Hey, I get it.
Getting to know a new app can be a challenge and annoying,
especially when your entire online security
is depending on it, stressful.
That's why I've decided to show you exactly how to use NordVPN.
I'm going to cover daily use, important security features,
and show you which features I use most often myself.
Let's start NordVPN app tutorial on the main screen.
I'm going to skip the NordVPN download.
Since it's really straightforward, you'll get it.
Let's just go straight to the Windows app,
and the first thing you're going to see after opening the app
is the interactive map.
This is a visual representation that covers 60 countries worldwide
and a total of 5,700 servers.
I just like how easy it is to navigate such a huge server list thanks to the map.
I can connect to any of those servers just by clicking on them,
or you can not choose at all and click Quick Connect
for the automatic connection,
and it gets you to the fastest server for you.
If you just need a VPN to browse, and for some general online protection,
this is as far as you need to go.
As you can see, NordVPN is a really simple app to use.
If that's exactly what you're looking for,
maybe consider checking out the link in the description.
It actually has a pretty nice discount in there for you.
But if you're asking yourself, how do I use NordVPN's security settings?
Well, I'm going to answer that question for you right now.
To do that, I'll jump into the VPN protocols.
These are responsible for encryption and security,
and you can configure them in the settings.
There's a choice between OpenVPN and NordLynx protocols.
The difference between them is twofold, so performance and encryption.
NordLynx is a modern, faster VPN protocol
with the ChaCha20 encryption,
which is newer and designed to be relevant for plenty of years to come.
OpenVPN is an old but gold protocol with a time-proven AES-256 encryption.
It's slower, but at the same time, it's considered to be more stable.
My own NordVPN setup uses NordLynx.
I just like because it's faster,
and it keeps up to 90% of my baseline speed.
All right, we've dealt with the protocol.
Now it's time for this NordVPN tutorial
to introduce you to some more security features,
starting with Kill Switch.
Don't get intimidated by the name.
The only things this switch is killing are data leaks.
The Internet Kill Switch will disable your Internet connection
if your VPN stops working.
The app Kill Switch will only disconnect a certain app in the same scenario.
This is done to avoid unprotected traffic from leaking out
and thus nullifying any chances of leaks.
Personally, I think this feature should always stay on.
Another nice feature worth covering in this NordVPN guide is split tunneling.
With that, I can configure only specific apps
to work with a VPN, or vice versa.
For instance, I always have my torrenting app set up in here
to only launch with a VPN connection.
Those are the most important features from the Settings menu,
but I'm pretty sure you've noticed these icons on the left, right?
Left, right, left, correct.
If I want to explain how to use NordVPN, I can't skip these features.
Take Threat Protection, for instance.
I didn't expect it,
but this feature managed to replace an ad block and antivirus for me.
It blocks websites with annoying ads, notifications, pop-ups,
websites associated with malicious activities
are also filtered out,
and threat protection can even block malware downloads.
The second feature is Meshnet, and it's a bit more niche.
It's used to create a protected connection between multiple PCs in the network,
almost like a LAN connection.
While this is super valuable for business reasons,
I found Meshnet really fun just using it to host LAN games with friends.
Recently, I also found out that Meshnet can be used
to circumvent that dumb account sharing ban
that Netflix pushed out.
Finally, the third feature is Dark Web Monitor.
This feature is constantly on the lookout for any data associated with you,
making sure it's not leaked anywhere, not even on the Dark Web.
But if it does get leaked, you get a notification
allowing you to fix your security as fast as possible.
Now let's pivot this NordVPN tutorial back to the server list
since there are a couple of advanced elements
that I didn't mention last time.
These are specialty servers,
each with a distinct strength worth explaining.
Double VPN.
This is two servers chained one after another
for double the encryption and security.
If you're on an untrustworthy network or somewhere abroad,
these will come in real handy.
In a similar vein, if you need maximum privacy,
or you want to deal with something like the Dark Web,
Onion Over VPN servers have you covered.
These use TOR nodes together with VPN servers,
creating the most private connection possible.
P2P servers, on the other hand, much easier to understand,
these are dedicated torrenting servers,
so they're optimized for the best torrenting speed and stability.
If you're wondering why there are no such servers for streaming,
that's because all NordVPN servers are streaming optimized.
I've used them with all popular streaming platforms
and didn't experience any lags or slowdowns,
even for distant locations like Japan.
They also have dedicated IP servers.
These cost a little extra since NordVPN provides you with a stable IP address.
It's assigned just to you.
This is good for websites that routinely ban public IP addresses
that are attributed to many VPN users.
Finally, they've got obfuscated servers,
and they exist to hide the fact that you're using a VPN.
This is especially useful for some websites
that don't like VPN traffic at all,
or to bypass governmental restrictions in some countries.
Even though this tutorial was focusing on how to use NordVPN on PC,
as you can see, the Mac app is not much different
in terms of the user interface.
It still offers an interactive map,
and all the extra feature, tabs, and settings, and the server lists
are all the same between the apps.
The mobile apps, yes, they're a little bit different, naturally,
but all the settings and features are still available on them as well,
except for split tunneling, which is missing on iOS,
and Threat Protection, which is replaced by the Lite version,
which can't block malware.
Considering all this compatibility,
it's nice that NordVPN can be used on up to six devices at the same time.
In conclusion, I have to say NordVPN is a pretty robust VPN
with a lot of different settings and features,
but I hope you didn't find it too hard to get acclimatized to it.
I hope this video helped you get introduced to the core elements.
That's it. Thanks for watching.
Don't forget about the exclusive deal in the description,
and leave a like, and a comment, and maybe subscribe.
I'll see you in the next video. Bye.