The news media are always spinning out the latest internet hack or high-security breach every day. Read in any of the tech magazines and business periodicals, and you’ll find the latest steps Homeland Security has taken to “protect your liberties”. Schools, hotels and businesses are thwarting people’s efforts at connecting to the internet by blocking content. Whole countries are developing new and more inventive ways to block content from being accessed outside their little slice of the World Wide Web.
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The identity theft business is booming; over 11 million identity theft victims in the US alone and the keepers of the Web are tightening their grip. With all of this doom and gloom, how does the average Joe manage to cut through the firewalls to watch their favorite video site or connect to the latest social network? One company has been leading the pack in their efforts to bring the internet to everyone everywhere affordably, quickly and efficiently. By offering a Virtual Private Network service (VPN), HideMyAss VPN! has taken over the internet stealth world and is one of the best VPN providers out there.
HideMyAss Review Summary
Although HMA is the most affordable VPN service on the market, Hidemyass does offer impressive pricing packages as has the most servers in the most countries available. Their customer service is good, though not the 24/7 it should be. Lots of free offers like proxy servers an unlimited IP list, software compatible with most devices and the most popular operating systems, consumers can overlook the data collection policy and enjoy one of the fastest VPN services available.
Advantages
- Decent Pricing
- Number of Servers
- Lots of Free Stuff
- Compatibility with all devices.
- Fast speeds
Disadvantages
- Inconvenient Mobile Compatibility
- Data Collection
Full HideMyAss Review
Hide My Ass! has some of the best servers around the globe. They carry over 701 servers in over 105 countries giving you over 91,000 IP addresses to hide in. This many IP address allows you to change you IP address frequently to avoid detection. Their VPN service does a lot for you.
- Encrypts your activity using 256-bit bank level encryption.
- Frequent virtual location switching
- Accesses content in US, UK and the Netherlands
- Accesses content through servers in 75 other countries.
- Uses OpenVPN, LT2P, LLTP and PPTP protocols
- New servers and IP addresses are always being added
- High-speed browsing including HD video streaming
- Works with all browsers
- Works with other devices like tablets and smartphones
- Anonymous email
- Privacy software
Affordability
People are always looking for the best deal at the lowest price. But that isn’t always the most prudent thing to look for. Sometimes, a better deal is a little more because it’s well worth the cost. Hide My Ass! is one of the pricier VPN service providers. However, they are the best and for good reason. The pricing is tiered and there are also options for more than one account and corporations.
- The Kick-Ass Package
Starting at $11.52 USD per month, the Kick-Ass Package gives you the full VPN service package. You pay by the month, so there’s no long term obligation. - The Half-Ass Package
The Half-Ass package is offered at a deep discount of $8.33 USD per month and billed at a one-time charge of $49.99 USD. Enjoy the same deal at the Kick-Ass package but for Six months instead of a month to month. - The Smart-Ass Package
The Smart-Ass package is their most popular package to date. You get a full 12 months of service at the alarmingly low rate of $6.33 USD per month billed at a one-time payment of $78.66 USD. - Corporate Packages and Multiple Accounts
The corporate and multiple accounts packages offer even more discounts after the first five accounts/ 10 connections. Multiple accounts combine into a master account for easier, and one-time payments and multiple/corporate accounts may qualify for their own manager account and support.
All of the packages offer a 30-day money back guarantee.
Free Stuff
Along with their award winning VPN services, Hide My Ass! also offers free services for those who just want to surf privately without all the costs.
- Works with your web browser
- Hides your identity from snoopers
- Hides your IP address
- Accesses content in USA, UK and the Netherlands
- One-time fee of $24.95 USD gets you a lifetime subscription of real-time database of free working public IP addresses.
- Proxy lists are sorted by country, speed and PlanetLab/Codden.
- HTTP, HTTPS and SOCKS4/5 protocols
Along with all of this, HMA also offers a “Panic Button” which instantly hides all open browser tabs with just one click. Their proxy service is compatible with Google Chrome and Firefox and is accessible with one single click. HMA IP checker shows you the location of the IP address you are currently using to help you choose a better location for easier access to blocked sites. Hide My Ass! is easy to install and has a top-notch customer support center to assist with installation. They also have a community blog, and Facebook and Twitter connections to communicate with others for advice and tips on the service.
Routers
While you would traditionally set up HMA on all of your devices individually, using a router lets you connect them all at once. Use their recommended routers as their VPN service does not work for just any router.
- Use for laptop to game consoles including Apple TV.
- Offers affordable routers from Netgear and Asus
- Let’s you surf securely on public Wi-Fi.
The Downside
While Hidemyass! offers quality VPN service, there are some not so desirable aspects to the service and the company.
- Data Collection
One of the drawbacks to HMA is their data collection policy. Specifically stated in their privacy policy, HMA does collect and store some of your data upon registration of the service and retains it as long as your account is active (or for two years after inactivity or cancellation of the service). HMA claims that this is for legal purposes and to offer you better anti-spam and phishing protection, but be careful with this. They are not averse to handing over your information to the authorities if asked. - Mobile Compatibility
The service is relatively fast, however their mobile apps are always under constant construction. You need to use your Google +account in order to access the Android app, which can be annoying especially if you don’t have one. - Customer Service
Their customer service is not exactly 24/7 as they claim, and most issues are solved within a 12-hour live chat window. Use their email service for technical or billing issues and the forums for user tips and tricks that are much more efficient than the help topics.
Conclusion
The bottom line to HideMyAss review, it is fast, affordable and dependable VPN service with excellent customer service, user forums for tips and tricks and free proxy service that is well worth the time and effort. Using the OpenVPN is the most reliable protocol over the LT2P or LLTP. With over 700 servers in over 100 countries, you have virtually unlimited use of IP addresses to choose from, and addresses are added and updated daily. Their anonymous email can be set up for 24 hour or 12-month use, and the “Panic Button” is a neat little feature that, with just one click all of your open browsers are instantly hidden.
Saving your data and information is a downside to HMA despite their claims of “to better serve you”. Their download speed is comparable to other VPN sites, and their choices of protocols, data transport methods and DNS servers give you options to enhance your speed when needed. Hide My Ass! is our favorite pick for top VPNs.
