And to another VPN located in the USA! Indeed, the Caribbean TorGuard is under US jurisdiction. And in the zone of influence of American copyright enforcement agencies. However, their VPN service is logless and focused on torrenting (Tor stands for Torrent, not for the Tor Project). Therefore, they know how to keep you anonymous on Bittorrent and to safeguard your right to online privacy. Let’s review TorGuard in details now.
TorGuard, a VPN solution to download torrents
The VPN TorGuard got its name from the BitTorrent protocol. And it’s quite popular among torrent users. Because it does not only offer a VPN, but also anonymous proxy and emailing. As you understand, TorGuard specializes in torrenting. And as they have a strict no logging policy, people looking for anonymity and security online will find it of interest.
While the USA are part of the Five Eyes, TorGuard highlight the fact that the servers containing user accounts are not based in the US. And that their headquarters are in the Caribbean. Also that their users have shared IPs. Therefore, in case of trouble, it will be technically difficult (impossible?) to trace back to your device.
TorGuard: Plans and pricing
Nothing out of the ordinary with Tor Guard’s packages. Indeed, you get the same features with all of them. And you just have to choose how long you want to subscribe: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or a year.
However, you should take a look at their bundle package (including VPN + Proxy) before subscribing. Indeed, for a couple pounds more you could get access to both their services.
Furthermore, in this case, you can use the proxy IP address to browse anonymously. And keep the VPN full bandwidth to download torrent anonymously. So you get the best of both worlds!
While there’s no free trial, unfortunately, you can use their 7 days money back guarantee.
Summary sheet for TorGuard
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Does it register your activities? | No, you're safe with a strict no-log policy |
| Is it safe for torrenting? | Yes, you can use it for P2P |
| What Netflix catalogue is available? | US, UK |
| Simultaneous logins | Up to 5 connections simultaneously |
| How many countries do it cover? | 50+ |
| On what platforms is it available? | Android, iOS, Windows, MacOs, Linux, Router |
| Money-back guarantee policy | 7 days |
| Available protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP, IPSec |
| Type of traffic data? | Unlimited |
| Type of Cipher | AES 256 bits, the most secure encryption in the World |
| How many IP Addresses does it provide? | This provider does not disclose the number |
| How many servers are available? | 3,000+ |
The VPN TorGuard in details
In this TorGuard review, I’ll focus on their VPN service only. Indeed, you can check the differences between a VPN and a proxy. While you can use the IP addresses as a proxy in your torrent client, the only way to achieve anonyous torrenting is to use a VPN.
Simple interface
TorGuard client is really easy to use, even for dummies! Indeed, when you launch it, you can directly select the country you want. And change the protocol and cipher for increased security/speed.
As I said previously, there are over 50 countries available. Also you can select Stealth servers. Indeed, TorGuard has engineered special servers that are guaranteed to bypass Deep Packet Inspection, firewalls. And they provide “invisible” VPN access anywhere in the world. While they use common ports, it’s not clear which ones exactly. But I believe port 443 or similar. Great if you live in a country under censure :China, Iran, Russia…
Remember to launch the app as administrator, if you want to avoid any problems!
Settings
Since the last time I reviewed this VPN, they improved the settings of their client. Indeed, one of the main problems was that it was too simple! And there were no settings to manage.
General
On the General tab, you’ll find Connection and Appearance settings. While these are pretty standard, you can activate the kill switch from there. And check that your TUN/TAP adapters are correct.
App Kill
And on the App Kill tab, you can add apps to disconnect in case your VPN connection drops. In other words, it’s a selective kill switch. Therefore, you protect yourself against DNS leaks (while downloading for example).
Network
Also on the Network tab, you can activate further protection against DNS leaks: WebRTC and IPv6. Furthermore, you can select what DNS you want to use. Unlike competitors, there are 3 choices in their client: At application start, while establishing VPN connection and when VPN is connected. And I think it’s a relevant choice that I’d like to see more often.
Proxy and servers
Th Proxy tab is useful if you subscribe to their proxy services or if you want to use a proxy with your VPN. And on the Servers tab, you can enter your dedicated IP address(es).
P2P, torrents and logging policy
The team behind TorGuard focus on protecting P2P and torrent users. And they created a VPN service primarily for this reason. While they discourage you to download illegal content, they offer the perfect tool to download torrents.
In addition to their VPN service, their logging policy is also adapted to guarantee your privacy while torrenting. Indeed, they do not save any logs. Furthermore P2P protocol is available on all their servers – except the ones with legal restrictions. Therefore, P2P won’t work on an American server for example.
If you’re specifically looking for a torrent VPN, you should check out the best torrent VPN I recommend.
Port forwarding
It’s possible to create a port forwarding, either with a dedicated IP or with a shared IP. But it’s not a self-service. Therefore, you should open a ticket to inform TorGuard team about which ports you want to manage through the VPN. The staff generally answers quickly!
Native apps
Torguard is available on both iOS and Android. And basically the app works like the PC client. While it’s possible to connect manually to the VPN, I recommend the app. Indeed, you’ll be able to use the OpenVPN protocol for maximum security.
