Paid For Avast Secure Line But Now Wont Connect Mac

  

But right now I am using Avast SecureLine with Avast Internet Security and I am using a paid versions of both these software. Important Tip: If you are not using Avast Internet Security then you can download SecureLine VPN separately for Mac and Windows 7/8/10.

In addition, Avast is rated at 96%, while AVG AntiVirus is rated 86% for their user satisfaction level. You can also examine their product details, including functions, tools, options, plans, costs, and others. Avast or avg for win 10. Find out if the application lets you to customize at least part of its workflows to guarantee the app matches your own business workflows.

Rating:

Summary:

In Windows 8, Microsoft reinforced the Windows firewall by expanding its features, added virus protection, device performance checking, apps & browser control, parental controls, etc. and relaunched the software as Windows defender promising that with this pre-installed software, you won’t need to install any antivirus.

After Windows 8, 8.1 released and then Windows 10 and with them, new versions of Windows defender arrived but even after years of improvements, do you believe that Windows Defender is strong enough to protect your PC? It’s way better than Windows firewall but the software isn’t even close to the standard of virus & spyware protection that antivirus software are providing for years. Windows defender can identify very few virus, spyware and PUPs. It lacks quick, custom, scheduled and boot time scanning. Neither the performance tools it provides are strong enough to take on tune-up utilities.

So, the thought of depending on Windows defender thinking that it will keep you protected from all latest viruses, spyware, adware, PUPs and privacy threats is plain stupid. You need a good antivirus and if you can afford, you should have the best antivirus available right now to keep sensitive data available on your PC protected. And that’s why more and more people are installing Avast antivirus.

Available in both free and paid versions, Avast antivirus surpasses the Windows defender and challenges many popular antivirus software through its free version only and with the addition of premium features in its Internet Security, Premier and Ultimate versions, the antivirus software outpasses every other premium antivirus software available in the market.

Avast Free Antivirus

With a user base of over 400 million happy customers, Avast Free Antivirus is the most downloaded antivirus for past few years. The free version comes with all the standard antivirus features. You will get the top level of protection from viruses, ransomware, spyware, rootkits, trojan horses, malware, phishing and PUPs with real-time threats scanning in PC and on the network.

The software automatically scans every unknown file before it reaches you to ensure that your data is 100% secure. If it isn’t able to identify, it sends the suspicious file to cloud using the CyberCapture feature and the cure is sent to all avast users if it’s a threat. The Avast free antivirus uses multiple levels of security to keep you safe even from the newest, never-before-seen threats.

  • Wi-Fi Inspector – Automatically detects weakness in your home WiFi and captures strangers piggybacking your network
  • Smart Scan – Finds those cracks from which malware can slip into your system: unsafe settings, weak passwords, out of date software, etc.
  • Gaming Mode – Not only blocks Avast notifications but also those coming from your Windows so that you can totally enjoy playing the game on full screen without getting interrupted by disturbing notifications
  • Behavior Shield – Avast doesn’t only scan files to find malware, it also keeps an eye on the behavior of the software to that even the smartest malware can’t escape.

The interface is so simple and straight forward that you don’t need to even consult the manual or use software’s help. From the left hand side, click Protection to view all the important tools such as Scan, Virus Chest, WiFi Inspector, Software Updater, etc. Privacy & Performance consist of other important tools such as VPN, Password protection, Webcam Shield.

Below on the left, you’ll find the option to Upgrade your free Avast antivirus to Avast Internet Security, Avast Premier or Avast Ultimate protection. And at the bottom, Settings is provided to manage language, virus chest size, Scan settings, Popups, Sound, Alerts, etc. to personalize the antivirus according to one’s need.

Avast Internet Security Antivirus

Avast Internet Security is the first premium version of the antivirus which expands to provide online protection for a safer shopping, separate space to run suspicious apps without putting your PC at risk, advanced firewall to block eavesdropping of hackers and keeping eye on what goes in and out from the system, stop spam and phishing attacks and provide extra layer of ransomware security to keep your personal photos and file safe from unwanted changes.

All of this at just $59.99 per year and you can get even more discount by paying for up to 3 years in advance.

Avast Premier Antivirus

The Avast Premier version is the most loved version among the customers who want total protection because with Avast Premier along with getting all the security benefits of Avast Internet Security, you will get essential webcam protection to prevent hackers from monitoring you via webcams, the feature to shred sensitive files so that they can never be restored and the auto-update feature for all the apps into your PC.

These additional features make up to you for just $79.99 per month

Paid For Avast Secure Line But Now Wont Connect Mac

Avast Ultimate Antivirus

Avast Ultimate Antivirus, is not a separate premium version but rather a software bundle that comes with Avast Premier, Avast Passwords Premium, Avast Cleanup Premium and Avast SecureLine. Together all of these software not only provide the highest level of security but also easy password remember and protection, PC Clean up tool to remove junk space, empty RAM and make PC Fast. The Avast SecureLine included provides premium Avast VPN which not only allows you to browse internet anonymously but also to unblock websites & apps which are otherwise blocked in your geo-location.

The Avast Ultimate will cost $119.99 per year. PC Tune Up tools, VPN and Password protection tools are essential. If you use your PC more than a normal computer user and for comparatively more important tasks, you will need these software sooner or later. So, instead of going with other companies to purchase similar software, I recommend you to purchase Avast Ultimate software bundle because not only it will cost you very less but it also provides these tools with most powerful features and frequent updates just keep making them more and more amazing.

$8.99
  • Pros

    Good speed test results. Free version available.

  • Cons

    Confusing pricing structure. Few servers and few server locations. No stand-out features.

  • Bottom Line

    Avast SecureLine offers VPN security and solid speed test scores, but it's hampered by a lack of features and servers, as well as convoluted pricing.

A virtual private network, or VPN, adds an additional layer of security to your internet connection. Avast SecureLine VPN has the pedigree of a leading antivirus company behind it, and it produced some impressive speed test scores in testing. But it comes up short of the best VPNs thanks to an expensive and inflexible pricing plan and unimpressive server infrastructure. It has the core of a good service, but one that needs fleshing out. Instead, I recommend Editors' Choice winner NordVPN, which offers a powerful yet friendly product, and co-winner Private Internet Access, which has the most robust VPN collection of VPN servers I've yet reviewed.

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What Is a VPN?

When you're connected to a VPN, it creates an encrypted tunnel between your computer and the VPN company's server. This is why you need a VPN. Information sent through this tunnel is unreadable to anyone who tries to intercept or spy on it. If you're using the Wi-Fi at a coffee shop, for example, you won't have to worry about the owner of the network or bad guys lurking on the network stealing your data.

Mar 22, 2014  Our resident A-V expert does not have a high opinion of Avast. Hopefully he will find your post and relay his thoughts. If you really feel a need to experiment with some A-V software, try Sophos, it is free. Avast.

That encrypted tunnel also masks your web activities from your internet service provider. That's handy, especially since Congress recently gave the green light for ISPs to start selling anonymized user data.

VPNs can also be used to circumvent internet restrictions, either imposed by oppressive governments or, say, the BBC making sure that only UK citizens can stream videos. That's because a VPN can connect to servers located in places other than your actual, physical location. If your local government blocks certain websites, a VPN will tunnel out to another country where you can access the internet freely. A VPN also hides your IP address, since your web traffic appears to be coming from the VPN server and not your computer. Note that it's up to you to research local laws and terms of service before using a VPN.

All that said, using a VPN doesn't guard against all dangers. Malicious ads, malware, and other network attacks can still harm your computer and steal personal information. I highly recommend using antivirus software to keep your computer protected from all angles.

Pricing and Features

When I first looked at SecureLine, I was dismayed to find that it didn't offer a multi-device pricing tier. Thankfully, Avast has since loosened up and rolled out a pricing scheme that is far better for consumers. For $79.99 a year, you can secure up to five devices on any platform. At checkout, you can also select a two- or three-year plan for $149.99 or $219.99, respectively. It's not until the checkout screen that you also see a monthly billing option for $8.99.

If you don't feel the need to secure all the devices in your house, you can settle for Avast's device-specific plans. It costs $5.99 per month to secure one PC with Avast, or $59.99 per year. To secure five PCs, which is the industry average, you'll have to pay $79.99 per year. There are other combinations of PCs and billing cycles to explore.

The Mac-only version costs $59.99 per year, or $7.99 per month, to secure five devices. The Android-only package is $19.99 per year, or $2.99 per month, for five devices. The iOS-only version similarly costs $19.99 per year, or $2.99 per month, for five devices. Interestingly, if you opt to add Android VPN, iOS VPN, or Mac VPN plans to your PC plan, they cost only $9.99 per year or $2.99 per month. If you select the Mac version, mobile plans are still full price but the PC version is reduced to $29.99.

While I appreciate the variety of pricing options Avast allows, it can be a challenge to understand. Most other services are more flexible—with twice yearly or even quarterly subscriptions—and easier to understand. KeepSolid VPN Unlimited is the most flexible, even offering a low-cost $3.99 weekly plan that's ideal for vacations.

If you're not willing to pay up right away, SecureLine has a seven-day free trial period that is mercifully ad-free and mostly free of irritating upsell reminders. However, there are totally free VPN services out there, such as the browser plug-in for Hotspot Shield Elite. I noticed that if I tried to buy a subscription through the SecureLine client after my trial period ended, the price was a specially discounted $39.99.

The average monthly price among the ten best VPN services fluctuates, but is between $10 and $11. Editors' Choice Winner Private Internet Access comes in significantly below that threshold, at $6.95 per month. NordVPN, on the other hand, is also an Editors' Choice winner but costs $11.95 per month. It justifies that expense with unique features like double encryption servers and access to the Tor anonymization network via VPN.

While I am glad to see Avast make the pricing for SecureLine competitive, I am a bit irked at how it pushes annual plans. The finicky nature of networks means a VPN that's fast and useful one day could be fatally hamstrung the next. Consumers also aren't used to paying large, up-front costs for internet services, making these annual fees look less attractive than flexible monthly plans.

Also, Avast follows the lead of other antivirus companies and doesn't include a VPN subscription in any of its omnibus security suites. That's really unfortunate, considering that a one-year subscription to Avast SecureLine is pretty close to the price of a Avast Internet Security 2017 subscription.

If you want to secure more than phones and PCs, other VPNs have you covered. TorGuard offers routers with its software already installed, providing protection to each device that uses the router to connect to the internet. This includes smart fridges and dumb video game consoles. TorGuard also lets you purchase subscription add-ons, such as additional licenses, access to a super-fast network, and static IP addresses. SecureLine, by comparison, is a bare-bones service.

For

Despite the change in pricing, I still expected more features from SecureLine. There's no option to change VPN protocols, and the protocol used by the service is not easily discoverable on its website. According to Avast, SecureLine uses the OpenVPN protocol on Windows and Android devices. Mac and iOS users use IPSec instead. Avast also pointed out that SecureLine fixes a DNS leak issue, providing customers with improved security. SecureLine does not, however, provide ad-blocking, which was once rare in the VPN space but is becoming more common. TunnelBear, in particular, provides a standalone ad-blocking browser plug-in that looks and works great.

Avast SecureLine grants access to a mere 29 VPN servers spread across 21 countries. These cover several cities across the US, as well as Central and South America, China, Eastern and Western Europe, Russia, and Turkey. Notably missing altogether are African servers, though that's not unusual among VPN services. The best VPN services have significantly more robust networks, however. Foremost among them is Private Internet Access VPN; that service has more than 3,000 servers available for users.

These numbers matter. The more server locations a VPN company provides, the more likely you are to find a faster, nearby server while traveling. It also means you have more options for location spoofing. Furthermore, the more servers available, the less likely you are to be crammed into an overcrowded server and get a smaller piece of the bandwidth pie.

If you're keen on P2P filesharing and BitTorrent, you're in luck: Avast SecureLine allows file sharing traffic on its servers. That said, TorGuard has built its business on serving torrenters. That company offers several subscription add-ons, such as access to a high-bandwidth network and static IP addresses, that are sure to appeal to file sharing aficionados.

Avast, the company behind SecureLine, is headquartered in the Czech Republic. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, there are currently no mandatory data retention laws in the Czech Republic. A representative from Avast told me that company limits the data it collects to metadata, such as the time of connection and your network location. 'We do not log any of the data content,' the representative told me. Additionally, according to the company's privacy policy, what metadata is collected is deleted within 30 days. A company representative also confirmed for me that Avast does not inject ads into users' web traffic, nor does the company profit from the sale of user data.

Hands On With SecureLine

SecureLine's presence on your computer is minimal. You can access some of its key functions through a system tray icon, but you'll probably use the main app. This is a small, single window that provides access to all of SecureLine's features with ease. I tested the Windows client on a Lenovo ThinkPad T460s laptop running Windows 10.

You can select a server from a pull-down menu, or let SecureLine choose the closest (and probably fastest) server. That's simple, but I would prefer a search box to make finding specific servers easier. Also, I really like the way NordVPN shows the popularity and latency of each server, making it easier to choose a good one.

On one hand, SecureLine presents a clean and simple design. On the other, it's not the most friendly experience I've had with a VPN. TunnelBear, with its bright colors and cute bears, is definitely the most engaging. SecureLine is simple because it doesn't have much to offer. Its settings menu is mostly bare, aside from a toggle to automatically activate when connecting to an unknown network. That's a handy feature, but TunnelBear and PureVPN also include the option to route specific traffic outside of the encrypted VPN tunnel.

Using a VPN is great for security, but it can make some basic things really tedious. For example, Netflix blocks VPNs in order to prevent people from spoofing their location and watching videos that aren't available in their real location. Surprisingly, I had no trouble watching Netflix while connected to SecureLine, but that could change at a moment's notice.

Speed Tests

With rare exception, using a VPN will slow down your internet connection. That's because your traffic has to go through more fiber and more machines to complete its journey. I try to get a sense of the impact each VPN makes by running a series of tests using both domestic and international servers on Ookla's speed test tool. (Note that Ookla is owned by Ziff Davis, which also owns PCMag.)

First, I run a series of speed tests using a nearby VPN server with and without the VPN active. I discard the highest and lowest results, average what's left, and find a percent change for latency, download speed, and upload speed between the two sets of results. This test puts an emphasis on speed, since the server I'm using is nearby. Second, I simulate connecting to a VPN server that's further afield by connecting with an Ookla test server in Anchorage, Alaska, and a VPN server in Australia.

Connect

In the domestic testing, SecureLine made a surprise early showing by improving latency by 29.9 percent. That means there was almost 30 percent less latency with SecureLine than without, a feat I've yet to see duplicated. But keep in mind that latency is really only important if you're doing intensive online gaming. SecureLine also managed minimal impact on download speeds, slowing downloads by only 6.3 percent. That's one of the better scores I've seen, but it pales in comparison to PureVPN, which actually increased download speeds by an unprecedented 346.4 percent. Notably, AnchorFree Hotspot Shield Elite is the only other VPN to improve download speeds in this test, by a respectable 45 percent. In the upload test, SecureLine also had strong performance. It slowed uploads by only 4.1 percent, the second-best score behind VPNArea, which reduced upload speeds by just 3.2 percent.

My international testing always yields worse performance results due to the distances involved, and Avast SecureLine is no exception. I found that it increased latency by 360.8 percent. That's significantly more than leader Hotspot Shield Elite, which increased latency by just 155.4 percent. SecureLine's download performance was middling in this round of testing. It reduced download speeds by 14.4 percent, which is a smidge worse than the competition. PureVPN dominates this test, improving download speeds by 403.8 percent. TunnelBear and Buffered VPN also improved download speeds, by 98.9 percent and 10 percent, respectively. SecureLine fared better in the upload test, where it reduced speeds by 3.3 percent, one of the better scores for this test. HotSpot Shield Elite pulled out a surprise win in this test; it's the only VPN to improve upload speeds that I've yet seen, even if it's only by 1.4 percent.

In general, Avast SecureLine managed above-average scores, particularly for downloads. When I look for the fastest VPNs, download speeds are my main consideration. But PureVPN is still the king of the speed heap for two years running, and has earned an Editors' Choice award for its trouble.

A Line, Secured

Avast SecureLine has a strong pedigree from its antivirus roots and notches some successes in its own right, especially in speed tests, where SecureLine managed above average results. It also plays nice with Netflix and allows BitTorrent and P2P. Unfortunately, SecureLine has a tiny number of servers and server locations, making it a tough sell in a crowded space. I'm happy to see the SecureLine pricing become more competitive, but it's still tricky to understand for the average consumer.

I'll continue to recommend my Editors' Choice winners KeepSolid VPN Unlimited, NordVPN, Private Internet Access, and PureVPN. All of these services offer more robust networks, more advanced features, and simple, flexible pricing.

Avast SecureLine VPN

Bottom Line: Avast SecureLine offers VPN security and solid speed test scores, but it's hampered by a lack of features and servers, as well as convoluted pricing.

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