Virtual private networks (VPNs) have become an essential tool for protecting your privacy and security online. With so many VPN services to choose from, it can be tricky to determine which one is right for your needs. In this review, we‘ll take an in-depth look at Tuxler VPN to see if it‘s a legitimate and worthwhile option or if you‘re better off looking elsewhere.
Contents
An Overview of Tuxler VPN
Tuxler VPN is a free VPN service that offers unlimited bandwidth. It‘s available as a desktop application for Windows and Mac, as well as browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. The service promises to provide access to private IP addresses from anywhere in the world, with no data caps.
At first glance, Tuxler VPN seems like an appealing option. However, when we tested the service, we found the performance to be lacking. While it can unblock some services like Hulu and BBC iPlayer, the connections are too slow for smooth video streaming. The service also lacks basic security features like a kill switch and cannot bypass Netflix‘s geo-restrictions.
Privacy concerns are also raised since Tuxler VPN collects and shares extensive user data. An upgraded premium plan starting at $7.99 a month provides slightly faster speeds, but this is still expensive compared to top VPN services. Even the premium version lacks the security and speed to reliably stream or browse smoothly. Tuxler VPN also cannot support multiple device connections at once. Lastly, Tuxler VPN has poor customer service and no refund policy. We recommend switching to a more affordable and secure option like NordVPN instead.
Breakdown of Tuxler VPN Features
To give a comprehensive review of Tuxler VPN, let‘s take a closer look at its specific features related to security, streaming, speed, server network, and more.
Security and Privacy
When evaluating a VPN service, privacy and anonymity protections should be the top priority. This means checking for strong encryption like AES-256 bit to secure your data from unauthorized access. Top protocols like WireGuard and OpenVPN paired with AES-256 bit encryption provide an extra layer of security.
A reputable full-featured service should also have advanced privacy and security protections like a reliable kill switch built-in. The kill switch stops any unencrypted data from being sent over the network if the connection fails until it‘s re-established.
Tuxler‘s use of encryption and protocols is questionable with no clear details provided. However, a customer service representative assured me they use the standard AES-256 bit encryption along with an RSA2048 key. While torrenting is allowed, I‘d recommend a more advanced solution if you need a VPN to secure your P2P sharing.
Tuxler operates through a community-based pool of proxy servers instead of traditional VPN servers. This server network is less secure since other users in the community access any website through their own IP address rather than a shared IP from a data center.
Tuxler‘s privacy policy fully discloses the extensive private details they collect when you visit their website. However, no information is provided on what is logged when using their apps and browser extensions. Tuxler records which IP addresses were used to access their service and which IPs were used within Tuxler.
Compared to paid services like NordVPN, Tuxler‘s free, community-driven service falls short on privacy and security. If protecting your privacy while browsing is a priority, we‘d recommend looking elsewhere.
Streaming Capabilities
Users looking to access regionally restricted content on services like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer and more may find Tuxler‘s ability to hide its presence from these domains useless.
While it can bypass the BBC iPlayer geo-block for instance, I doubt you‘ll be able to stream in HD at its free speeds. I tried watching a show on BBC iPlayer but the buffering was painfully slow. Though Tuxler claims its Premium tier is 4x faster.
Speed and Overall Experience
We tested download speeds over a 39.37Mbps connection and were disappointed with the results. Connecting first to a German server only managed 1.97Mbps.
In a second round of tests, connecting to a UK server achieved similarly poor speeds of just 1.52Mbps. Interestingly, when connecting to US and Indian servers we saw download speeds of 2.10Mbps and 2.15Mbps respectively. Upload speeds were also found to be extremely slow compared to the testing connection and heavily throttled as well.
While the apps and browser add-ons are very easy to use. The only options are changing locations, turning IP shuffling on and off, selecting a country or city, and enabling domestic locations.
Server Network
A major selling point for Tuxler is the number of residential IP addresses offered. While the site boasts "millions of locations", the number of actual servers is much lower. That language can‘t be trusted at all.
The "community-powered" solution from Tuxler works without needing dedicated servers. It does this by utilizing the available network capacity and processing power of nearby users to direct data flows. So users have to rely on there being other active Tuxler users in their immediate vicinity. Transfer speeds may be decent with a large enough user base. Without it, the service is nearly useless. Not the most reliable way to ensure stable connectivity and performance.
Ease of Use and Platform Support
Tuxler VPN has an application for the following platforms:
- Windows
- MacOS
- Google Chrome (extension)
- Mozilla Firefox (browser extension)
Services are available for users of both Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac PCs, with versions for Android and iOS devices "coming soon" according to the site. Setup is quick and easy. Simply downloading the VPN software from the downloads section of the Tuxler homepage should get you connected. It‘s nice to get the app installed and be logged in within just a couple of minutes.
Once you‘ve downloaded the client and launched it, using Tuxler is straightforward. There are no complex security settings to deal with (unfortunately). Just select a location and connect. The app is well laid out and designed for ease of use. So I think it‘s only fair to give Tuxler some credit in that department.
Bypassing Geo-Restrictions
The company claims this VPN is one of the best at defeating strict geographic restrictions thanks to its use of the SOCKS5 protocol. Tuxler opened up access to tightly restricted countries like Russia and China.
However, despite bypassing China‘s Great Firewall, TuxlerVPN security does not provide any additional safeguards for such use cases. Reputable vendors typically offer VPN servers with extra layers of encryption for added protection when connecting from a country with strict censorship regulations.
Protocols
Unlike most standard VPN services, Tuxler does not disclose much about the protocols it uses. OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard are just some of the protocols offered by top tier VPN services.
Tuxler‘s website states it uses the SOCKS5 proxy as an alternative to VPNs. This leaves one wondering if Tuxler really is a true VPN service or only redirects traffic through proxy servers. I tried contacting Tuxler customer service for more info but never heard back.
Tuxler claims it uses end-to-end encryption to protect user data but does not specify which techniques it uses. For that reason, caution should be exercised when using Tuxler.
Server Network Reliability
Tuxler has focused its marketing messaging around its extensive private IP network. To accomplish this, the VPN leverages the residential IP addresses of real ISPs to forward user requests.
The company claims a staggeringly wide international reach with access from 300,000 IP addresses across 92 countries. Plus over 70,000 new IPs each month along with IPs from over 182 distinct ISPs assigned to individual households. While the company may tout all its IP addresses are unique, private ones – you‘ll still need to flip a switch to use them.
Tuxler storefronts can be found spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, the Middle East, and North America. During testing, I was able to connect to the following countries: United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Hong Kong, France, Israel, Singapore, Japan, Germany, Canada, Australia.
As a community-driven service, Tuxler operates without dedicated or DNS-based servers. There is a brief mention of proxy servers located in both homes and data centers within the Frequently Asked Questions section. However, the Tuxler add-on is required to utilize this functionality. The lack of transparency suggests the company is making use of an outside data center provider which is not unheard of. But Tuxler needs to make this messaging very clear.
The availability of servers relies heavily on the connectivity of nearby users. If you don‘t share your IP while using the app, no one else can view it either. So you have to depend on the actions of other Tuxler users in your area being successful. Whenever possible, the app will connect you to a user nearby. If none are available, it will connect you to the closest host. When testing I tried establishing a connection to the United States but was routed through other countries instead.
Torrenting Capabilities
Neither the premium or free version of Tuxler VPN have dedicated torrent VPN servers. However, file sharing and media streaming over P2P networks is supported across its servers. And if you connect to a decent enough TuxlerVPN server, like I did in the Czech Republic, you should be fine.
In this case, the download speed was consistent across all platforms. However, the upload speed took a major hit. You should be aware that this company operates out of the United States and logs your activity to an unknown extent. For that reason, Tuxler VPN can‘t be trusted for safe torrenting. If that‘s your top priority, there are safer and faster options out there.
Kill Switch
The Tuxler app does not include a kill switch. This means if for any reason, your VPN connection drops while you‘re using their service, your IP address will be exposed. Your current browsing history will be available to your ISP and anyone monitoring your connection.
It‘s unclear why Tuxler has not kept up with the times, but nowadays a kill switch is expected as a standard VPN feature.
Jurisdiction
With Tuxler‘s parent company based in California, it falls under the information sharing networks known as the Five, Nine and Fourteen Eyes which include countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada.
Our experience with Tuxler has been negative. We strongly advise anyone sensitive about their privacy to stay away since they are US-based and freely admit to logging and sharing user data.
Logging Policy
Tuxler‘s logging practices are concerning as the company admits to collecting extensive customer data (specifically internet activities and browsing history!). This is a major red flag for us and should be for you as well.
They further claim that authorities (including police) and ISPs can request this information. It‘s abundantly clear Tuxler is not a good fit for someone who values privacy.
Tuxler does make it clear they are GDPR compliant and provides a link where you can access your data and have it deleted if desired. We are concerned they will be just as negligent in this area as they have been with their customer service record and the fact they have misspelled GDPR multiple times.
Additional Drawbacks of Tuxler VPN
Aside from the major issues already covered, our Tuxler VPN review uncovered even more drawbacks of the service:
Disables Firewall
Because it uses user IP addresses to provide servers to other users on the virtual network, this leaves your Windows Firewall open to attack from another customer. We‘ll dive more into the implications in the next section.
Not So Secure
The 256-bit encryption is an attempt to address security concerns, but there are inherent flaws in its outsourced server operation. There‘s already plenty to worry about with firewalls turned off and unknown users able to access a limited capacity product via your IP address. Where your IP address ends up in the hands of a stranger, who knows what could happen?
Privacy Issues
No data usage policies are publicly available for Tuxler VPN. Also, the connections become increasingly unreliable over time making it unfit for sustained focus.
Hints of Selective Blocking
While we have no way to conclusively prove this, we can‘t rule out the possibility that the app is more successful for some users than those with apparently restricted IP addresses. Concerns over security and connection stability have already been raised in our Tuxler VPN review. Complaints have been rare and only emerged recently. So each user may have a unique rather than consistent experience.
Tuxler Thwarting Connections
Among the more common complaints from users is having to wait a while before being able to join the virtual network. There needs to be more than just freebies for add-ons to gain popularity among user groups.
The virtual private network (VPN) service Tuxler is one example that needs improvement because of Globe Wifi‘s intermittent blocking of its connections. So far, our Tuxler VPN review has uncovered four complaints related to this issue.
Customer Support
Tuxler does have social media presence but does not keep up with it. The only option for contacting the company is an email "Contact Us" address. There‘s no telling how long it will take for them to respond to your inquiry. Customers in California can save time waiting for answers by traveling to headquarters instead. If not, you may have to try searching for the solution online.
Final Verdict: Is Tuxler VPN Worth It?
To sum up this Tuxler VPN review – we do not recommend using this VPN service. The free version offers subpar speeds that are too slow for streaming or normal browsing. There are also major security flaws like lack of a kill switch, encryption details, and logging of user data and activities.
The paid premium version only offers minor improvements in speed. But with no refunds available, it‘s not worth risking your money to test it out. Many top VPN services like NordVPN provide much better security, speeds, and service at similar price points.
We only recommend using Tuxler VPN if you need specific location access and don‘t care about speeds or security. For most users, switching to a more mainstream VPN like NordVPN or ExpressVPN is a much better choice.
Pros
- Free service
- Easy and quick to setup
- Bypasses some geo-restrictions
- Provides residential IP addresses
Cons
- Very slow speeds
- Logs user information
- Dubious security measures and encryption
- Lacks advanced features
- No kill switch and split tunneling
- Unreliable server network
We hope this detailed and honest Tuxler VPN review for 2024 assists you in determining if it fits your needs or if you‘re better served by a more secure VPN. Let us know if you have any other questions!
