

Thankfully, switching servers is almost as easy as a one-tap connection/disconnection.

Ideally, you want to connect to a Hotspot Shield server that has a load under 80%. You can see your data usage for the last 24 hours, the peak speed of your current connection, how you’re connected (wired or WiFi) as well as server information, which includes your current IP address, time connected, latency, and server load. While not essential, it’s a nice touch that Hotspot Shield offers at-a-glance information for your current connection. Connecting to a server takes around five seconds, but leave a few seconds grace afterward to be fully connected. Open the Hotspot Shield app or software and hit that big power button to connect. That’s why it’s been my go-to VPN, but it also shouldn’t deter fledgling VPN users as it mirrors the user-friendliness of popular competitors like NordVPN and ExpressVPN. As a more advanced PC user, I was drawn to Hotspot Shield for its main selling point: speed.
