This name has quite a lot of definitions, and you will now understand why. Let's first understand - what is a hot spot? Hot-spot or in English Hot-Spot consists of two words. The first word means “hot”, and the second means “point”. Here comes “Hot Spot”. This is where confusion immediately begins for an ordinary person, because this name can be used to call anything. And he will be right! – After all, the meaning of this word depends on the context and where it occurs.
At this point in the twenty-first century, this word is more often used in wireless networks. Wi-Fi Hot spot (HotSpot) - in ordinary language, this is a standard access point that distributes WiFi. But I will tell you more about this later in the article.
Service capabilities
The company has 3200+ servers in more than 70 countries, which provides access to content in any part of the world.
Hotspot Shield provides a number of solutions that users need when surfing the Internet:
- Traffic encryption. Creating an encrypted tunnel for incoming and outgoing traffic between the server and the user's computer allows you to download files, surf the web and other actions anonymously.
- Unblocking sites. Using VPN technology, you can visit resources that are prohibited due to geolocation or other reasons, and bypass the restrictions set by the network administrator.
- Hiding IP. The user's IP address can be used by hackers, spammers, Internet spies and other intruders. The program allows you to set the IP of any country instead of the real one.
- Security for wi-fi. Using public wireless access points thanks to the service's technologies becomes completely safe.
- Protection against viruses and malware. When you open potentially dangerous resources, the Hotspot Shield application warns you of the possible danger, preventing your Internet device from becoming infected.
Hotspot Shield has developed applications for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. And since November 2020, it has become possible to use the program for TV. The feature is available on any smart TV that has access to the Google Play Store.
Privacy and Security
VPN security is determined by the protocols, encryption and authentication methods it supports. It is difficult to assess the security of Hotspot Shield because instead of standard protocols (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, IKE2v, etc.) it uses its own Catapult Hydra technology.
According to the technical documentation, Catapult Hydra is based on Transport Layer Security, uses AES-128 encryption, 2048-bit RSA certificates for server authentication. Key exchange is carried out using Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDHE), i.e. For each new session, new keys are generated.
This protocol is used by such large companies as McAfee, Cheetah Mobile, Telefonica, etc. Therefore, ordinary users of the service do not have to worry about their security and privacy on the Internet.
Security issues also include leakage of information about user IP addresses. Testing of the free version revealed evidence of such leakage through an advertising pixel. According to the developers, it is used solely to reduce the number of ads shown during the session. In the commercial version, there is no advertising, and therefore no tracking pixel.
Performance
The presence of a large number of servers provides high-speed access to content around the world. When connecting, the service automatically finds the optimal VPN server, but the user can make an independent choice and indicate the preferred country where the server is located.
Unlimited bandwidth and performance enhancement proxy (TPEP) avoid random packet loss and reduce new connection latency. Hydra can be used with different types of secure connections (VPN tunnels, OpenVPN, established IPSEC).
Another Hydra feature is “DNS acceleration,” which means that domain name service requests when connecting to a new site are processed instantly, bypassing the VPN tunnel, increasing page loading speeds.
It should be noted that Hotspot Shield does not always provide high connection speeds, in particular the free version. However, when using slow wireless networks, AnchorFree servers can help increase this indicator.
Download Hotspot Shield Free VPN Proxy
If you need a “combine” that provides not only a secure connection, but also anonymity, albeit with certain speed restrictions, the software is better suited than other free analogues.
It does not take up much space on your hard drive, the system requirements are minimal, the interface is simple and extremely understandable even for inexperienced network users.
And the presence of browser extensions allows you to completely avoid the need to configure anything - the connection is carried out automatically with a couple of clicks.
Hotspot Shield Free VPN Proxy on Google Chrome
Rates
The Hotspot Shield software application offers two versions - free and commercial. The free version has a limited number of available servers, and also lacks most of the main features of the service:
- unlimited bandwidth;
- ability to connect up to 5 devices;
- 24/7 technical support.
A significant drawback of the free version is the advertising module. When a VPN session is activated, the program loads a page with advertisements into the user’s browser. In addition, the special toolbar built into the browser displays fairly large advertising banners (720x98 pixels) when the application is turned on.
The Hotspot Shield Elite version with additional features has one tariff plan, the cost of which depends on the payment period. So, a monthly subscription costs $12.99 , a yearly $95.88 ($7.99/month), and a two-year subscription costs $167.76 ($6.99/month).
You can pay for the service using a bank card or PayPal payment system. To transfer money, a secure payment using 128-bit SSL encoding is used.
The company guarantees users the opportunity to return funds within 45 days.
How to use
To install the application, after registration, you must download it from the official website (for Windows), iStore (for Mac OS and iOS) or Google Play (for Android) and launch the installation client. The program supports many languages, including Russian.
To start using the commercial version of the program, you must select the subscription period for the tariff (month, year, two years) and indicate the email address to which the payment receipt will be sent. After payment, a link to download the application and instructions for installing it will become available.
The window of the running client displays the current IP address, the speed of incoming and outgoing traffic. By clicking on the current location, you can select another country from the list, but without the ability to select a specific server.
PC users who plan to use VPN only in the browser can install the extension for Google Chrome and FireFox by downloading them from the app store.
Add-on Store
In Yandex Browser, it is recommended to install add-ons from the Opera store. To access the store, you can enter https://addons.opera.com/ru/extensions/ in the search bar or go to the add-ons section through the main menu:
- Open the menu in the upper right corner (icon with three lines).
- Click Add-ons
- Scroll to the very bottom of the page and click “Extension Catalog”.
- You should type “VPN” into the search bar.
- The Opera store displays add-ons compatible with Yandex.
The most famous free add-ons:
Hola Better Internet
The free version allows access to sites from the list;
TunnelBear
A conditionally free extension for the Yandex browser that allows you to change your IP. There is a traffic limit of 750 MB per month;
VPN.S HTTP Proxy
Proxy extension for Yandex browser. Allows you to connect to your own or a paid proxy server. The Opera store doesn't have a very large selection of free VPN extensions. Most of them do not work without registration, require payment, or are severely limited in functionality. In this case, the Chrome Store provides much more choice.
If you use browsers other than Yandex, we have prepared articles for you: The best solutions for Firefox and Which VPN to choose for Google Chrome?
Chrome Store
There are no compatibility problems; all VPN extensions work correctly in Yandex Browser. Yandex considers some to be malicious and blocks their installation. If the user is confident in the security of the extension, blocking can be disabled. But it’s better not to do this - especially since there is plenty to choose from in the Chrome Store. VPN extensions from the Chrome store for Yandex browser can be downloaded by following the link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions
- There is a search bar in the upper left corner. Just enter "VPN".
- By default, only the top three results are displayed. To display the full list, in the upper right corner of the site you need to click on the “Other extensions” button.
There is a much larger selection of free VPN extensions here:
FreeVPN
Free access to VPN in one click;
Hola Free
To work, you need to select a site from the list - hola will automatically select a server and open it in the Yandex browser;
Hotspot Shield
One of the most stable and popular add-ons. Large selection of free servers without restrictions.
Advantages
- Simplicity and speed. Unlike full-fledged applications, they practically do not occupy the computer’s RAM.
- Most are free. Large VPN services often make stripped-down versions of full-fledged applications in the form of browser extensions completely free. Thus, the user receives the reliability of a large VPN provider without paying a penny.
- Get access to a torrent tracker or blocked broadcast in one click
Flaws
- Minimal functionality.
- You will have to pay for additional features
- VPN or proxy extensions only work inside the Yandex browser - they do not affect instant messengers or any third-party applications.
Incognito mode
Yandex browser in incognito disables all add-ons, so VPN will not work in this mode
conclusions
Hotspot Shield has a number of undeniable advantages: a simple Russian-language interface, high connection and data transfer speeds, a free version and an affordable commercial price. The service is ideal for ordinary Internet users to surf the Internet safely and gain access to blocked content. However, it cannot compete with such a market leader in VPN services as NordVPN in terms of data protection, functionality and quality of technical support.
VPN Touch Chrome Extension
The next representative of extensions for “proxying” network traffic will be VPN Touch. It can also be easily searched in the online store for the corresponding request.
VPN Touch will delight its users with a minimalistic design and one-click access to most functions.
Features of the extension:
- Connect to VPN with the click of a button;
- More than 10 available servers;
- Ability to block ads;
- Ignoring website cookies.
The main disappointment was that VPN Touch runs in the background, regardless of whether Google Chrome is running or not, without prompting the user to do so.
Checking speeds revealed a weak channel in France, which significantly “dropped” the performance.
