You can set the application to warn when the computer connects to the Internet over unsecure Wi-Fi networks or untrusted wired ones. The configuration panel is pretty straightforward and sports a small amount of options. This not only secures the connection, but it also ensures that your IP remains private, as attempts to find your IP will hit the company’s servers. When turned on, Hotspot Shield encrypts your browsing sessions and routs the connection through AnchorFree’s own servers.
It shows the current status of the VPN connection (green if it is on and red if it is off) and hovering over it displays the amount of data trafficked. Once you have Hotspot Shield on the system, a small icon will be added to the browsers top bar, next “minimize” button. It offers to add a toolbar to Internet Explorer and Firefox, but the option is unchecked by default, unlike in the free version. Installing the Hotspot Shield Elite consists in pretty much going through the screens without making any modifications. Shelling out the money also brings to the table faster browsing and cloud-based protection against a wider range of online threats (malware, infected websites and phishing). One free of charge and supported through advertising, while the other, Hotspot Shield Elite, is clean of ads and can be purchased for a $29.95/ 26.43 EUR yearly fee or as a $10 / 8.83 EUR pay-as-you-go service valid for 20 days.Īlthough the two versions are pretty similar, the advertising in the free product does a great job at making Elite more appealing. The application is available in two editions. Besides maintaining anonymity online, a VPN can also keep your connection safe as it can encrypt online traffic by routing the connection through the company’s servers. Hotspot Shield Elite is an easy-to-install and use way of accessing sites that are blocked in your region.Hotspot Shield from AnchorFree is designed as a simple approach to offering the regular user the benefits of a virtual private network (VPN). Hotspot Shield now includes malware protection meaning that while using it, you shouldn't get infected by anything that may damage your system. Also, surfing with Hotspot Shield is noticeably slower than normal but it's fine for streaming video from video sites such as Hulu.
Anchorfree hotspot shield elite free version review install#
In addition, it tries to install a toolbar at the beginning although you can opt out of this.
Hotspot Shield Elite works very well and you don't have to put up with an ad banner at the top of your browser like in the free version. You can also view your purchase history for Hotspot Shield Elite in your browser. The advantage over the free version is that streaming is much more stable. This is particularly useful for video sites such as Hulu or restricted videos on YouTube. The major reason why users are flocking to Hotspot Shield Elite though is because it allows you to view sites in the USA that are usually restricted to outside users. The VPN is encrypted with 128 bit SSL encryption so that you can surf safely without worrying about others intercepting your data. A green and red shield in your system tray indicates when Hotspot Shield is and is not connected. Everything is done in an extra tab open in your browser so there's no need to configure anything.