Last week we wrote about Ngroups releasing a new VPN service and including it free with unlimited Usenet plans. With VPN access ranging from 50 GB a month for ‘Unlimited Eco’ members to unlimited VPN for ‘Unlimited Extra’ subscribers. Since then we’ve had a chance to test the service for ourselves and will be sharing our impressions. Note: NGR visitors can enjoy Unlimited Eco accounts for just $9.99 a month.
Ngroups VPN Review
Ngroups ‘Unlimited Eco’ and ‘Unlimited Extra’ members already enjoy unlimited online storage from Livedrive. Now they can also take advantage of Ngroups new VPN offering which is provided by ItsVPN. Ngroups unlimited subscribers can connect to VPN servers in the U. S. or Europe via PPTP protocol. Those interested in more locations can consider the additional plan options from ItsVPN or compare VPN services.
The first thing we noticed when testing Ngroups VPN is the easy integration of their systems. There is no need to setup a different account. Simply use your Ngroups username and password to connect to either VPN server.
Ngroups VPN Server Addresses:
- United States – vpn.us.Ngroups.NET
- Europe – vpn.eu.Ngroups.NET
Ngroups VPN Protocols:
Since Ngroups is offering PPTP connections their VPN is a breeze to setup. They include a link to instructions inside the account control panel. With tutorials for Windows 7, Vista and XP. Along with Mac OS X and Linux (Ubuntu). While PPTP isn’t quite as secure as other protocols like OpenVPN, it is compatible with a wide variety of devices. Including iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android. Ngroups includes those setup guides as well.
Ngroups VPN Speed Test:
- As you can see below we ran a speed test before connecting to Ngroups VPN. With a download speed of 43.41 Mb/s and upload of 3.17 Mb/s. After connecting to the U. S. Ngroups VPN server we retested. The download speed was 9.21 Mb/s and upload was 3.01 Mb/s. We’ve seen faster and slower. You can compare the results to other providers in the VPN speed test section of VPNSP. You can expect some slow down from any VPN as it encrypts the traffic. The Ngroups VPN performed well enough to stream Netflix.
- We also tested a connection to their European VPN server. Understanding that the distance will definitely reduce performance. The results were 2.44 Mb/s download and 2.85 Mb/s upstream. As expected the ping times were pretty high as well. If you’re in Europe and test the service please let us know you’re results. We would guess the performance is acceptable given our experience with testing the U. S. VPN server.
Ngroups VPN vs. Giganews VPN:
- Since Giganews released their VyprVPN service, Ngroups is the first major Usenet service to respond with their own offering. So I guess it’s only fair to compare the two offerings.
- Ngroups VPN offers PPTP connections with servers in the United States and Europe along with unlimited Usenet and online storage for $9.99 a month (NGR Deal).
- Giganews VPN offers PPTP and L2TP/IPSec connections with servers in the U. S., U. K., France, Amsterdam and Hong Kong. Along with unlimited Usenet for $34.99 a month.
Ngroups VPN Review – Conclusion:
We enjoyed testing the Ngroups VPN service. The performance was fast enough to stream Netflix in the U. S. We’ve tested several VPN services and Ngroups (ItsVPN) would rank somewhere in the middle. Which is pretty darn good considering they are offering it free to unlimited Usenet members. We look forward to keeping an eye on Ngroups Usenet + online storage + VPN services. Those who would like to join can save 10%.
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