In the non-working scenario, the client was configured to use TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 only. However, the web server was IIS 6, which can support until TLS 1.0 and hence the handshake failed. Do check the registry keys to determine what protocols are enabled or disabled. On a remote private network there are two servers -- a file server and a database server (these are both Win machines, in case it matters). The file server has its own fairly robust authentication mechanisms, and allows me to connect directly from a remote location.
- Pros
Well designed app. Allows ten simultaneous connections. Above average number of available servers. Advanced security settings. Ad blocking. Supports P2P file sharing and BitTorrent. Multiplatform support. Strong stance on customer privacy.
- Cons
No free version. No specialized servers.
- Bottom Line
Private Internet Access offers a robust VPN service with an excellent new app interface and up to 10 simultaneous connections. It's a strong choice for large families or people with many devices in need of VPN protection.
Our lives are hyperconnected, and a VPN is the best tool to ensure that your web traffic isn't monitored by spies, crooks, advertisers, or your ISP. Private Internet Access is among the best VPN services we've tested. It offers a robust collection of features, thousands of available servers, 10 simultaneous connections, all contained in a new, easy-to-use app interface. Longtime users will have noticed, however, that its price has recently made a substantial jump.
- $11.95
- $9.99
- $10.00
- $12.99
- $11.99
- $9.99
- $12.95
- $9.95
- $7.99
What Is a VPN?
When you connect to the internet, you probably assume that your activities aren't being observed. However, that's an unsafe assumption, and it's especially dubious when you connect to the web from Wi-Fi at the coffee shop, the airport, or even at work. When you use a VPN, on the other hand, your traffic is routed through an encrypted tunnel to a server controlled by the VPN provider. Nothing can penetrate a VPN's encrypted tunnel, so no one snooping on your local network (be it at home or at the office) can see what you're up to. It also prevents your ISP from monitoring your activities. Because your data is emanating from the VPN server, and not your home router, your IP address—and therefore your geographic location—is hidden.
Private Internet Access Features and Pricing
Private Internet Access has three billing options, starting at $9.95 per month. This represents an increase of more than 40 percent over its longstanding bargain-basement price of $6.95. You can also get a year of service for $39.95, or two years of service for $69.95. Both of those prices are also significantly more expensive than what the company previously charged. I like that all the tiers provide the exact same features, and don't reserve advanced tools for higher-paying customers. I like the significant and sudden price jump a lot less.
Despite that increase in pricing, the new monthly fee is still less than the average price of PCMag's top-rated VPNs, which currently around $10.78. NordVPN, a five-star Editors' Choice winner, costs more than Private Internet Access, at $11.95 per month. Note, however, that NordVPN also offers more features, more server locations, and more servers. At the other end of the spectrum, Kaspersky Secure Connection costs $4.99 a month. The first pricing tier of ProtonVPN only costs $4.00, but doesn't include all the features available at higher tiers.
Private Internet Access may not be as affordable as it was, but there are still many worthy in inexpensive and even free VPN services to choose from. TunnelBear and AnchorFree Hotspot Shield offer free subscriptions with data limitations. ProtonVPN, however, is the best free VPN we've yet tested, in large part because it places no data restrictions on free users.
You have several choices for purchasing a subscription to Private Internet Access. The company accepts credit cards, Amazon payments, Bitcoin, Etherium, and PayPal, and many more besides. Private Internet Access also accepts gift cards from 90 different retailers, including Starbucks and even Bloomingdales. Buy one of these cards with cash, and your payment becomes reasonably anonymous. Should you ever tire of Private Internet Access, your account page has a large Cancel button, which is handy.
The company offers clients for Android, Chrome, Firefox, iOS, Linux, Opera, macOS, Windows. Previously, Private Internet Access subscription let you use up to five devices with the service, which is average for the industry. After increasing its price, Private Internet Access VPN also increased the number of devices you can use simultaneously to 10, beating NordVPN's six and tying with IPVanish. Avira Phantom VPN and Windscribe place no limitation on the number of devices.
If that's not enough devices, you can opt to purchase a router with Private Internet Access software preinstalled, or you can install it yourself. Doing so lets you protect every device on your network at the cost of just one license for the router. Some services go even further. TorGuard VPN, for example, sells Apple TV and Roku streaming boxes with its software preinstalled.
Private Internet Access doesn't offer much in the way of add-ons. You won't be able to purchase static IP addresses as you can with NordVPN. Nor can you add additional device connections, as you can with TorGuard VPN. That's fine, since Private Internet Access VPN offers just about everything the average user would want from a VPN and doesn't ever upsell you because it has nothing to upsell. That's especially true now that the company offers 10 simultaneous connections.
The company does allow the use of P2P file-sharing networks and BitTorrent on its VPN servers. Better yet, Private Internet Access does not require that you limit your torrenting to specific servers. That's convenient.
In addition to everything Private Internet Access has to offer, it also garners a lot of customer loyalty. In PCMag's first-ever Readers' Choice survey for VPNs, Private Internet Access beat out the competition for overall customer satisfaction. It will be interesting to see if the price change affects that loyalty in next year's survey.
VPN Protocols
VPN technology comes in a handful of flavors, with a few different protocols used to create the encrypted tunnel. My preferred protocol is OpenVPN, which is open-source and therefore examined by volunteers for potential vulnerabilities. It also has a strong reputation for speed and reliability.
Private Internet Access supports OpenVPN and the older L2TP/IPSec. I don't recommend using these other two if you can help it, but it's good to have options. The VPN industry will likely shift to the new WireGuard protocol someday, but probably not for a good long while.
Servers and Server Locations
With a subscription to Private Internet Access, you get access to the company's 3,341 servers spread out over 52 locations in 32 countries. While VPN services will spin servers up and down to meet demand, a large number of servers is a sign of the service's robustness. It also means you're less likely to have to share bandwidth with a lot of other users accessing the same VPN server.
NordVPN currently has the distinction of offering the most VPN servers, with 5,293 servers in its network. Private Internet Access is in second place. Several other VPN companies have recently crossed the 3,000 server threshold, including CyberGhost, TorGuard VPN, and ExpressVPN.
If you travel or live outside the US or UK, you'll get a better experience using a VPN server that's nearby. Numerous server locations also mean you have more choices to spoof your location. Private Internet Access has a good mix of locations, with servers in Asia, Central America, Europe, India, South America, the UK, and the US. That's acceptable, but it could use improvement. Private Internet Access only offers one server location in Africa, and only two options in all of Central and South America. ExpressVPN, notably, has a stellar collection of server locations, covering some 94 countries.
Note that while Private Internet Access used to support servers in Russia, it no longer does. This change was in response to new VPN laws in Russia that Private Internet Access felt would have prevented it from adequately protecting user privacy. Other VPN services have weighed in on the issue, but Private Internet Access is among the very few to cease Russian operations entirely. A company representative told me that 'Private Internet Access supports uncensored Internet Access everywhere in the world and denounces governments with draconian laws that reduce citizens' privacy.'
Some VPN services make use of virtual servers, which mimic a server in a given country but may actually be located somewhere else. While the practical upshot is the same—your traffic appears to be coming from the country you select—consumers may have legal concerns about where their data is actually going. Not every country has agreeable data and privacy protection laws, after all. That's not an issue with Private Internet Access. A company representative told me that all of its servers are 'bare-metal servers actually located at the physical location they claim to be at.' The company also boasts of 1 Gigabit to 10 Gigabit connections for its servers.
Your Privacy With Private Internet Access
VPN companies advertise their privacy and security bona fides, but they also come with risks. When you route your traffic through a VPN, the company could have enormous insight into what you do online—the kind of insight your ISP has and that you're probably using a VPN to prevent.
Thankfully, most VPNs take consumer privacy seriously, and that includes Private Internet Access. A company representative explained that Private Internet Access does not keep logs of user activity and does not profit from user data. The company says it only generates revenue from user subscriptions. While I found nothing suspicious in the company's lengthy privacy policy, it is enormously difficult to read. Private Internet Access would do well to make this important document more accessible.
While the technology that a VPN company offers is important, its physical location and the legal jurisdiction the company operates under also make a difference. In this case, Private Internet Access is based in the US and operates under US legal jurisdiction. The US does not have any mandatory data retention laws, but Private Internet Access is required to respond to court orders from the US government. That's not the case for companies like NordVPN, which is located in Panama. However, Private Internet Access says that aside from a user email address, it has no information to provide. The company's annual transparency report confirms that for the 23 warrants, subpoenas, and court orders Private Internet Access has received since July 2018, the company has provided no data in response.
Private Internet Access has not undergone an independent audit such as those carried out by NordVPN and TunnelBear. It also has not contracted industry studies, as AnchorFree Private Internet Access has, nor has it responded to the Center for Democracy and Technologies' survey. It has, however, conducted an audit of the underlying OpenVPN technology and released the results to the public and the OpenVPN developers.
I am neither a network engineer with access to each and every one of the company's servers, nor am I a legal expert. I have, however, asked the company direct questions and been satisfied by the answers I received. Still, I encourage everyone to read a VPN company's privacy policy for themselves. If you feel uncomfortable, look elsewhere. Trust, after all, is paramount when it comes to security companies.
Hands On With Private Internet Access
I downloaded the Windows version of Private Internet Access from the company's website and installed it within seconds on my Lenovo ThinkPad T460s running Windows 10. I received new login credentials in the purchase confirmation email, a practice that gives you extra anonymity but may be confusing for novices.
For years, I characterized Private Internet Access as technically proficient but socially deficient. It lacked any kind of client, and seemed to intentionally avoid anything approaching, well, approachability. I'm happy to see that Private Internet Access has since addressed this issue and released a much friendlier client app. You can still control the entire app from within the system tray, however, if you're into that sort of thing.
When you open the app, you're greeted by a large Connect button. Click it, and you're immediately connected to the best server available. This is exactly what the average user needs: a straightforward path to getting secure immediately. Clicking the location box below the connect button lets you jump to a different VPN server with ease.
Clicking the caret at the bottom of the app expands the window to the top of the screen, revealing a host of other tiles for quickly connecting to servers in specific countries, real-time performance graphs, usage statistics, toggle switches for key settings, and your current subscription status. Clicking the Bookmark icon adds these tiles to your default view, letting you customize your experience. It's an excellent approach, and other VPN companies should take note of how Private Internet Access so easily handles interacting with its more complex features.
An additional Settings window goes into greater detail. From here you can make changes to your account, select different remote ports, and make even more obscure tweaks. Most users won't ever need to touch these, however, as they are better left to confident experts. One important setting you can and should experiment with is the light or dark mode for the app, a surprisingly modern feature from a company that didn't even have an app until recently.
The only catch is that the new app interface is still bolted to the system tray. You summon it by clicking the Private Internet Access icon, and it stays locked above the system tray. You can't move it around or interact with it as you would a normal Windows app. Click anywhere outside the app and it disappears again. It's a bit of three steps forward, one step back, and I hope future versions will see the app behaving in a more expected way.
One general concern with VPNs is that they might leak identifiable information, either in the form of DNS requests or your real IP address. In my tests, I found that my ISP and IP address were hidden and my usual DNS servers circumvented with Private Internet Access.
Private Internet Access and Netflix
Many streaming video services block VPNs, because they have geographically limited licenses for streaming content. The show Star Trek: Discovery, for example, is only available on CBS All Access within the US and Canada, but is streamed over Netflix in the rest of the world. I test with Netflix because of its enormous popularity and because it is particularly aggressive at blocking VPN users.
If streaming Netflix over a VPN is a major concern for you, Private Internet Access will have your back. When I last tested VPNs with Netflix, I had no trouble watching movies while connected to a US-based VPN server. I was able to stream from Netflix while connected to a Canadian server and a UK server, but not an Australian server. Still, that's a strong showing. While I had little trouble using Netflix with Private Internet Access, by the time you try it, the service may again be blocked.
Beyond VPN
Many VPN companies include additional privacy and security features in order to entice consumers. To that end, Private Internet Access includes its own ad- and tracker-blocking tool called MACE. When engaged, this tool specifically blocks pesky advertisements plastered across web pages and trackers that allow companies to track your movements across the Internet. It's worth noting that several of the VPNs I have reviewed offer ad blocking. Those that do include NordVPN, TunnelBear VPN, CyberGhost, TorGuard, Surfshark, and Norton Secure VPN, among others. This feature is unfortunately now blocked in Android VPN apps, to comply with Google's rules. If this is a must-have feature for your Android device, you can sideload the APK after downloading it from Private Internet Access' website.
While I am happy to see VPN companies expanding protections for customers, these features can only support—not replace—standalone antivirus software and tracker-blocking browser plug-ins.
Using a VPN will protect your privacy, within certain limitations. The Tor service is far better at providing real anonymity than a VPN. You can access Tor through the specially made Tor Browser, but some VPNs include access to Tor as well. NordVPN and ProtonVPN have already deployed Tor integrations.
Speed and Performance
Regardless of the VPN you use, it will affect your web browsing speeds. To gauge the level of that impact, I measure latency, download speeds, and upload speeds using the Ookla speed test app. (Note that Ookla is owned by PCMag's publisher, Ziff Davis.)
See How We Test VPNs
In my testing, I found that Private Internet Access performed above the median in all three categories. It's certainly one of the fastest VPNs by my reckoning. HideIPVPN, however, had a significantly smaller impact on upload and download speeds. It's the leader in terms of speed, but I strongly caution against using speed as the only criteria for selecting a VPN.
You can see how Private Internet Access compares in the chart below with the top 10 performers among the 30-some services we've tested. Keep in mind that your results will likely differ from mine.
Speeds vary depending on a number of factors. Overall value and ease of use are far more important, but the real value of a VPN is in the privacy and security it offers. If you are looking mainly for speed, however, HideIPVPN is PCMag's fastest VPN.
Private Internet Access on Other Platforms
Manually setting up your computer or smartphone to use a VPN is possible, but it's also a pain. Using an app from the VPN company is far easier, and gives you access to many more features than manual configuration. Private Internet Access supports apps for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows. The service has earned PCMag Editors' Choice awards on all of those platforms, except iOS, where NordVPN is PCMag's top choice.
Private Internet Access also offers extensions for Firefox and Chrome. These hide the IP address associated with your browser traffic, using servers in a variety of locations, and is secured with Squid HTTPS. Only your browser traffic, however, is affected by the plug-ins. The rest of your computer's activity is not secured by these tools.
The Simplest Security
Private Internet Access used to have a hearty recommendation with a big asterisk next to it, because it didn't have much in the way of a GUI. With its newer interface, Private Internet Access matches its technical expertise with ease of use, but the increased price does make it stand out less in a crowded space. The sizeable increase in the number of devices that can connect simultaneously helps offset the sticker shock somewhat. It's still an Editors' Choice winner, along with NordVPN, TunnelBear, and ProtonVPN. These services are each excellent in their own right, with NordVPN offering a robust global network, TunnelBear providing a friendly and approachable service, and ProtonVPN bringing a flexible and technically savvy service.
Bottom Line: Private Internet Access offers a robust VPN service with an excellent new app interface and up to 10 simultaneous connections. It's a strong choice for large families or people with many devices in need of VPN protection.
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Pia Client Mac Only Working For One User Manual
Add your email account
If you don't have an email account set up, Mail prompts you to add your email account.
To add another account, choose Mail > Add Account from the menu bar in Mail. Or choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Internet Accounts, then click the type of account to add.
- When adding an account, if you get a message that your account provider requires completing authentication in Safari, click Open Safari and follow the sign-in instructions in the Safari window.
- If necessary, Mail might ask you for additional settings.
Learn more about how to add or remove email accounts.
Send and reply
Learn how to compose, reply to, and forward email.
Send new messages
- Click New Message in the Mail toolbar, or choose File > New Message.
- Enter a name, email address, or group name in the 'To' field. Mail gives suggestions based on your contacts and messages on your Mac and devices signed into iCloud.1
- Enter a subject for your message.
- Write your email in the body of the message.
- To add an attachment, drag an attachment to the body of the message. Or choose File > Attach Files, choose an attachment, then click Choose.
- To change your font and format, use the options at the top of the message window.
- Beginning with macOS Mojave, it's even easier to add emoji to your messages. Just click the Emoji & Symbols button in the toolbar at the top of the message window, then choose emoji or other symbols from the character viewer.
- Send or save your message:
- To send, click the Send button or choose Message > Send.
- To save your message as a draft for later, close the message, then click Save.
Reply and forward
To reply to a single person, click Reply , type your response, then click Send .
To reply to everyone on a group email, click Reply All , type your response, then click Send .
- To forward a message to other people, click Forward , type your response, then click Send .
Organize and search
Sort your emails into folders and use multiple search options to find specific messages.
Create folders
You can create Mailboxes to organize your emails into folders.
- Open Mail, then choose Mailbox > New Mailbox from the menu bar.
- In the dialog that appears, choose the location for the Mailbox.
- Choose your email service (like iCloud) to access your Mailbox on your other devices, such as an iPhone signed into the same email account.
- Choose On My Mac to access your Mailbox only on your Mac.
- Name the mailbox and click OK.
If you don't see the mailboxes sidebar, choose View > Show Mailbox List. To show or hide mailboxes from an email account, move your pointer over a section in the sidebar and click Show or Hide.
Sort your emails
To move a message from your Inbox to a mailbox:
- Drag the message onto a mailbox in the sidebar.
- In macOS Mojave, you can select the message, then click Move in the Mail toolbar to file the message into the suggested mailbox. Mail makes mailbox suggestions based on where you've filed similar messages in the past, so suggestions get better the more you file your messages.
To delete a message, select a message, then press the Delete key.
To automatically move messages to specific mailboxes, use rules.
Search
Use the Search field in the Mail window to search by sender, subject, attachments, and more. To narrow your search, choose an option from the menu that appears as you type.
Add and mark up attachments
Pia Client Mac Only Working For One Username
Attach documents and files to your messages and use Markup to annotate, add your signature, and more.
Attach a file
To attach a file to your message:
- Drag an attachment to the body of the message.
- Choose File > Attach Files, choose an attachment, then click Choose.
Use Markup with your attachments
You can use Markup to draw and type directly on an attachment, like an image or PDF document.2
Pia Client Mac Only Working For One User To Another
- Click the Attach button or choose File > Attach Files in the message window.
- Choose an attachment, then click Choose File.
- Click the menu icon that appears in the upper-right corner of the attachment, then choose Markup.
- Use the Sketch tool to create freehand drawings.
- Use the Shapes tool to add shapes like rectangles, ovals, lines, and arrows.
- Use the Zoom tool in the Shapes menu to magnify and call attention to a part of an attachment.
- Use the Text tool to add text.
- Use the Sign tool to add your signature.
- Click Done.
Learn more
Windows 10 Start Menu Not Working For One User
- Contact Apple Support.
Pia Client Mac Only Working For One User Testing
1. All devices signed into iCloud with the same Apple ID share contacts. Contacts addressed in previous messages that were sent and received on those devices are also included. To control this feature, turn Contacts on or off for iCloud. On Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click iCloud. On iOS devices, go to Settings, tap your name at the top of the screen, then tap iCloud.
2. Markup is available in OS X Yosemite and later.