsec + Pre-shared key if you need to enter a second password once you log-on to your VPN.
- Select L2TP/IPsec + User certificate if you have a separate user certificate as mentioned above.
- Select OpenVPN if neither applies to your VPN connection.
- Pre-shared key: Enter the secondary password you need to connect here. If you don't need to use a second password, leave this blank.
- Server CA certificate: If you installed a CA Certificate as described above, choose it from the list. Otherwise, leave it at Default.
- User certificate: If you installed a User Certificate as described above, choose it from the list. Otherwise, leave it blank.
- Username: The username you use to log in to your VPN.
- Password: Your VPN account password. Note this is not the same as the Pre-shared key.
- OTP: If you were given a token or website address that generates a One Time Password, generate it and enter it here. Otherwise, leave it blank.
- Group name: If you need to enter a Group name it goes here. Otherwise, leave it blank.
- You can check the box to Save identity and password if you want to be able to connect with one click. If you prefer to enter your username and password each time, leave this unchecked. Your Pre-shared Key will be remembered either way.
- To test your connection, click Connect.
You'll know you're connected when you see a key symbol beside your Wi-Fi icon. You'll also see the word Connected in green at the new connection in the settings window. If you connected without any problems, you can click the back arrow in the upper right to see other configuration options, like a setting to always use the VPN connection or delete (Forget) it, or edit it.
If you choose not to use the connection all of the time, you can connect by clicking the network icon (the Wi-Fi symbol) in the tray and choosing your new network.
![For For](/uploads/1/2/5/0/125074347/242560028.jpg)
Use an Android app
If your Chromebook supports Android applications, you may have a much easier time of getting your VPN service working. Just download the VPN provider's app, and set things up like you would on your smartphone. Be warned: some VPN applications may not be perfectly optimized to run on Chrome OS: ProtonVPN kept crashing whenever I tried to open it.
TunnelBear worked, and switching the service on in TunnelBear's app registered perfectly fine with the operating system. Once the service was started, I could then disconnect and reconnect from the quick settings menu in the lower right corner of the display.
Questions
I know that was a lot to take in at once, so I'll be hanging around in the comments below to answer any questions you may have.
![Ipvanish For Chromebook Ipvanish For Chromebook](https://www.safervpn.com/hc/article_attachments/115008550385/chromebook_pptp4.jpg)
Related resources
Chromebooks
Main
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.
$11.99
- Pros10 simultaneous connections. Good geographic diversity of servers. Allows BitTorrenting. Automatic IP address cycling.
- ConsUnwelcoming interface. Limited global server presence.
- Bottom LineVPN service IPVanish secures your web traffic from prying eyes. It packs powerful features veteran VPN users will appreciate, and presents a good value overall, although its interface may intimidate the less experienced.
Network security is a tricky thing, but using a virtual private network (or VPN) like IPVanish goes a long way toward making the web safer and more secure. IPVanish offers a good value with 10 simultaneous connections and an impressive collection of servers, and it goes further with unique features like automatic IP address cycling. IPVanish is an all-around excellent product and one of the best VPNs we've reviewed.
- $11.95
- $6.95
- $10.00
- $9.99
- $12.99
- $12.95
- $9.99
- $9.95
- $7.99
Editors' Note: IPVanish is owned by j2 Global, the parent company of PCMag's publisher, Ziff Davis.
What Is a VPN?
When you connect to the internet via a VPN, all your web traffic is routed to a VPN server through a secure, encrypted tunnel. This means that someone spying on your local network, say at a coffee shop, won't be able to see your online activities. A VPN also hides your real IP address, making it harder to track you across the web. Even your ISP will have a hard time gathering and selling your data when you use a VPN, because it can't penetrate the encrypted tunnel.
VPNs are used every day by people concerned about security or trying to circumvent restrictions on internet access. Journalists and activists in countries with restrictive internet policies use VPNs to keep in contact with the rest of the world and access content that would be otherwise forbidden.
Pricing and Features
IPVanish has a simple pricing scheme with just three options, all of which have the same features. The service costs $10.00 per month, $26.99 billed every three months, or $77.99 billed annually. As is the case with most VPN services, it offers a variety of special deals and discounts.
That's slightly below the average monthly price of $10.30 for a VPN, but there are even-more affordable options out there. Editors' Choice service Private Internet Access has a monthly plan for $6.95.
If price is a major concern, consider looking at a free VPN, instead. TunnelBear offers a free subscription, but limits users to just 500MB per month. ProtonVPN has the best free option, placing no data limits on free subscribers. It also has a very flexible payment plan, making it extremely accessible.
You can pay for IPVanish with any major credit card or PayPal. If you're looking to use Bitcoin, prepaid gift cards, or some other anonymous method of payment, you're out of luck with IPVanish. TorGuard, on the other hand, allows many anonymous payment options. If you ever wanted to use a Subway gift card to buy a VPN subscription, for example, TorGuard is a good option.
IPVanish allows you to connect up to ten devices simultaneously, which is double the five offered by most VPN services. Windscribe and Avira Phantom VPN take the unusual move of placing no limit on the number of devices you can use. Many VPN services allow you to purchase extra connection slots, but TorGuard has the simplest system: a slider that lets you select up to 200 additional connections.
Nearly all VPNs allow the use of BitTorrent and P2P file sharing on their networks, although some do restrict the activity to specific servers. NordVPN is one such service, and TorGuard is another. If you're a heavy downloader, you're sure to appreciate the freedom and flexibility of IPVanish, which doesn't restrict BitTorrent at all.
VPN Protocols
There are many ways to create a VPN connection, but I prefer the OpenVPN protocol. It has a reputation for speed and reliability and is open-source, meaning that its code has been picked over for potential vulnerabilities. IPVanish supports OpenVPN (TCP or UDP), as well as IKEv2—another good choice. The service also has legacy support for L2TP and PPTP, but I don't recommend using either unless it's absolutely necessary.
Note that many developers opt to not include OpenVPN in their iOS apps because Apple treats such apps with exceptional scrutiny. IPVanish is one example of a developer that has not included OpenVPN, opting instead for IKEv2.
Servers and Server Locations
I value geographic diversity in VPN servers because it means you have lots of options for spoofing your location and can be assured that there will be a nearby server for faster, more reliable connections when you travel abroad. It also means more options for location spoofing.
IPVanish boasts servers spread across 51 countries. That's fewer than several competitors, but it's still a good mix of locations, covering most of the globe. IPVanish deserves credit for offering servers in Africa and South America, as those two continents are often completely ignored by VPN companies. It's a small presence, however, and one I'd like to see expand. ExpressVPN, for example, covers over 90 countries.
The total number of servers a VPN company provides is obviously linked to how many subscribers it servers—more subscribers, more servers. Still, more is always better since more servers can mean less overcrowding on those servers. IPVanish currently offers a respectable 1,300 servers. NordVPN currently leads the pack with well over 5,200 servers, followed by CyberGhost, ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, and TorGuard, all of which have around 3,000 total servers.
A virtual server runs on physical server hardware, but it is software-defined, letting several virtual servers exist on a single physical server. Sometimes, virtual servers are configured to appear as if they are operating in a different country than the hardware on which they operate. This can be an issue if you're concerned about the specific locations through which your data travels, but it has its upsides. Virtual servers mean companies can quickly adapt to meet demand and can use physical hardware in safe locations to serve regions that aren't as secure.
My feeling is that virtual servers are fine, as long as they're used transparently. That's a non-issue with IPVanish. A company representative tells me that IPVanish simply doesn't use virtual servers.
Your Privacy With IPVanish
When you use a VPN, it has as much insight into your internet activity as your ISP. That's why it's important to understand the information any VPN service may collect and how they use it. In general, the best VPN services will collect as little as possible, and share even less.
IPVanish's privacy policy is a bit of a tough read. It's lengthy, but mostly understandable. I still think TunnleBear deserves praise for creating a truly readable policy. For the most part, IPVanish's privacy policy paints a positive picture of a privacy-conscious service. It plainly states: 'IPVanish does not collect or log any traffic or use of its Virtual Private Network service,' and that 'we do not sell or rent personal information to others.' That's exactly what I like to hear, and I confirmed with company representatives that it only generates revenue from customer subscriptions. I'm also impressed at the level of transparency IPVanish demonstrates by listing all its third-party partners.
IPVanish operates under Mudhook Marketing, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of StackPath, LLC, and is based in the US. A company representative tells me that while it does respond to valid requests from law enforcement, it has no user data to supply. Some VPN companies use a foreign base of operations to add another layer between them and law enforcement requests. In general, I don't feel qualified to make a judgment about the security implications of a VPN being based in a particular country. Instead, I encourage readers to educate themselves on the issues and go with a product with which they feel comfortable.
In an effort to establish their trustworthiness, some VPN companies have begun releasing the results of commissioned audits. NordVPN had its no-log policy audited, and TunnelBear has committed to releasing annual audits of its service. IPVanish has not undergone a third-party audit. It also has not responded to the Center for Democracy and Technology's VPN questionnaire, but provided me with much of the same information.
Hands On With IPVanish
The IPVanish application installed quickly and easily on my Lenovo ThinkPad T460s running Windows 10.
The IPVanish app has kept its hacker-chic black-and-green color scheme from older versions, but the current iteration looks better and feels more substantial. It's a much smoother experience than before, but it's still not earning many points for looks, nor does it hold your hand. NordVPN has numerous advanced features, but it still manages to look friendly, while TunnelBear has hung its hat on the cute bears that populate its interface. IPVanish is centered around a chart that shows your online traffic, which isn't particularly useful.
Tabs down the side of IPVanish's Windows app let you access account information, advanced settings, and a full server list. I especially like that the server list is searchable, and that it can be filtered by available protocol, country, and latency time. There's also a map view, but it's not on by default. Other services with more emphasis on user interface design put maps at the forefront.
The main page lets you connect with a click, which I like. Too many VPN apps make you guess at how to turn them on. Pull-down menus at the bottom let you select the country, city, and specific server of your choosing. However, it's probably best to just select a country and let IPVanish choose the best options thereafter.
I like that the IPVanish app has lots of customization and advanced features—and that it keeps them hidden unless you need them. You can, for instance, have the app change your IP address at a set interval. The Kill Switch feature blocks access to the web unless the VPN is connected, and the app can be configured to connect automatically on startup. Still, I would like to see IPVanish offer specialized servers, as NordVPN does, for activities like using a streaming video service. NordVPN even lets you connect to Tor via VPN connection, for additional anonymity.
Some VPNs may leak your personal information, like your real IP address or DNS information. In my testing, I confirmed that my IP address was changed and my ISP information hidden. Using the aptly named DNS Leak Test tool, I confirmed that IPVanish doesn't leak DNS information. It also named its DNS server something recognizable, which I appreciate.
IPVanish and Netflix
The location-spoofing abilities of a VPN make it a popular choice for accessing streaming content in other countries. In order to enforce these kinds of geographically sensitive deals, Netflix and other streaming services tend to block VPN users.
While using IPVanish, I found I was able to access Netflix with ease. That could change at any time, since the VPNs for watching Netflix are in a cat-and-mouse game with the streaming service.
Beyond VPN
Many VPN companies have begun including additional security features that go beyond what a VPN provides. Ad blocking and malware protection are typical additions, as are static IP addresses. IPVanish does not offer additional services. TorGuard, on the other hand, has a remarkable slate of static IP addresses of various flavors that are less likely to be blacklisted among other add-ons.
Speed Test Results
VPN services generally have some kind of impact on your web browsing. Usually, this means slower download speeds, slower upload speeds, and increased latency. To get some kind of feel for what kind of impact a VPN makes on web browsing, I take a series of speed measurements using Ookla's Speedtest tool. (Note that Ookla is owned by PCMag's publisher, Ziff Davis.) Read my unimaginably titled article on how I test VPNs for more of the nitty gritty details.
See How We Test VPNs
In my tests, I found that IPVanish had no impact on latency. It did, however, reduce upload speeds by 78.8 percent and download speeds by 81 percent. Keep in mind that your results will be different, and that I use these figures solely for comparison's sake.
You can see how IPVanish compares in the chart below with the top ten performers among the over 30 services we tested.
For now, I consider HideIPVPN to be the fastest VPN in town because it had the smallest impact on upload and download speeds. That said, I don't recommend choosing a VPN on speed alone. Rather, consider the features, value, and trust that a service offers.
IPVanish on Other Platforms
You can configure most any device to use IPVanish's services, but the company also offers native apps for Android, Chromebooks, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows. IPVanish does not offer browser plugins, as many competitors do. It does, however, support an app for Amazon Fire TV.
The company's website offers specific instructions for configuring devices, as well as Windows Phones and routers, to work with IPVanish. Putting a VPN on your router might sound strange, but doing so secures all the traffic flowing through the router, including devices that can't have VPN software installed locally. If you're interested in having a VPN router, but you don't want to set it up yourself, IPVanish has partnerships with retailers to provide preconfigured routers.
Vanishing Act
What sets IPVanish apart is the value it offers. With a below average price, it offers 10 simultaneous connections, and access to 1,200 servers with good geographic diversity. IPVanish's app and server offerings could be improved, but it's an overall successful service. It compares favorably with our Editors' Choice Winners: NordVPN with its numerous features, Private Internet Access with its low price, ProtonVPN with its flexible pricing, and TunnelBear with its friendly and approachable apps.
Bottom Line: VPN service IPVanish secures your web traffic from prying eyes. It packs powerful features veteran VPN users will appreciate, and presents a good value overall, although its interface may intimidate the less experienced.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by Disqus