NordVPN Download: Setup in 10 Steps
With all of the security and privacy issues surrounding the internet because of how it is now easier for third parties and cybercriminals to find ways to get their hands on our private information, it might be time for you to go and get a VPN. And when it comes to VPN providers, there aren’t a lot of them that can hold a candle to NordVPN. It’s not even difficult to set NordVPN up after downloading it.
Setting up your NordVPN service won’t be difficult at all because it was made to be easy to use for any person out there. Simply download the app on your Windows, Mac, Android, or iOS device, and then the entire setup procedure is easy enough.
NordVPN is a powerful VPN service provider that offers you everything you need from a high-quality VPN. But you won’t be able to fully use it unless you actually know how to set up your own NordVPN regardless of what device or operating system you may be using. That’s why it is important that you first know how to set NordVPN up in the simplest way possible.
NordVPN step-by-step setup
If you want to know more about how NordVPN is used and how to set it up if you are still planning to subscribe to its services, here is a step-by-step process that can help guide you through what you need to do with NordVPN:
- Go to the NordVPN website
First off, before you even get to use NordVPN’s services, you have to go to their website at https://nordvpn.com, where you do not only start things off but also where you get to learn more about NordVPN as a product and as a company, in case there are things you need to clear out or want to understand first before you register with them.
Aside from learning more about NordVPN, the website also has a blog that posts different articles about VPNs and how a VPN in general can be good for you and your online activities. This can be a good place to start for those who are still learning more about VPNs and what kind of services they offer their clients. After all, it is always better to try to learn more about a product before you even pay for its services.
Once you are convinced that you need a VPN and that NordVPN is the right VPN service provider for your needs, all you have to do is to click on the option wherein you can get NordVPN. It is usually found somewhere in the upper right corner of your screen and will be very easy to spot.
- Choose your NordVPN plan
When you have decided to finally get NordVPN and make use of its services, you can easily find the link that would redirect you to the portal where you can choose which plan you want to purchase.
While there are huge differences in the prices of the plan options, they are basically the same in terms of what they offer you as far as NordVPN’s usual services are concerned. The only difference is that plans that are longer are drastically more affordable on a per month basis compared to plans that have shorter terms. So, if you are planning on a long-time commitment with NordVPN, you should go for the plan with the longest term so that you would have bigger savings in the long run.
There are also other features that you can choose to add to your basic NordVPN plan. The first one is a password protection feature that helps make sure your passwords are all well-organized and can easily be accessed only by you. Meanwhile, the second feature is an encrypted cloud drive that they say is safer and more secure than the usual cloud services that other companies offer.
If you can afford the additional features and if you want to have the most secure online experience, you might want to take advantage of those additional features for prices that are quite affordable as well.
- Pay for your NordVPN plan
After you have selected your NordVPN plan and have chosen the additional features you would want to have along with your basic plan, you now have to pay for your plan. Of course, for you to be able to use NordVPN’s services, you should actually pay for them. Otherwise, downloading and installing the app would end up becoming a useful endeavor for you if you don’t have a paid account with NordVPN.
To proceed to the payment window, you only need to checkout from the plan selection window. After doing so, you are automatically redirected to the payment window, where your total is shown and reflected to you.
NordVPN offers you a lot of different payment options, which makes it a very handy and convenient VPN service for those who would prefer to pay using one option over the other. You can make use of Apple Pay, Google Pay, Credit Card, AmazonPay, and even cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
Speaking of cryptocurrency, NordVPN specifically allows you to pay using this option because of how doing so keeps you safe and anonymous without revealing any of your personal information and data when you are paying through credit or debit cards. This is a remarkable step in NordVPN’s dedication to making sure that you have the best experience when it comes to your personal privacy especially at a time when you are yet to make use of NordVPN when you are about to pay for its services.
- Download your NordVPN app
After registering for NordVPN and paying for your selected plan and features, the next step is to download the NordVPN app on your selected device. The NordVPN is available on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. And the best part is that you can have up to six devices using the app at the same time regardless of what operating systems they are running so long as they are compatible with the NordVPN app.
Just simply download the NordVPN installation file on the NordVPN website if you are using Windows. But for those running macOS, iOS, and Android, the app can easily be downloaded through their native app stores.
- Install the NordVPN app
Once you have finished downloading the NordVPN app, you don’t have to do anything else if you are running it on a Mac or mobile devices that run on iOS and Android because the app will be automatically installed after downloading it off the app store or play store.
But for those who are using Windows as their primary operating system, you have to open the installation file in your downloads folder and then run the program from there. The installation is pretty much straightforward and you don’t have to do anything other than to click on what’s needed to be clicked to continue on with the installation process.
Once that is done, your NordVPN app will be ready for launching in your Windows operating system. For those running Mac, iOS, and Android devices, the app will be ready to be launched after your devices have finished downloading them.
- Login into your NordVPN account via the NordVPN app
When you are done installing the NordVPN app on your chosen devices, you can now open the app to log into your account so that you can now begin to use its VPN services. Just enter the login details you were given when you registered to your NordVPN account and then you are good to go.
- Activate NordVPN
After logging in, you are given a world map the first time you open your NordVPN app. The world map will show you markers on countries where NordVPN’s servers are located. NordVPN has over 5,000 servers located in over 60 different countries all over the world and has one of the largest networks when it comes to the VPN industry.
So, in that regard, you have a really wide option when it comes to choosing which server you want to log into when you activate your NordVPN app.
For those who are in a hurry, you can choose the quick connect option so that NordVPN will quickly connect you to any secure server. This is a good option for those who are only looking to encrypt their online activities regardless of what country they may appear in. But for those who have a specific country or region-related needs, it is best for them to choose a server.
- Choose a server
NordVPN allows you the opportunity to choose a server for yourself by giving you a world map that shows all of their server locations around the world. This is a great option for those who are actually looking for a specific country or region to want to appear in because of different reasons.
In most cases, people who use NordVPN to specifically change their country do so when they want to unblock the country-related limitations that a lot of websites and streaming services have. For example, those who are in China have a lot of websites that are blocked by the government. So, if you happen to be vacationing in China, using NordVPN will allow you to access blocked websites by making it appear you are online in your native country.
A lot of people also change their locations to specific countries so that they can skirt through the firewall that certain streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have. In case you did not know, streaming services such as Netflix tend to limit their library in certain countries due to licensing issues. So, if you want to open Netflix’s full library of movies and shows, you may want to make use of NordVPN, which is one of the few VPN service providers that actually work when it comes to unblocking Netflix in certain countries.
The choice of which server you want to use really depends on you. All you have to do is to choose that country and you will be connected to the NordVPN server located in that region. After doing so, you have now activated NordVPN and you are ready to do your online activities safely and securely.
- Tinker with the settings
While you are already ready and set after activating NordVPN and choosing a country or server, you may still want to tinker with the settings as well because there are different options and features that NordVPN allows you to customize and change depending on your personal needs and preferences.
NordVPN has plenty of different features you can change. For those who are still choosing their servers, you are allowed to use five special servers: Double VPN, Ultra Fast TV, and Dedicated IP, Onion over VPN, Anti DDOS, and P2P servers. These servers have their own special features and are best for those who understand what they are for and for those who are more concerned with their security. For example, Double VPN and Onion over VPN allow you to double encrypt your online settings to make sure that you will feel more confident with your privacy. Meanwhile, Ultra Fast TV can be used for those who have speeds over 100 Mbps and are streaming movies and shows over Netflix and other streaming services.
Another neat feature you can find in the settings portion is CyberSec, which allows you to protect yourself from malware and phishing. It is best to keep this turned on for that added layer of protection over your privacy.
Internet Kill Switch is a great feature to turn on if you want to only surf the internet whenever NordVPN is activated. This will automatically cut you off from the internet even if you are connected to it as long as your NordVPN service is turned off. The great thing about this feature is that it prevents your private information and data from leaking out in case you suddenly get disconnected from NordVPN. When such a moment happens, the feature will instantly stop all of your internet traffic.
There are also local area networks that tend to be unsafe especially if you are in a public area such as a coffee shop or a school. In that case, turning on the Invisibility on LAN feature allows you to be invisible to other people sharing the same local area network.
Of course, like many other VPN services, NordVPN also allows you to choose whether or not you want to start NordVPN on startup and automatically connect to it. This should be turned on if you don’t want to automatically connect to the VPN service the moment you turn your computer on. You may also turn these features on in conjunction with the Kill Switch to make sure that you are never unsafe whenever you are doing your online activities.
At the bottom of the settings tab, there are also advanced settings you may want to tinker with if you are tech-savvy or if you understand how VPNs work at the more advanced level. These advanced settings allow you to use proprietary DNS servers and select between TCP and UDP protocols. UDP is great for streaming and downloading while TCP is said to be the better option for you if you are focused more on web browsing.
- Continue on with your online activities
After selecting your chosen server and tinkering with the settings, the setup portion is entirely finished and you are now free to continue on with your online activities regardless of what they may be and what you want to do whenever you are connected to the internet via NordVPN.
Speaking of which…
What is NordVPN usually used for?
In case you are wondering what you can do when you are connected to NordVPN, you basically can do any of the regular stuff you do whenever you are online. However, because NordVPN allows you to stay safe and encrypted when you are doing your usual online activities, you are basically given more freedom to surf the internet and access sites and features you wouldn’t have been allowed to access had you not been using NordVPN.
As such, here are some of the things that NordVPN is often used for:
- Gaining full access to Netflix’s library
As we mentioned, Netflix tends to restrict its library of movies and shows depending on the location of the user. The reason for that is Netflix purchases the license to stream certain movies and shows but some of these licenses have already been sold to different streaming services in other countries. As such, even if they do own the license to show certain content in the US, the same might be different in the UK or in Germany. This is called geo-blocking.
So, for those who want to be able to make full use of what Netflix’s library has to offer, using NordVPN should be at the top of the priority list. NordVPN is only one of the few VPN services that can actually unblock Netflix’s country limits and allow you to access movies and shows that are only available in select regions. So, if you want to access Netflix UK while you are in the US because you want to watch movies and shows available only to that region, you can simply change your location to one of the servers in the UK.
Of course, NordVPN also has one of the fastest services in the entire world and has one of the largest networks in terms of its servers. This makes it the ideal choice for those who are looking to make full use of Netflix’s library while streaming movies and shows at the highest quality and resolutions possible.
- For those who truly want to stay anonymous
One of the reasons why NordVPN is at the pinnacle when it comes to VPN service providers is that it truly values the privacy and anonymity of its users. Simply put, NordVPN focuses more on making sure that you stay safe, secure, and anonymous whenever you are using its services as it has implemented security and privacy features that truly get the job done.
NordVPN has a no-logs policy that makes it a point to never store any of your internet traffic or logs with them. As such, none of the online activity you do while you are connected to NordVPN can be seen by anyone even by the people behind NordVPN itself. This is great for those who truly want to hide whatever they are doing online for one reason or another as NordVPN does not monitor or store any of the things you do online.
On top of NordVPN’s no-logs policy, it also has a feature that prevents it from locating your IP address even before you connect with the service. This is great because there are some VPN providers that are still able to see your location and your IP address even though you are connected with their service. When using a VPN, you wouldn’t want anyone in the world to know where you are and from which device you are accessing the VPN’s service.
And the best part is that NordVPN cannot be compelled to release any of your data and personal information even if they actually do keep records of those. That’s because NordVPN is located in Panama, a country that cannot compel it to store data. On top of that, because NordVPN fully operates under the laws of Panama, it cannot be asked by other jurisdictions to release whatever information they have about certain people even if they were to be served with warrants and subpoenas.
So, if you happen to be hiding from certain people in power or if you simply want to make sure that no authority figure can see what you are doing online such as when you are trying to hide your online activities from police programs that automatically list down potential offenders, you can safely use NordVPN without fearing betrayal because the company will never release any information they may have over their users.
- For those who trust their VPN provider
Aside from the fact that NordVPN does not share and cannot be compelled to share any sort of information they have concerning their users in the off chance that they do store data, you can also trust NordVPN because of the very fact that they want to improve their services with every chance that they can get.
It was in 2018 when NordVPN hired the services of an independent auditor to audit the claims they have over their security and privacy features. The long and short of it all is that, because of the independent audit, NordVPN has more evidence to prove that they do indeed have a strict no-logs policy that people can trust. They also went on to say that they will conduct more independent audits to make sure that their standards are always kept.
Meanwhile, in 2019, NordVPN hired an independent company that would simulate a security threat over NordVPN’s systems. While there were some small concerns that were detected, NordVPN quickly patched those up to improve their security and safety features.
Simply put, because of the very fact that NordVPN isn’t afraid to audit itself and even try to test out their own security features, you can be sure that you can trust this VPN service provider down to the last letter. Of course, it also helps that they promise to make sure that they will conduct more independent tests and audits in the future to see to it that they keep up with the standards they set for themselves.
Is NordVPN good?
So, now that you know how to download and set your NordVPN app up and now that you are more knowledgeable about NordVPN and the different settings and security features it has, you might be asking whether or not this VPN service provider is good.
Well, the gist of it is that NordVPN truly is one of the best VPN providers on the market and is up there in terms of the services it offers and in the consistency of its different features. It has one of the largest and fastest networks on the planet and promises to make sure that all of its security features are on par with what you expect from a high-quality VPN.
In other words, NordVPN is not only good but is also one of the best VPN service providers on the market. So, it would be a good choice for you to register with them and then promptly set up your NordVPN app to begin doing your online activities with confidence knowing that you are always kept safe and anonymous.
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