Hey all,
Bought an annual vyprvpn membership a while a go, but haven’t been comfortable using them for a number of reasons. After bouncing around different VPN providers I’m still a vpn-orphan, but thought I’d share what I have experienced. (Also as a side-note…is it just me or is there a surprising lack of information available about vyprvpn, non-affiliiate that is)
REVIEW
Devices used to connect to service and Method
MacOs 10.12: VyprVPN proprietary app, Tunnelblick, Shimo, L2TP (native), IKEv2 (native)
iOS 10.2: VyprVPN proprietary app
Ubuntu 16.04: Vyprvpn proprietary CLT package
Connection speeds, throughput, availability
Never noticed anything off in this department. Didn’t exactly take any speedtests to confirm, but I didn’t experience any noticeable loss in data, speed, etc. iOS app would occassionally drop the VPN and then would reconnect (without telling me, more on this below). Speeds were, again, although I don’t have numbers, not noticeably slower than my regular cable connection/4G mobile connection.
Support
Support was always there, and quick to respond; no complaints here. Always friendly, and willing to help.
Concerns
First, the proprietary app: installing it on MacOS feels kind of like installing malware; from launchDaemons to privileged helpers, to other files established in directories not otherwise necessary (i.e., I’ve used about 6 VPN providers before and after VyprVPN and other apps haven’t installed into /Library/StartupItems (i think because it was deprecated). Doesn’t seem malicious at first but, running Little Snitch with the app installed revealed that one of the ‘vyprvpn’ processes tried to phone-home continually (even with the app fully quitted out, and auto-update disabled).
Additionally, I experienced an interesting phenomenon wherein the first few days (and this happens if I do a clean isntall of the entire OS and reinstall the app) I would connect to a server in CA (say San Francisco) and my outwards ip address would be 209.x.x.x.x . Then I’d connect to another server and my outbound IP would change to, let’s say 81.x.x.x (too lazy to look through logs for actual number). Perfect, just like a VPN is supposed to do. Problem is at some point, ALL of my connections would be in the 69.x.x.x block (using a U.S. exit node, foreign nodes were still changing). New York, LA, Chicaco, all 69.x.x.x. Whoer and other ip-test sites showed the right information (Location change, etc.) but I thought it odd that I couldn’t get out of that ip block. (But maybe that’s normal and I just don’t know enough about networking)
Second, on iOS the app would occasionally drop the VPN, when connected to 4g/LTE, try to re-connect and fail enough times to just give up. I’d go into settings and shut off the app (settings of the app, not the phone). BUT, despite no VPN logo on my screen, i would somehow end up still connected to their servers. I’d have to shut down my phone, and then restart it before I’d get back to [Cell Phone provider’s] IP. Thought that was fishy.
Overall
Aside from the concerns above, it seems like a decent VPN service for security purposes (U.S. based, so I wouldn’t try fulfilling your deep dark desires on their servers), but at the same time there’s a fair share of concern on my end. Adding to the points mentioned above, there’s a suprising lack of information (non-affiliate) on this service…even on Reddit. Anyother ‘big’ vpn provider (nordVPN, TorGuard, AirVPn, etc.) has some activity, vyprvpn seems almost extinct. THe /r/vyprvpn subreddit is dead, whereas other providers’ is far more active. Thus, this leaves me a little skeptical about using their services for anything other than basic web browsing…if that even.