Stream VPN Review

VPNs are nothing new to the public. They have been around for ages as corporates used them to secure their remote communication. After that, private vendors started providing a VPN (a virtual private network) network to individuals for a fee. One such vendor is Stream VPN, and we’ll review it. As you can assume by the name, it boasts of having the capabilities of bypassing geo-blocks to aid the users in their streaming quests. However, the question remains whether the service is worth the money or is it even getting the job done? That’s why we brought a review of Stream VPN for our readers to understand what the provider has to offer in general and in terms of VPN streaming.

Disclaimer — The following write-up is subjective, i.e., is the result of the author’s thoughts and educated opinion. For more information on the service, kindly visit the official Stream VPN website.

Overview of Stream VPN

Formerly known as My Expat Network, Stream VPN appears to be a meddling provider with glossed-over accolades. At the first glance, while the VPN promises to cater to the unrelenting need for global streaming, it might have appeared gallant. But the sad reality is that the VPN is somewhat lackluster. Although it does unblock most streaming websites, the vendor fails to offer decent speed for the users to enjoy the content. At best, we can safely assume the service to be a glorified underachiever. However, before concluding, we have to go through a detailed analysis.

To go over the numerous pros and cons of the service, our article will go in-depth. Hailing from Hong Kong, the VPN isn’t focused on privacy or security. It logs data relentlessly and offers unstable connections, whether on a local or international server. All this at abhorrent pricing, no less. Thus, it fails to compete against other competent rivals in the same price range.

Specs for Stream VPN

Key data	Stream VPN
Bandwidth	Unlimited
VPN connection speed	44 Mbps
Logging policy	Logs user data
IP, DNS data leaks	No
Jurisdiction	Hong Kong
Number of VPN servers	120
IP addresses	Undisclosed
Server locations	12 countries
Streaming	Supported
Torrenting	Not allowed
Number of simultaneous connections	5
Obfuscation	Mediocre Stealth VPN protocol
Customer Support	Email, Online request tickets, Web resources
Best price	$4.8 monthly over 24 months
Money-back guarantee	30-day money-return warranty

Stream VPN features

Here are the perks of using Stream VPN in detail:

Privacy and jurisdiction

Stream VPN logs some data that may be unnecessary for a VPN provider. As a result, the logging policy of the vendor is amongst the worst we have reviewed. Although the VPN is based in Hong Kong, a country with liberal privacy laws, the logging policy can jeopardize your VPN experience. Moreover, the vendor has never claimed to focus on security or privacy. Its main goal lies in providing access to streaming services. Here are the things the vendor logs:

• IP address
• Date and time of connection
• The server location of each connection

Security and advanced features

The VPN sticks to the basics when it comes down to security. The encryption used is the market standard AES 256-bit alongside the OpenVPN protocol. Hence, the VPN is immune from leaks. However, on the other hand, it lacks enough, or if any, advanced features. Sadly, the service provider sticks to L2TP for Android devices which is now outdated, especially when the competition offers WireGuard at the same prices. Other features include the basic VPN kill switch. Here’s the rundown:

• VPN protocols — IKEv2/IPsec, L2TP/IPsec, OpenVPN (TCP/UDP), Stealth VPN
• Encryption — AES 256-bit
• Security – IP and DNS leak blocking, VPN kill switch

VPN speed

The VPN is slow on both counts. Be it a local or an international connection, the offered speed can never be enough for anything remotely than web browsing. Although they claim to be a streaming VPN, its slow speed can cause issues even if the service succeeds in bypassing geo-blocks. Furthermore, the ping observed also left undesirable results.

VPN servers and their locations

The VPN has a very small network that consists of 120 servers spread across 12 countries. However, these countries are only limited to Europe, North America, and Australia. It is a mitigating factor for the slow speed of the network. Further distance to the server means increased latency that equals slower speeds. From an operational point of view, since the VPN wants to focus on streaming, having a small network of servers isn’t a dealbreaker. Speed surely is, though.

Streaming

Now, let’s come to the main focal point of the segment, namely streaming. The VPN shines when it comes to regional-specific streaming channels. Although it failed to bypass the blocks of Netflix, it didn’t disappoint the rest.

Obfuscation

Obfuscation is the ability to go online while being under the radar. It comes in handy when people want to access censored content. Also, it is a tool that can aid users in bypassing VPN blocks. Countries like China do not outright ban the use of VPNs. However, they employ techniques like DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) to weed out such connections. But, Stream VPN fails to do so despite having a Stealth VPN protocol.

Torrenting

Although it isn’t explicit on the official website anywhere, Stream VPN sure does block P2P (peer-to-peer) traffic on all servers. When you try to connect the VPN and use P2P/torrents, the service disconnects automatically. That too, without a warning. However, even if the vendor allowed P2P, poor speed and a lacking logging policy would have turned away potential users.

Customer Care

One good thing about the vendor is its responsive and helpful customer support. Although the 24/7 live chat is absent, the website has a token system alongside email to resolve user queries. Online materials are available, too.

Platform and device support for Stream VPN

The best thing about Stream VPN is that it offers a pre-flashed VPN router for purchase. With a use-out-of-the-box router, users do not have to worry about platforms or devices. Although the service does support the typical ones like Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Linux, and Android. On a surprising note, it also has an Amazon Fire TV Stick app. Sadly, browser extensions are missing.

Stream VPN pricing and subscription plans

It’s time to check the costs, which could justify everything the VPN has to offer:

• Monthly – $9.5 per month
• Annually — $6 monthly
• Two years — $4.8 per month

Unfortunately, the VPN doesn’t accept a variety of payment modes. It only accepts PayPal and traditional credit cards. Fortunately, the VPN provides a no-question asked 30-day money-back guarantee.

Verdict

It shouldn’t surprise our readers that we do not recommend Stream VPN after our review, even for streaming. Although, technically, the VPN doesn’t have to cater to privacy or security as it has to focus on streaming. But sadly, it doesn’t even do this right. While it went in the right direction, it is limited by factors such as speed and network. You can get far better options at the same or lower price, and that too for overall protection and with additional features.