This is a bit worrying, as the lack of an ability to switch between available protocol types leaves no room to manually manage your own defenses. They don’t specify which protocol types they use and you won’t find a mention in the settings menu either. As for the speed, European servers showed some real promise, but as distance grew, so did the ping.Īvira Phantom VPN is a bit cryptic when it comes to its privacy option.
The same thing happened when we tried connecting to the UK, but ended up in Australia instead. China), and while the system confirmed the successful connection, the speed test revealed that our actual virtual location was in the U.S. On more than one occasion we found ourselves in a situation when we connected to a country (i.e. Our network speed tests resulted in a disappointing realization: while Avira has a sufficient enough variety, they don’t deliver true IP masking. The current setout is more likely for an audience who wish to mask their IP while streaming, but otherwise not interested in connecting to exotic locations. The total sum of server locations kicks to 19, which is good for a beginner, but it’s still behind the competition.
They also added Japan, China, Singapore and Mexico to the list, which shows their dedication and willingness to step up their game. In the case of Europe, you find some classic locations like Germany and Spain, accompanied by other countries, like the Czech Republic, Sweden and Romania. At the moment, they only established their network in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia. Avira Phantom VPN is still in an early phase of its world conquest, though. International presence and a widespread coverage of all the continents is the backbone of a good VPN service. Even though this approach might be attractive for less tech-savvy users who just want to boot up a VPN before a streaming session, hardcore privacy-fans would find these possibilities lacking.
There is an option that automatically secures untrusted Wi-Fi networks, but it’s a premium feature.
You can switch between the 19 countries plus toggle the feedback and auto startup functions. At the bottom you can see the currently set virtual location, followed by the large button prompting the connection. It also shows whether you are connected or not. The main screen displays all the relevant information, such as the amount of data you used compared to the maximum monthly limit (in case you have the free version). The client interface is clean and simple. Still, operating Phantom VPN doesn’t need any other Avira software. Phantom VPN is part of the Avira package, meaning it runs from the Avira launcher, where you find the other products of the company.
The free version can be downloaded from their website, and it doesn’t even require registration (although doing so rewards you with a doubled data cap). And they are true to their word: from start to finish, managing the VPN client is a piece of chocolate flavored cake. It’s that simple” states Avira Phantom VPN about the user-friendliness of its client.