Find yourself unable to stream your favorite show while in Mexico? Or perhaps you’re unable to access your favorite telenovela while abroad? Maybe you just found out that the government requires every Internet Service Provider and mobile network to log and report the activity of every user. Or – most terrifyingly – you discovered that digital news publications suffered cyber-attacks and individuals receive death threats for what they say online.
By using a virtual private network, you can solve all these problems and more. VPNs allow you to appear as if your IP address is elsewhere (even another country on the other side of the globe), enabling you to view and stream content that would normally be blocked, like Netflix and Hulu. VPNs also send your info through an encrypted “tunnel,” which prevents ISPs, governments, and hackers alike from viewing, logging, or tracing your activity online.
Today, we’ll show you how to pick the right VPN provider amidst a crowded marketplace. We’ll also provide you with a few of our favorite suggestions. Read on to learn about the best VPNs for Mexico.
Ranking the best VPNs for Mexico
To sort through and find the best VPNs for Mexico, you need a ranking system. We used the following criteria to separate the wheat from the chaff:
- Fast connection speeds – All VPNs add overhead to your connection, opt for a service with refined protocols to minimize slowdown and lag.
- Strong privacy provisions – Look for 256-bit security software at the very minimum, with DNS leak test and automatic kill switch functionalities as serious bonuses.
- Device compatibility – A provider’s software must function on a wide range of devices. If it’s not compatible, you can’t use it.
- Wide range of server locations – The best VPNs have a network with many out-of-country servers to choose from.
- Easy-to-use software – If you can’t make heads or tails of your VPN’s software interface, you won’t be able to reap the full security benefits it might offer.
- No logging – VPNs which keep user logs undermine the privacy they claim to protect. Make sure your provider isn’t keeping records of your activity.
With these factors in mind, here is our list of the best VPNs for Mexico:
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN has unlimited bandwidth, no speed caps or throttling, and claims to be the fastest VPN on the market. In our extensive testing, we found no reason to dispute this, with seamless streaming, downloading, and browsing being the absolute norm. We especially love how their lightweight software is activated with just a single click, then stays completely out of your way.
ExpressVPN’s 256-bit AES encryption the industry standard for a reason – the world’s biggest supercomputer would take millions of years to crack it. With that kind of backing, you know your data and location are being kept secure. And with a kill switch on board, you’re protected from exposure during the accidental drops that occur from time to time, regardless of your provider.
Finally, ExpressVPN maintains servers within Mexico (as well as over 2000 in 93 other countries abroad), allowing you to surf and stream the local internet in complete privacy.
Learn more in our comprehensive ExpressVPN review.
2. NordVPN
With over 5,000 proxy servers in 62 countries, NordVPN almost always offers a route through to bypass censorships and geo-blocks, even in Mexico. If that weren’t enough, NordVPN offers a variety of specialty servers tailored to specific use-cases, including obfuscating servers which completely hide the fact that you’re using a VPN from even the most sophisticated detection methods.
There’s even a double VPN feature, which gives you two layers of encryption to completely lock down your identity, location, activity. Whether you’re trying to bypass Netflix geo-restrictions or access the free and open internet from behind the Great Firewall of China, NordVPN is the provider for you.
And with a zero-logging policy that covers bandwidth, time stamps, traffic, and IP addresses – and everything in between – your activity is never recorded or shared.
Check out our full NordVPN review.
3. CyberGhost
Arguably, CyberGhost’s greatest feature is its ease of use. When you open the app, it suggests six pre-configured profiles, which automatically apply the best VPN settings for your specific use-case. This means you don’t have to spend a lot of time trying to configure the best settings for what you spend the most time on – like surfing anonymously, streaming, protecting your Wi-Fi connection, torrenting, or unblocking basic websites.
With more than 2,700 proxy servers in 60 countries, CyberGhost is a robust, well-established provider, proving its reliability time and again among a loyal customer base. Combined with its “choose your VPN” feature, the vast number of servers gives you plenty to choose from. Their security is top-notch as well, featuring five encryption protocols that give you enough options to maximize speed, security, or device compatibility – or to keep an even balance between speed and security.
If you’d like to learn more, visit our CyberGhost review.
4. PrivateVPN
PrivateVPN runs a network that’s a little smaller than the others on this list, coming in at 100 servers in 56 countries. But don’t count them out – PrivateVPN offers balanced performance between speed and security, without compromising on either. Lightweight and easy to use, this provider’s software works well across a wide range of devices, like smart phones and tablets, as well as desktops and even Fire TV.
With their 256-bit AES encryption, PrivateVPN keeps your data safe, and includes an automatic kill switch to ensure your defenses are always up. DNS leak protections and a zero-logging policy help keep your traffic private, too.
Although a smaller network of servers, Mexico is included, helping you to connect to your home network while abroad.
Learn more about PrivateVPN in our full review.
5. PureVPN
With PureVPN, you get a full-featured security service. In addition to the standard VPN encryption, you get anti-virus protection, anti-malware, app-blocking features, DNS website filtering, and more. All you have to do is download their easy-to-use software, select which features you want turned on, and you’re good to go.
Their privacy features include best-of-the-best data encryption, a zero-logging policy for traffic, DNS leak protection, and an automatic kill switch – so you can use the internet free of worry (and more importantly, free of censorship and surveillance). Their 2,000+ self-owned servers across a whopping 140 countries give you plenty to choose from to access the unblocked, uncensored web.
Internet privacy concerns in Mexico
In 2014, legislators in Mexico passed the Telecommunications Law. This law deregulated the provision of telecommunications, and laid out the skeleton for Mexican internet infrastructure. But along the way, the law created requirements for ISPs and mobile networks to store their users’ activities for up to two years. These logging policies were enacted in the hope of catching Mexican drug and gun smugglers, but anyone’s information can be pulled by lawyers – including yours.
VPNs, however, are not beholden to this law, and thus they don’t have to maintain logs of your activity. Once you disconnect, all trace vanishes. And with all your data going through a VPN, any data your ISP receives and logs cannot be traced back to you. If anyone were to try to follow the trail, they’d be taken to your chosen VPN and find a dead end.
Should you use a VPN in Mexico?
Freedom House reported in 2017 that Mexico faces a challenging internet environment:
“while access has steadily improved, Mexico’s internet freedom environment declined due to revelations concerning government spyware used against human rights lawyers, journalists, and activists.”
So it’s not just geo-blocking when using internet in Mexico – journalists (including bloggers) and activists actively face prosecution for the things they say online. Reprisals have included intimidation, threats of physical violence and death, and even cold-blooded murder.
Obviously, if you fit the bill of any of these roles, this makes using a VPN critical. It’s a matter of safety, for yourself and your family, while still allowing you to report on issues that matter to you.
What else can you do with a VPN in Mexico?
Besides staying safe, there are many other things you can do with your VPN in Mexico:
Access and stream Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video are often blocked or restricted to local shows outside of the U.S. due to copyright restrictions. This is fine if you speak Spanish – but if you want to access the US or Canadian Netflix library, it’s no good. The best way to get around this is to connect to a US or CA VPN server.
To make things further complicated, many major services employ VPN blockers. Netflix especially has made many attempts to block VPNs – some successfully, other not. That fact notwithstanding, all the VPNs we mentioned above regularly find ways to get around the blocks to grant their users access to whatever content they like.
Access Mexican accounts and media while abroad
If you’re from Mexico, are traveling abroad, and would like to access content from back home, you can use a Mexican VPN server to get all your typical local channels and shows.
Likewise, if you’re Mexican but are trying to use your bank account from the US or another country, your request may be denied in a well-intended effort to quell fraud. The opposite is true, too – if you’re from another country and try to use your bank account from a Mexican IP address, you may be denied. In either case, using a VPN that makes it appear that you’re in your country of origin can help you dodge extra security questions or having to speak to a representative to get your request through.
How does a VPN work?
Before you activate your VPN, you need to select a mediating server. Since VPNs have servers all over the world, you can easily choose one outside of Mexico. Once you turn your VPN on, the software connects you to your chosen server. All information is encrypted between these two points, and the VPN server forwards everything to its intended destination.
And here’s the important part – the VPN changes your IP address to match that of the server you selected. If that server is in Mexico, you’ll get a Mexican IP; if that server is located in the US, you’ll get an American IP.
This means your IP address is now masked, and your traffic – and identity associated with that traffic – are now secure. If you don’t publish your name or other identifying characteristics, anything you say online can’t be traced back to you.
Conclusion
You should now have all the information you need to stay safe with a VPN in Mexico or when traveling abroad. With our recommended providers, you can get to streaming, surfing, and posting online – all privately, securely, and geo-block free.
Are you currently living in Mexico? Or, do you frequently travel there? What are your primary concerns with online security? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Read Best VPN for Mexico to Protect Your Online Privacy by Diego Villena on AddictiveTips - Tech tips to make you smarter
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