Buffered VPN makes a lot of bold claims, but can it back them up? Read our Buffered VPN review to find out everything you need to know about the service.
In this post, I have featured my trustworthy and honest Buffered VPN 2021 that includes all detailed insights of its pricing, features, functionality and more. Let's get started here.
Buffered VPN Review With Discount Coupon 2021: Get Upto 68% Off Now
Buffered VPN got its start back in 2013, and - since then - the provider has been continuously improving their services. Our in-depth Buffered VPN review will take a look at the service's highlights and some of its cons to make it easier for you to decide if this VPN service is what you're looking for or not.
Buffered VPN Advantages
- Buffered Offers Military-Grade Security
Security matters a lot when it comes to VPNs, and it's good to see that Buffered VPN takes that seriously. The encryption cipher they use is really state-of-the-art - it's AES encryption, which can be called military-grade since it's used by US government agencies . Plus, it even has a NIST certification since 2005 .
What's more, the cipher uses 256-bit keys instead of 128-bit keys, so the encryption keys are much more secure. Besides that, it's also worth noting that the service uses RSA 2048 encryption for the handshake process, and SHA1 encryption for HMAC authentication.
To top it all off, Buffered VPN connections are established with the OpenVPN protocol - one of the most secure VPN protocols there is. According to the two security audits the protocol underwent back in 2017 , only two minor vulnerabilities were found, which where immediately fixed . Other than that, the protocol is cryptographically solid.
Buffered VPN doesn't place any restrictions on torrent traffic. You can freely use BitTorrent-based applications while connected to one of their servers. It's also worth mentioning they have some specialized torrenting servers too if you'd prefer using one of those.
What's more, there are no download restrictions, and you get P2P traffic support with every subscription, so you don't need to pick a certain one to enjoy that perk.
Round-the-clock support is very important to us (and likely to any other consumer), but most VPN providers have a hard time acing it. Luckily, Buffered VPN isn't one of them. They boast 24/7 support, and they deliver on their promises. We sent them a generic message asking about device compatibility on Linux, and not 5 minutes later we already got a (very pleasant, might we add) reply with all the info we needed.
Another thing we really like about their support is its in-depth and extensive Knowledge Base. Many VPN services offer some type of self-help articles, but Buffered VPN really goes the extra mile by covering pretty much any question you might have in mind.
And that's just the section covering FAQs about the Buffered VPN service. Besides that, they've also got helpful articles talking about:
- Common VPN-related question (are VPNs legal? Can they see your traffic? Should you set up a VPN on a router? How do VPNs work? And so on).
- Setup and installation questions.
- Service and cross-platform compatibility questions.
- Payment options, refund policy, support, and subscriptions.
Besides the FAQs, you've also got a dozen other sections that can help you learn more about the Buffered VPN service, Internet security and privacy, and troubleshooting tips. They've even got a whole section talking about common Internet scams and a step-by-step social media privacy guide.
All in all, Buffered offers you easy and intuitive self-help options that are perfect for people who don't like to talk with customer support over email. Though, we've got to say that even the shyest and antisocial people will feel immediately at ease with how pleasant and friendly the support staff is.
And if you want to learn more about VPNs and how to stay safe on the web, you've got all the info you need in one place.
Both WebRTC and DNS leaks can reveal your real IP address even when you're using a VPN. DNS leaks might not always leak your IP address directly, but - if they don't do that - they can reveal the name and location of your ISP. And that's the kind of information you don't want falling in the hands of cybercriminals.
Well, we ran DNS and WebRTC leak tests while connected to Buffered's Bulgarian server, and the results were positive, meaning there were no leaks. For the DNS leak test, we used DNSLeakTest.com , and for WebRTC leaks we used BrowserLeaks' WebRTC leak testing tool . You can see the results in the following images:
None of the IP addresses displayed there are our real IP addresses.
- It Works Across Many Platforms (Even Has a Linux App)
A VPN can offer you all the features you want, but if it doesn't come with any cross-platform compatibility, it won't be of much use to you. The good news is that Buffered VPN has clients for the most popular operating systems. Currently, they have a working app for:
- Windows (7, 8, 8.1, and 10)
- macOS (OS X 10.10 and higher)
- Linux (compatible with most 64-bit distributions)
- iOS (11.0 and higher)
- Android (4.1 and higher)
The Linux app is really the highlight since there are so few VPN providers that have a working client for this operating system. It's worth noting that the app is currently in Beta, so some features are in development, but the overall experience we had with it was more than decent.
Still, even if Buffered's app doesn't work for your Linux distribution, you can always follow their step-by-step Linux tutorial to set up connections through OpenVPN.
Alongside those devices and OSs, you can also manually set up VPN connections with Buffered on the following platforms:
Pretty much no onboarding is needed. To get started, you just choose a subscription, a payment method, and then set up your account. When you're done, you just need to download the client for your platform, or the configuration files, and you're good to go.
The Buffered VPN clients are intuitive and very user-friendly. You've got all the options you need in one place, and browsing through the available servers is convenient as well. You can even set up auto-connect and auto-login so that you can run a VPN connection with just one click.
As you can see, choosing and grouping servers is extremely simple, and tweaking your connection settings is easy too. Not to mention you've got a decent level of control over how you can customize your connections.
No matter how good and stable a VPN server is, there's always a chance your VPN connection might go down. It can be an issue on the provider's side or your side. Whichever the case, you're left exposed on the web if that happens.
That's where the Kill Switch comes into play - it cuts off all Internet traffic if your VPN connection is lost.
Buffered's Kill Switch is easy to enable and disable since it's built into the client. Just make sure your firewall is enabled since that's a requirement for the Kill Switch to work. Plus, whenever you're connected to a server, the client clearly shows you whether or not the Kill Switch is enabled, which is really helpful.
With 37 servers to choose from, it's safe to say you won't have any trouble getting access to all the online content you want. Not to mention you'll have an easy time finding a server that's geographically close to your geo-location to enjoy better speeds.
While Buffered VPN might not boast 100+ servers like the big brand providers, that's not really a problem. Most VPN users don't need so many servers, and - most of the time - it just ends up making it harder and more time-consuming to browse through the server list. Plus, a large network of servers is difficult to maintain, so you're more likely to experience connectivity issues.
The list of servers on Buffered's website only shows 35 locations, but you really get 37 servers since there are three of them in the US (the East Coast, the West Coast, and the Midwest).
Unlimited bandwidth is always a nice touch because it means you don't need to worry about going over any limit when browsing the web. And Buffered VPN boasts about its high speeds, but how true are the claims, actually?
Pretty true, according to our findings. We connected to a server near our country and tested the connection speed. The results were really good considering how powerful the OpenVPN and AES encryption standards are: A download speed of 18.39 Mbps and an upload speed of 16.65 Mbps.
We also tested a connection to a server that's further away from us - the Japan server. The results were not the same, of course, but they were still pretty decent - a download speed of 4.58 Mbps, and an upload speed of 6.32 Mbps.
Plus, we should also mention that you can freely choose which protocol to use - TCP or UDP. So, if you want even faster speeds, you can switch to the UDP protocol which is faster than TCP.
- Buffered Doesn't Log Sensitive Data
A VPN that stores usage logs aren't much of a VPN to begin with since it knows what you do on the web, what files you download, and what websites you visit. Luckily, Buffered VPN makes it clear they don't collect any usage logs.
Now, according to Buffered VPN's Privacy Policy , they do keep connection logs, and they store data related to your website visits. Some people might not like that, but it's not a very big deal. It mostly means that the company is storing data that helps them improve the user experience, and troubleshoot VPN issues.
And given that Buffered was very quick to embrace the GDPR , it's safe to say they take user privacy seriously.
- You're Covered By a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Buffered VPN offers a generous 30-day refund policy which gives you enough time to test-drive the service to see if it's right for you. They used to have requirements you had to meet to be eligible for a refund, but they change that completely. Now, you just have to contact them within 30 days, and state the reason for the refund.
The only way you wouldn't get the refund is if you ask for it outside the 30-day window, or if you breach their ToS, which you can read here .
Still, you should be aware that the refund policy has its limitations. If you get a Buffered subscription through Google Play, iTunes, or StackCommerce/StackSocial, their money-back guarantee won't be valid. Instead, the policy of the platform you make the purchase through applies:
- iTunes - 14-day refund window.
- Google Play - 48-hour window.
- StackCommerce/StackSocial - All sales are final, normally, so no refund.
You can't really fault them for that, though. They need to abide by the rules of those platforms if they want to offer access to their apps and services on them. Plus, that problem can be avoided if you just get a subscription through their website.
You're not restricted to only paying with a credit card, though they do support a lot of cards (American Express, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover). You can also pay through PayPal or with Bitcoin (excellent for privacy + 8 wallets are supported).
Besides that, you can also get subscriptions through iTunes, Google Play, and StackCommerce/StackSocial.
- Support for Up to Five Simultaneous Connections
Most of us use multiple web-connected devices (laptops, tablets, mobile phones, etc.), and being able to secure them all simultaneously is definitely nice. With Buffered, you can set up a total of five simultaneous connections - perfect for keeping your whole home network secure.
Buffered VPN's place of registration is Gibraltar - a country with favorable privacy laws which don't require the company to share user data with the government. Besides that, the company's data is stored in the Netherlands, another country with privacy-oriented laws .
Also, Gibraltar and the Netherlands both follow GDPR regulations, meaning users have even more control over their data.
Buffered VPN Review: Pricing Plans Offered
The pricing plans offered by Buffered VPN is very flexible and affordable so that anyone can easily get started with right away. So here are the pricing plans listed by Buffered VPN.
Pros & Cons:
Buffered VPN Disadvantages
If you were thinking of using SoftEther, SSTP, or IKEv2, you're going to have to settle for OpenVPN, since that's the only protocol Buffered VPN offers. More variety would have been nice to see. But, who knows, they might add support for other protocols in the future.
On the plus side, OpenVPN is a very safe protocol, and Buffered does let you switch from TCP to UDP to get better speeds.
Many VPN users - including us - prefer free trials because no upfront payments are necessary. It just makes the user's experience with the VPN more stress-free. In the case of Buffered, offering both a 24-hour trial, for example, and a 30-day refund policy would be a nicer combo.
Still, you do have the 30-day guarantee to fall back on if you don't like the service, so you can get your money back without having to worry about any limitations while using the service.
- Buffered VPN Doesn't Work in China and Some Parts of the Middle-East
Buffered doesn't work in China because the government uses Deep Packet Inspection to find out who uses VPNs. And since OpenVPN can be blocked with DPI, that's a problem.
Also, we received confirmation from Buffered VPN that their service won't work in the UAE and a few other Middle-Eastern countries.
Quick Links:
Conclusion: Buffered VPN Review With Discount Coupon 2021
Considering the server variety, high-end security, decent privacy policy, P2P support, and cross-platform compatibility, we'd say that Buffered VPN is a good choice for anyone looking to enjoy a better online experience.
The only situations in which Buffered VPN wouldn't work well for you is you need to use it in places like China and the Middle East or want to use other protocols than OpenVPN.
