McAfee Safe Connect VPN: A review
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You need a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to browse the Internet while keeping your privacy and security intact. Many VPN providers compete in a happening market, and you could find it hard to choose one. McAfee Safe Connect is one such VPN, and it’s from the well-known American cybersecurity company McAfee.
Apart from privacy and security, VPNs claim to offer speed, compatibility, access to geo-restricted content, secure access to P2P/torrenting services, and the ability to bypass Internet censorship. Many VPNs promise to offer all of these at a reasonable price, moreover, they claim to offer great customer support. The reality often varies though.
We have evaluated McAfee Safe Connect against all of these criteria. Read on, and find out if it meets your requirements and whether you should buy a subscription.
What features do you get with McAfee Safe Connect VPN?
Let’s evaluate the features that McAfee Safe Connect offers.
Your privacy at McAfee's VPN
You value your privacy and that’s probably the main reason for you to look for a VPN. VPNs that mask their users’ IP addresses, encrypt their users’ Internet traffic, and refrain from keeping logs of their users’ online activities can provide privacy.
McAfee Safe Connect masks IP addresses and encrypts the Internet traffic of its users’. However, it keeps extensive logs of its users’ activities over the Internet. Its privacy policy states that.
The company states it automatically collects various information from its users. For example, it might collect the following information:
· Products searched for;
· Services used;
· Time spent on searching for products and services;
· Details about computers, devices, apps, networks, IP addresses, mobile device ID, MAC address, etc.;
· Geolocation data of the VPN users;
· URLs and domain names of the websites visited by the VPN user.
Note that this isn’t an exhaustive list. We find that McAfee Safe Connect logs too much information about its users.
When you buy a subscription, request for customer service, fill out a form, or interact with McAfee for other purposes, the company collects the following information:
· Contact information including name, address, phone number, and email address;
· Payment information including credit card number, billing address, and bank account information;
· Account login credentials.
Once again, we find that McAfee Safe Connect collects far more information than other market-leading VPNs.
McAfee states that it collects this information to protect your privacy and security. Moreover, it states that it keeps track of this information to run its business. We have seen other leading VPNs that collect less information to provide their services or run their business. We find that McAfee doesn’t have enough reasons to collect the high amount of information it tracks about its users.
McAfee also states that it works with 3rd party advertisers to deliver ads to you. The company states that 3rd party advertisers might collect information about users and visitors of the McAfee website. We don’t prefer VPNs allowing 3rd party advertisers to send targeted ads to their users or people that visit their websites.
McAfee is an American company, therefore, the jurisdiction of McAfee Safe Connect is the United States. This country is part of the 5/9/14 eyes coalitions of countries that conduct mass surveillance. The USA isn’t the ideal jurisdiction for a VPN.
McAfee logs too much information about its users. It allows 3rd party advertisers to collect information about Internet users that visit its website. McAfee Safe Connect can’t protect your privacy. If you prioritize privacy, then explore other market-leading VPNs that practice a strict “no logs” policy.
Data security at McAfee Safe Connect VPN
You consider that security is important while browsing the Internet, and that’s why you are shopping around for a VPN. VPNs that use secure protocols, strong encryption, and provides advanced security features can provide security.
McAfee Safe Connect doesn’t state which VPN protocol it uses. We prefer VPNs that use OpenVPN since it’s the most secure VPN protocol. We came across some information about the VPN protocol used by McAfee Safe Connect when we were studying Hotspot Shield, which is another VPN. Hotspot Shield mentions in its FAQ that McAfee uses Catapult Hydra, a VPN protocol developed by AnchorFree. We would like McAfee Safe Connect to state which VPN protocol it uses since this is basic information.
McAfee Safe Connect uses AES-256 encryption, which is the strongest that you can find. This VPN prevents IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks.
McAfee Safe Connect doesn’t provide a kill switch. This feature blocks the Internet connection if the VPN connection drops automatically. It’s a helpful feature since hackers can’t view your sensitive information even if the VPN connection terminates suddenly. Most of the leading VPNs offer this feature. McAfee Safe Connect lags behind its competitors in this regard.
McAfee Safe Connect provides only very basic security features. It doesn’t provide a kill switch, which is quite a common feature. If you prioritize security while browsing the Internet, then you should explore other leading VPNs.
About McAfee's VPN servers
You want a VPN that can offer a great speed consistently. VPNs that have a large number of servers in all key geographies and cover many countries can offer very good speed.
McAfee Safe Connect has its servers in 23 countries. Unlike many VPNs, this VPN doesn’t publish a list of its servers on its website.
McAfee Safe Connect offers good speed. However, having servers in 23 countries only makes it a small server network. As a result, you can expect slow speed depending on where you are. If you want consistently high speed irrespective of where you are, then you need to explore other leading VPNs.
What platforms can you use McAfee's VPN on?
You would want a VPN that you can use with all kinds of devices that you have. The more platforms a VPN supports, the more advantage you get.
McAfee Safe Connect supports Windows, Android, and iOS. It offers user-friendly custom apps for all of these platforms, and that’s good. However, it doesn’t support key platforms like Mac and Linux.
You can’t configure McAfee Safe Connect on Mac and Linux manually either. The company doesn’t provide any manual configuration information and guides for this. You can’t configure McAfee Safe Connect on your router either.
This VPN allows 5 simultaneous connections, and that’s good. However, if you have Mac or Linux, then you need to find another VPN. You can’t even bypass this limitation by configuring this VPN on a router. This reduces the cost-effectiveness of McAfee Safe Connect. This VPN certainly lags behind its leading competitors as far as compatibility is concerned.
Unblocking streaming services using McAfee's VPN
McAfee Safe Connect states on its website that you can access geo-restricted content using this VPN. It doesn’t explicitly mention which geo-restricted content it unblocks. Many people buy a VPN subscription to unblock popular geo-restricted streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer.
McAfee Safe Connect can’t unblock any of these geo-restricted streaming services. If you want a VPN that allows you to access these streaming sites, then you should explore other leading VPNs.
Does McAfee Safe Connect allow for torrenting?
P2P/torrenting is a tricky subject! We recommend our readers to access P2P/torrenting services after familiarizing themselves about applicable laws. Many countries don’t allow these services, and you can get into copyright infringement issues even in countries that allow them!
Even if you access P2P/torrenting services legally, you face other challenges. Cybercriminals lurk around these sites and target their users. Your ISP might throttle your connection as soon as it notices that you are accessing such services. Many Internet users look for a VPN to access P2P/torrenting services securely. Leading VPNs don’t impose any bandwidth restrictions on P2P/torrenting activities.
McAfee Safe Connect allows P2P/torrenting activities and it doesn’t impose any bandwidth restrictions. Its speed is favorable enough for accessing such services. However, we don’t recommend you access P2P/torrenting services using this VPN!
We have two reasons for this. Firstly, McAfee Safe Connect keeps extensive logs. Even if you inadvertently access copyrighted material on a P2P/torrenting site, your activities will be tracked. This risky!
Secondly, McAfee Safe Connect doesn’t offer a kill switch. If your VPN connection drops when you are accessing a P2P/torrenting service, then cyber criminals can see your sensitive information. That’s not good news!
If you want a VPN to securely access P2P/torrenting services, then you should look for a more secure VPN that doesn’t log your activities.
How much does McAfee Safe Connect VPN cost?
You would want a VPN that offers value for money. McAfee Safe Connect offers two pricing plans, which are as follows:
Monthly: It costs you $7.99 per month.
Yearly: This plan costs you $34.99 in the first year.
This VPN offers a 30-days money-back guarantee. You can get a 7-days free trial, however, remember that McAfee Safe Connect will bill you on the last day of the free trial.
This VPN offers a free plan, where you don’t have any obligation to pay anything. The free plan allows 250 MB of data per month. We generally don’t recommend our readers use any free VPN since they have limitations. Given the extensive logging done by McAfee Safe Connect, our recommendation for this free plan remains the same!
You can pay for a subscription using popular credit cards and PayPal. McAfee Safe Connect offers a secure payment process.
For the products and services McAfee Safe Connect provides, it’s expensive! You can get a VPN with far more features, better privacy policies, and better security solutions for a cheaper price.
The pros and cons of McAfee Safe Connect VPN
We now evaluate the pros and cons of McAfee Safe Connect. It offers the following advantages:
· Thanks to AES-256 encryption, this VPN protects your sensitive information.
· McAfee Safe Connect prevents IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks.
· This VPN provides user-friendly custom apps for Windows, Android, and iOS.
· It supports 5 simultaneous connections.
· This VPN offers good speed.
· McAfee Safe Connect offers a 30-days money-back guarantee and a free trial.
This VPN has some disadvantages too, which are as follows:
· It keeps extensive logs, which isn’t good for your privacy.
· The jurisdiction of McAfee Safe Connect is the USA, which isn’t ideal for a VPN.
· This VPN doesn’t use the OpenVPN protocol, which is the most secure VPN protocol.
· McAfee Safe Connect doesn’t provide a kill switch, which is a standard security feature.
· This VPN doesn’t support Mac, Linux, and routers.
· McAfee Safe Connect can’t unblock geo-restricted streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer.
· While this VPN allows P2P/torrenting, it’s logging policies and the lack of a kill switch makes it unsuitable for these activities.
· It has servers in only 23 countries, therefore, you could experience a slow speed depending on where you are.
· For the features it offers, McAfee Safe Connect is expensive.
· Its 24x7 live chat support isn’t user-friendly.
We find that McAfee Safe Connect has quite a few key advantages, especially in the areas of privacy, security, and compatibility.
A few quick facts about McAfee Safe Connect VPN
We now summarize a few quick facts about McAfee Safe Connect, which are as follows:
· McAfee Safe Connect is a VPN service offered by the American cybersecurity company McAfee.
· This VPN keeps logs and its jurisdiction is the USA.
· McAfee Safe Connect uses strong encryption, however, it doesn’t offer a kill switch.
· This VPN offers good speed, however, it has servers in 23 countries only. Depending on where they are, some users could experience slow speed.
· McAfee Safe Connect supports Windows, Android, and iOS.
· This VPN can’t unblock Netflix.
· It offers a 7-days free trial and a 30-days money-back guarantee.
The ease of use
You will find the McAfee Safe Connect website easy to use. It shows the key information prominently, and you can easily navigate to the key menu options. The website shows the pricing information prominently.
The buying process is simple enough. If you plan to use the free plan, then you can easily find the download option. Downloading the McAfee Safe Connect paid VPN is easy too.
McAfee Safe Connect doesn’t support Mac, Linux, and router, and that’s a disadvantage. However, it offers user-friendly custom apps for the platforms it supports, namely, Windows, Android, and iOS.
Customer service at McAfee Safe Connect VPN
You would want a VPN that offers good customer support. It’s especially important if you aren’t a tech-savvy user. McAfee Safe Connect offers user-friendly custom apps for Windows, Android, and iOS, which reduces the need for customer support.
You have no option to configure a VPN connection manually. While this reduces flexibility, it also reduces the need to reach out to the customer support team.
McAfee has a support portal on its website, and it covers all its products. This company offers a searchable knowledgebase and FAQs. McAfee Safe Connect provides email as well as 24x7 live chat support.
Its live chat support isn’t user-friendly though. You will first ask questions its automated chatbot, which provides links to its knowledge base articles. If this doesn’t answer your question, then you need to go through multiple steps to contact a customer support representative for a live chat. As a part of these steps, you need to provide several pieces of information including your phone number.
We acknowledge that McAfee Safe Connect provides easy-to-use VPN apps, which reduces the need for customer support. However, its customer support capabilities don’t compare well with leading VPNs in the market.
What's the jurisdiction of McAfee Safe Connect VPN?
The jurisdiction of McAfee Safe Connect is the USA since McAfee is an American company. Since the USA is part of the 5/9/14 eyes coalitions that conduct mass surveillance, it’s not an ideal jurisdiction for a VPN. Coupled with the extensive logs that McAfee Safe Connect keeps about its users, its jurisdiction is a key disadvantage.
Does McAfee Safe Connect VPN keep any logs?
McAfee Safe Connect logs a lot of information about its users. The company explicitly mentions this in its privacy policy. The following are a few examples of the information it collects automatically:
· The products that users search for;
· The amount of time they spend searching for products and services;
· Details about the computers and devices of the users, IP addresses, Bluetooth device ID, mobile device ID, MAC address, browser types, etc.;
· Details about the apps that its users use;
· The URL and domain name of the websites they visit;
· Traffic data;
· The details about the apps installed on the device of a user;
· Geolocation data.
Note that this isn’t an exhaustive list, and the privacy policy lists more information that McAfee logs. The company states that it logs this information to protect its users and run its business.
We have reviewed many VPNs that strictly follow a “no logs” policy. They are able to protect their users and operate their businesses. We don’t find any reason for McAfee Safe Connect to log this high amount of information about its users’ online activities. The jurisdiction of McAfee is the USA, which is a part of the coalition of countries that conduct mass surveillance. We find that McAfee Secure Connect isn’t a privacy-friendly VPN due to its extensive logging practices.
Technical security and encryption at McAfee Safe Connect VPN
McAfee Safe Connect doesn’t state which VPN protocol it uses. We found it while reviewing Hotspot Shield that McAfee Safe Connect uses Catapult Hydra, a 3rd party proprietary protocol.
We consistently recommend our readers use VPNs that support OpenVPN, which is the most secure VPN protocol. OpenVPN is battle-tested, and it doesn’t have any known security vulnerabilities. Catapult Hydra can’t yet match the reputation that OpenVPN has acquired.
McAfee Safe Connect uses AES-256 encryption. This is military-grade encryption, and we are satisfied with it. This VPN prevents IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks.
We would like McAfee Safe Connect to offer a kill switch. This feature adds a security layer since it blocks the Internet connection if the VPN connection suddenly terminates. This prevents hackers from accessing your sensitive information even when the VPN isn’t working. It’s a standard VPN feature that most leading VPNs offer.
McAfee Safe Connect doesn’t offer any advanced security features. This VPN lags behind market-leading VPNs, especially because it doesn’t offer a kill switch.
Our short conclusion of McAfee Safe Connect VPN
McAfee Safe Connect keeps extensive logs, which isn’t good for privacy. The company allows 3rd party advertisers to send you targeted ads, and that’s an advantage. Its jurisdiction is the USA, which isn’t ideal for a VPN. This VPN offers robust encryption, however, it doesn’t use the secure OpenVPN protocol. It doesn’t offer a kill switch either.
While McAfee Safe Connect offers good speed, it has servers in 23 countries only. Depending on the location of users, they can experience slow speed. This VPN can’t unblock Netflix, Hulu, or BBC iPlayer. While it allows P2P/torrenting activities, we don’t recommend you use it for accessing such services. VPNs that keep logs and don’t offer a kill switch aren’t safe for P2P/torrenting.
This VPN offers user-friendly custom apps for Windows, Android, and iOS. However, it doesn’t support Mac, Linux, and routers. While McAfee Safe Connect offers a free trial and a 30-days money-back guarantee, it’s expensive for the products and services it offers. This VPN provides a 24x7 live chat support, however, this chat support isn’t user-friendly. We don’t recommend you buy McAfee Safe Connect.
