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Is Avast VPN good & safe for torrenting? [Must read]
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Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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AvastVPNis, as its name suggests, a virtual private network service, but is AvastVPNfit for your torrenting needs? It’s widely accepted that aVPNshould be capable of keeping both your privacy and security safe.
However, it’s been proven that certain providers only offer these amazing features on paper. Therefore, we’re going to carefully analyze AvastVPNand find out whether or not it’s fit for the job when it comes to hiding torrenting data.
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What makes a good torrenting VPN?
First and foremost, a decentVPNshould be able to protect your Internet activity against prying eyes. Since some users partake in P2P activities, it’s safe to say that torrenting is also a type of online activity.
Therefore, it should be shielded by yourVPNof choice, by default.
We put privacy at the top of our list as we believe that this is what separates greatVPNsfrom ones that we would never recommend. If you chose aVPNbased on its server speed, then you probably shouldn’t use one, to begin with.
AVPN‘s privacy can be measured by how restrictive its privacy policy is, in regards to data collection. Usually, aVPNthat has a strict no-logging policy is fit for torrenting use.
While torrenting, you connect with other peers, which can easily see your IP address and location. With just a bit of skill and the right tools, even a script kiddie (non-experienced, hacker wannabe) can do harm to your PC.
A goodVPNwon’t let that happen by doing a bunch of things. First of all, it will shield your IP address. Second, it will assign you a fake location, based on the server you connected to. A goodVPNwill also be leak-proof.
Last, but not least, all traffic between you and theVPNgateway will be safely encrypted. Although we placed security on the second spot, it’s actually a tie between it and privacy. No competition, they’re equally important.
You can check if yourVPN‘s leaking by visiting either one (or all) of these services:
We advise you to do so before actually torrenting, as it can save you from a lot of headaches with local authorities.
Before you go any further, it’s worth mentioning that some VPN providers frown upon P2P activities such as torrenting, while others downright forbid you from engaging in torrenting.
Thus, you’ll need to figure out whether or not your VPN provider allows torrenting. If it does, you’ll also want to know what are the terms you must follow while performing this action.
Some great ways of figuring out if a VPN allows torrenting are:
Alright now, even though speed is saved for last, it’s not exactly unimportant. If yourVPNhas passed the privacy and security tests, you’ll obviously need it to be fast.
But not just fast. The fastest. You’ll want to look afterVPNsthat don’t have the habit of restricting bandwidth. Yes, they are real, just like bandwidth-limiting ISPs are still a thing in the 21st century.
How good is Avast Secureline VPN for torrenting?
1. No-logging policy
Privacy-wise,AvastVPNcan be a trustworthy torrenting ally. We absolutely don’t mean that in a shady way, not just one bit. We don’t endorse any kind of unlawful activity, and neither doesAvast.
We’re just saying that if you decide to download some files via torrent,AvastVPNwill keep it on the hush if the authorities start asking questions.
WhileAvastdoes collect some data from you while using the service, it’s not information you can be identified after.
Data AvastVPNcollects:
Data AvastVPNdoesn’t collect:
2. Great security features, no leaks
Like any respectableVPNprovider, AvastVPNprovides its customers with military-grade 256-bit AES standards. This means that all of your Internet traffic will be safely encrypted by the client and kept away from prying eyes.
Reportedly, the VPN service is based onOpenSSLandOpenVPN. These are some of the best and widely-used protocols in the world in terms of transparency, reliability, compatibility, and overall security.
We’ve connected to a P2P-enabled server, started torrenting a file (legally, of course), and performed the leak tests we’ve mentioned above.
You can check the results below.
The ipleak service also has a torrent address test. After connecting to aVPN server, you add a magnet link to your default torrent client and wait for the results. As you can see, there was no leak on our side while usingAvastVPN.
Therefore, it’s safe to assume that security-wise, you’re in good hands while torrenting behindAvastVPN.
3. Does Avast VPN allow torrenting?
Yes, Avast VPN does allow torrenting. We wouldn’t have gotten so far with our article just to reach this point and tell you that it doesn’t.
There’s no mention of P2P we could find in the Terms of Service documentation (which is shared with other Avast products and somewhat confusing).
However, if you access Avast SecureLine VPN’s FAQ page, you’ll notice that they covered a question regarding whether or not this service allows P2P connection. The answer is yes.
To clarify things even further, there are several dedicated torrenting servers you can connect to within the Avast VPN app. Just look for the P2P category or a small P2P indicator next to the server you want to use.
4. Speed tests
Well, we’ve seen thatAvastVPNcan keep your privacy safe, and your connection secure, and leak-free. But how well does it fare when it comes to speed?
We’ve run some tests to determine if and how much doesAvastVPNslow down your connection while torrenting.
The results are not exactly good, but they’re not awful, either. While using a P2P-enabled server, we’ve attempted to torrent a Linux distribution from its official website, with and without theVPN.
Thus, we can assume that usingAvastVPNwhile torrenting results in a speed drop of about 2/3. However, we weren’t satisfied with these results and decided to do one more test.
We’ve used two different speed test tools (Netflix’s fast.com and Ookla’s Speedtest.net) to see if our initial assessments were correct. Mind you that we’ve used the same server throughout our entire battery of tests. Here are the results:
Although we were hoping to notice a smaller difference betweenVPN/non-VPNspeed values, the speed test results have yielded ahugedifference between the two types of usage.
As you can see, usingAvastVPNgave us an average of~ 90%speed reduction. Thus, it’s safe to conclude that even thoughAvastVPNdoes great when it comes to privacy and security, it’s not exactly brilliant when it comes to speed.
Final thoughts on torrenting with Avast VPN
All things considered, if you’re looking for asafeVPN to use while torrenting,Avast VPNmight be exactly what you’re looking for. It has a strict no-logging policy, has military-grade encryption, and is completelyairtight(no leaks).
On the downside, if you care a lot about speed, you’re in for some disappointment. Neither our torrenting tests nor our standard speed tests showed great results regarding Avast VPN’s speed.
Our speed tests lead us to believe that Avast VPN has some speed restrictions, despite the fact it advertises unlimited bandwidth.
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More about the topics:Cybersecurity,torrent,VPN
Vlad Constantinescu
Vlad might have a degree in Animal Husbandry and Livestock Management, but he’s currently rocking anything software related, ranging from testing programs to writing in-depth reviews about them.
He spent 3-4 years as a software editor at Softpedia and another year as a VPN specialist before he landed his current job as an author at Windows Report.
In his free time, Vlad enjoys playing guitar, doing jigsaw puzzles, researching cybersecurity, and even having a good read on rainy days.
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