Hi everyone!
This is a different sort of post that I have for you guys today, because instead of talking about a drama or a movie, I’ll be talking about a VPN service – that helps me get my drama game on, heh.
Today, I’ll be talking about NordVPN, the service that I personally use to get my grabby hands on as many of the drama offerings out there, as possible.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I paid for my NordVPN subscription with my own money.
HOWEVER! If you use my affiliate link to purchase your own subscription, you’ll get to enjoy up to 60% off * your subscription, AND, this will also give me a modest commission, at no extra cost to you, which helps to allow me to keep on doing what I love, here on the blog. Win-win! đ
* This used to say 73%, but because NordVPN’s changed the way it calculates the discount, it now says 60%. BUT, it’s the same great price, starting from US$3.29 a month!
WHY THE NEED FOR A VPN SERVICE?
To be honest, I used to think that I didn’t need a VPN service.
I figured that only people who use the internet for very business-y or very technical things would need a VPN service, and I just didn’t see myself as one of those very business-y or very technical people.
Maybe that was true in the past, but enough has changed now, that I’ve become convinced that even a regular internet user like myself – who just happens to love dramas – needs a good VPN service.
In the next few sections, I’ll talk more about why I decided that I needed a good VPN service.
1. INTERNET SAFETY
First, some general basics.
With cyber crime on the rise, our very presence on the internet means that we are undertaking some measure of risk, simply by revealing our IP address.
It’s a scary thought, but it’s really quite possible for a cyber criminal to target us, to hack into our lives and steal our information, simply because our IP address isn’t protected.
You can take a look at this quick video, for more information.
What does a VPN service do?
A VPN service protects your privacy, and encrypts your connection to servers when you browse the internet.
This means that while you’re sitting in your home in, say, Singapore, you could be showing up as logging in from somewhere in the US. It’s almost like.. teleporting? đ
Your privacy is protected, and cyber criminals won’t be able to pin you down, because your connection would be encrypted. It’s almost like a cyber superpower? đ
In a climate where cyber crime, scams and identity theft are at an all-time high, a good VPN is a sound investment, for our peace of mind.
Edited to add:
I’m finding it really handy, to use NordVPNâs auto-connect feature, to just be on VPN all the time, even when Iâm not actively looking to stream a show in another location.
Itâs not something that I used to do with the free VPNs, coz of the limited bandwidth and speed, but with this, I have the added benefit of encrypting my IP address all the time, which is great for peace of mind.
The other day, I switched locations from Singapore to the US, to check something on Viki, and then forgot that I was even VPNing through a US server, for the entire day â until I couldnât access Viu, because I was in the âwrong location.â Thatâs how impressive the connection speed is, I really like it! đ¤Š
3. MY DRAMA NEEDS
The evolving drama landscape
With more and more players entering the drama scene, and more and more geo-restrictions coming into play, it can be quite frustrating thinking about that drama that you reallyreally want to watch, but which you can’t access, because you’re just not in the right geographical location.
I’ve found that geo-restrictions apply to practically all the streaming platforms.
For example, some shows might be available to Viki / Netflix / Disney+ viewers in the US, but not here in Singapore and the rest of the Asia Pacific. Some shows are available to viewers in the Asia Pacific, but not to viewers in the US.
Even dramas on YouTube have geo-restrictions from time to time, which can be frustrating.
And then there are some platforms, like Viu and iQIYI, which have great content, but which target the Asian market, and therefore aren’t available to viewers in other regions – unless you have a good VPN service.
It’s gotten to the point where I’ve realized that if I really want to watch all the shows that I’m interested in watching, a good VPN really is the way to go.
What about free VPN options?
I used to think that I could get by using free VPN options for my drama needs.
If you’ve been around the blog for a while, you’d know that in the past, I’ve suggested both Opera’s free built-in VPN, as well as ProtonMail’s free VPN options for users.
(An article on why itâs not illegal to use a VPN to access legal streaming content can be found here.)
The thing is, over time, I’ve found that these free options just aren’t doing it for me anymore.
Basically, Opera’s slowed down for me massively, compared to when I first tried it out, to the point where I’ve simply stopped using it.
ProtonMail’s VPN speed is pretty decent, but the 3 free location options have proven to be quite limiting, over time.
For a quick overview of why free VPNs pale in comparison to paid VPN services, you can check out this short video:
4. WHY NORDVPN?
For the record, I did do some research, before deciding on NordVPN.
I wanted something that had a reputation for being stable, fast and reliable. After all, if I’m going to get a paid VPN service, I want something that can really perform, yes?
At the same time, I wanted it to have a reasonable price point. I didn’t want to be shelling out a whole lotta money for a VPN service, if I could help it.
But, neither did I want to opt for the cheapest service available, but that couldn’t live up to my need for stability, speed and reliability.
Basically, NordVPN came out on top, in my personal research. To me, it felt like the best of both worlds: a good reputation for speed and reliability, at a reasonable price point.
This quick overview that I found on NordVPN’s website sums it all up really nicely:
With a great reputation for speed and reliability, and prices as low as US$3.29 per month, NordVPN was a shoo-in as my VPN of choice.
Actual user experience
Now that I’ve tested it out for myself, I have to say that I am very pleased with my decision.
I found NordVPN easy and fast to set up. Within minutes of making my payment, I was all set up and streaming a drama through a US server, woot!
Most importantly, the speed has proven to be truly excellent. In terms of browsing and streaming, it honestly feels no different than if I weren’t connected to a VPN – except that I am. Wow. That’s impressive.
The app is handy and easy to install, and I like that I can sign in on both my laptop and my mobile (and my iPad too, if I want to), using a single account. This means that even though I only signed up for one plan, I can be protected while browsing the internet on my mobile devices as well.
And, importantly, this means that I can stream otherwise geo-restricted dramas, not only on my laptop, but on my phone and iPad as well. Priorities, eh? đ
Edited to add:
Turns out that you can also set up NordVPN to work with your Roku! Here’s a quick tutorial on how that works.
Switching connections
I also find it easy to switch connections, based on my needs of the moment.
Which is great, because, like I mentioned earlier, different shows are often available to different regions, and I’m personally interested in mannyyy of them. đ
For more insight into why NordVPN would be a good and reliable choice, you can check out this quick video:
5. TWIN WITH ME!
If you’d like to twin with me, you can use my affiliate link (here!) to enjoy up to 60% off * your subscription. Rates start from as low as US$3.29 per month!
* This used to say 73%, but because NordVPN’s changed the way it calculates the discount, it now says 60%. BUT, it’s the same great price, starting from US$3.29 a month!
(For the curious, I personally chose the 2-year plan myself, because it’s the best value for money.)
Importantly, there’s a 30-day money back guarantee as well, so you can take your time to try NordVPN completely risk-free.
If you use my affiliate link (again, here!) to sign up for your subscription, you enjoy a great discount, and at the same time, I receive a modest commission at no extra cost to you, which helps to allow me to keep on doing what I love, here on the blog. Yay for win-win! đ¤Š
Like I mentioned earlier, I paid for my subscription with my own money, and I wouldn’t have signed up as a NordVPN affiliate, if I didn’t sincerely believe that it’s a great service that’s worth your investment.
If you’re not on the market right now for a VPN subscription, that’s perfectly ok. Feel free to come back later! The discount will continue to be available, for as long as NordVPN continues its subscription promotion.
One more thing!
If you’re interested in other NordVPN services, I also have discount links for NordPass and NordLocker.
NordPass
NordPass is a password management service, where you can easily and securely manage all your passwords. You can now enjoy up to 50% off, using my affiliate link.
My NordPass link here.
NordLocker
NordLocker is a cloud storage service for all your file storage needs, and you can now enjoy up to 50% off, using my affiliate link.
My NordLocker link here.
PS: You can either purchase these individually, OR, you can add one or both of these products to your cart, when signing up for NordVPN.
NordVPN
And last but not least, again, my NordVPN link is here.
..And that’s it, really. I hope you guys found this helpful!
Much love to ya!
KFG â¤ď¸
