No one is 100% protected from unexpected disconnection issues that may result in IP leaks and insecure data leaks. When VPN connection is interrupted, our devices continue using regular insecure Internet channels while VPN software is in the process of re-establishing a secure tunnel. Such incidents could be harmless, but they might also result in serious data leaks and issues with authorities. Torrenting users are especially affected because they tend to leave their downloads overnight.
So if you’ve ever wondered how to ensure your IP is never leaked should your Internet connection unexpectedly drop or when the VPN server glitches, the answer is an advanced Kill switch feature.
Best VPN with Kill Switch
A kill switch is a feature that automatically disconnects you from the internet if your VPN connection drops, preventing your IP address from being exposed. Kill switch actively monitors your network and binds your Internet connection to an anonymous IP assigned by a VPN server. Should the VPN connection drop (either because your ISP is shit or because VPN server malfunctions even for a second), the kill switch will immediately shut down your Internet connection and, thereby, instantly stops insecure Internet access (and stop torrenting downloads). Once secure VPN connection reestablishes kill switch will return to passive monitoring mode and activate secure Internet access. Torrenting clients will automatically resume downloads via secure channels as well. Pretty handy, right?
Please note that kill switch is not available with OpenVPN open-source apps, like Tunnelblick and OpenVPN app. It’s a custom feature implemented within custom VPN apps offered by a handful of VPN providers. Therefore, using custom software is essential to preventing unwanted IP leaks when Internet connection is unstable.
Several VPN providers, however, implemented a somewhat different feature. When your Internet connection drops, their VPN app shuts down pre-selected apps, uTorrent, for instance. However, if you add uTorrent to the list of apps that should be closed, VPN software will force uTorrent to completely shut down when the connection drops. You must manually reopen uTorrent for downloads to resume.
We feel like a traditional Kill switch is a considerably more convenient feature. Thus, we selected the best VPN providers that offer the Kill switch specifically. All the providers below additionally have a no logs privacy policy and allow torrenting on their servers.
ANNUAL PRICE: 3.49 USD/mo
MONTHLY PRICE: 11.95 USD
Panama based NordVPN is one of the best security oriented VPN companies with amazingly fast infrastructure. NordVPN is a no logs VPN service that was independently audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers AG based in Zurich, Switzerland (one of the Big 4 auditing firms) to back the claims that they don’t log identifiable user information under any circumstances.
NordVPN custom apps have DNS and IP leaks protection and a kill switch that actively monitors your network and shuts down Internet access when your VPN in not running.
NordVPN offers a Double VPN – a privacy feature that sends your Internet traffic through two VPN servers, encrypting it twice.
Onion Over VPN servers is a powerful NordVPN feature that takes your privacy and security to the next level. Using this tech, you first connect to a VPN server and then to the Tor network. Your ISP does not know you are connected to Tor because your entry point in a secure VPN server, while your destination sees an anonymous Tor exit point.
NordVPN obfuscated VPN servers are a perfect choice to use on restrictive networks and to hide the fact that you are using a VPN. These VPN servers are generally recommended for countries that block VPN altogether because the technology can bypass even the most advanced network filtering. Obfsproxy hides OpenVPN and makes your VPN use completely undetectable. Neither your ISP nor the government will know that you are on VPN.
A strict no logs privacy policy, double data encryption, obfuscation tools and a number of advanced security features, makes NordVPN one of the best VPN providers for security and privacy for users with high expectations.
Besides, NordVPN has a Smart Play technology offering an encrypted connection to access geo-restricted content on Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Spotify and similar services. If you are a torrenting user, NordVPN has torrenting VPN servers as well.
NordVPN offers over 5,000 high-speed servers in 62 countries, dedicated & shared IP types, 6 simultaneous logins; the infrastructure is built to provide maximum online security, bypass Internet restrictions, online censorship and network firewalls.
To read a full NordVPN review click HERE.
ANNUAL PRICE: 4.49 USD/mo [promocode]
MONTHLY PRICE: 8.99 USD
Offering over 3,000 servers in 55 countries, all mainstream protocols and top-notch security, TorGuard rightfully earned its place as a top VPN provider.
No logging TorGuard VPN is a reliable, fast and secure service for privacy oriented users. TorGuard desktop apps have a kill switch feature that actively monitors your Internet connection to protect you from accidental IP leaks when your WiFi is unstable.
Stealth VPN is a technology that TorGuard uses to bypass Deep Packet Inspection firewalls, such as those typically used at the hotels, airports, restaurants and other public WiFi hotspots to restrict online access. Consequently, TorGuard is a highly recommended VPN service for users who live in the regions with particularly restrictive governments, and would like to unblock censored websites or services.
Besides a great number of security features and ability to unblock VPN on restrictive WiFi, TorGuard is also an ultra fast VPN service with gigabit servers (actually, 10 Gbps). This infrastructure allows the fastest VPN speeds with a reliable streaming and browsing experience.
Unlike most VPN providers, TorGuard VPN can bypass Netflix proxy error with their Netflix streaming IPs. TorGuard can unblock a number of Netflix regions (USA, UK, Canada, Italy, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Spain, Japan and Singapore), Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Spotify and virtually any streaming or social media service.
TorGuard is not only one of the best VPN services, it also offers OpenPGP encrypted email service with 2 factor authentication and up to 10Mb free storage.
To read a full TorGuard review click HERE.
ANNUAL PRICE: 4.99 USD/mo
MONTHLY PRICE: 9.95 USD
Based in Malaysia, Hide.me is one the most secure and fastest VPN providers offering ultra fast gigabit VPN servers that deliver the fastest VPN speeds for users on gigabit Internet connection.
Hide.Me is a no logs VPN service with custom VPN apps that include a number of advanced features for maximum security. Hide.Me VPN has a built-in protection against IP and DNS leaks. Kill switch is an excellent tool to shut down Internet access when the connection to a VPN server is dropped.
Stealth Guard takes this even further by blocking access to predetermined apps even when the VPN is OFF. Essentially, you can configure Hide.Me in a way that makes it impossible to use Chrome browser, for instance, when the VPN is not running. This feature is an excellent addition to protect yourself from accidental mistakes.
Hide.Me supports perfect forward secrecy, an advanced security feature that tells OpenVPN to regularly renegotiate private keys. In case the private key of the server is compromised, past session keys will not be compromised. Forward secrecy protects past sessions against future compromises of secret keys, and future sessions against current attacks.
The provider also offers advanced VPN masking tools to bypass strict firewalls, censorship and hide VPN use. Hide.Me masks (obfuscates) OpenVPN traffic with TLS-Crypt so, if your WiFi network blocks VPN by analyzing traffic patterns, this methods can bypass the most advanced firewalls. This setup also encrypts every OpenVPN packet twice, sort of like double VPN encryption.
Additionally, the provider offers a dynamic TCP/UDP port-forwarding (UPnP) with up to 10 TCP/UDP ports, a useful feature on WiFi networks that block VPN ports, or for torrenting. Port forwarding feature is a great addition as it can speed up torrenting or streaming when your ISP throttles select traffic.
More so, you can selectively tunnel only specific traffic via secure servers. Split tunneling feature allows this or, alternatively, SOCKS5 proxy can be setup on your browser/torrenting client and re-route only that traffic.
Hide.Me VPN is extremely reliable and very fast which makes it a perfect choice for security oriented users who would like to enjoy uninterrupted streaming and browsing experience.
To read a full Hide.me review click HERE.
ANNUAL PRICE: 2.19 USD/mo
MONTHLY PRICE: 11.95 USD
PIA is one of the largest no logs VPN services with over 3,000 VPN servers that deliver great speeds and a reliable performance. PIA offers easy to install VPN apps for all devices with security and privacy features that protect VPN users. In 2018 PIA was subpoenaed by the FBI and the only information they could provide was that the cluster of IP addresses being used was from the east coast of the United States. The FBI case confirms that PIA indeed does not log any user activity.
Desktop apps have a built-in kill switch, DNS and IPv4/IPv6 leak protection that guards the connection from IP leaks. Their NAT firewall does a great job at protecting from cyber attacks.
For faster streaming and torrenting experience, PIA software offers switching between different connection types and ports. You can choose between UDP and TCP connections types that, depending on network, can speed up traffic. UDP is also greatly preferred for torrenting and streaming. You can also send VPN traffic over various ports: 443, 80, 110, 53, 8080, 9201.
Since some ISPs block torrenting or throttle download speeds by restricting certain VPN ports, port forwarding is an especially useful feature for torrenting VPN users.
If you need to bypass VPN ban, port 443 is the best option because it is used by encrypted HTTPS traffic. PIA in not only one of the best VPN services to give unrestricted and secure access to various torrenting websites and services. PIA can also unblock Netflix USA and Netflix UK libraries, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime.
SOCKS5 proxy is another excellent feature that can re-route only certain traffic through VPN tunnel eliminating the need for split tunneling. SOCKS5 is widely used with torrenting software due to its convenience. Once installed on uTorrent, for instance, it works for p2p traffic only.
To read a full PIA review click HERE.
ANNUAL PRICE: 3.33 USD/mo
MONTHLY PRICE: 10.95 USD
PureVPN, based in the British Virgin Islands offshore zone, is a no logs certified VPN service that was independently audited by KPMG – a big 4 auditor. Always-On Audit feature allows KPMG to conduct a thorough surprise audit of PureVPN’s processes and servers at any time without prior notice.
Secure high-speed PureVPN infrastructure offers advanced security features for anonymous Internet use. PureVPN custom apps have a built-in WebRTC, IP and DNS leak protection. Kill switch is feature that guards the users from unencrypted data leaks when the internet connection drops. PureVPN even has a DDoS protection add-on.
In case you want to limit your VPN use to specific websites/services only, Split Tunneling feature lets you decide which applications to send through unencrypted channel and which one to secure with an encrypted VPN service.
Split tunneling is commonly used in case you need a VPN for torrenting only. More so, PureVPN offers 2,000 high-speed VPN servers in 140 countries with over 60 dedicated torrenting servers and a port forwarding feature to maximize your upload and download speeds.
Additionally, the provider considered the importance of uninterrupted streaming by introducing Dedicated Streaming add-on that will boost streaming speed and enhance performance. PureVPN optimized streaming servers are best to get a buffer-free streaming experience.
PureVPN is also one of the few VPN providers that can effectively unblock Netflix. For this purpose PureVPN setup dedicated Netflix servers. At the moment the provider can unblock Netflix USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Japan.
Overall, PureVPN is a great no logs VPN service for privacy and security, to access geo-restricted streaming content, unblock websites and bypass censorship.
To read a full PureVPN review click HERE.
ANNUAL PRICE: 1.99 USD/mo
MONTHLY PRICE: 8.88 USD
No logs Trust.Zone is a Seychelles based VPN provider with user privacy as their foremost priority. Since Trust.Zone is a VPN service launched by one of the largest torrenting websites ExtraTorrent, it’s no wonder they are one of the best providers for p2p file sharing. Their apps have DNS, WebRTC leaks protection, Kill Switch and port-forwarding features. To read a full Trust.Zone review click HERE.
ANNUAL PRICE: 8.99 USD/mo
MONTHLY PRICE: 12.99 USD
Germany based Perfect Privacy is an ultra fast (gigabit servers) VPN provider with a heavy focus on advanced online security. As the name suggests, Perfect Privacy VPN has some of the most secure VPN features for maximum security, privacy and complete anonymity.
Perfect Privacy dedicated VPN servers run on RAM, not the hard drive, to secure your anonymity and privacy. This setup ensures that the data is automatically wiped during reboot or server shut down so the government cannot access sensitive user data in case they seize the server.
More so, the provider has one of the best and most advanced kill switch implementations. Their integrated firewall enforces all traffic to be sent through secure tunnels thereby protecting their users from all known IP leaks not only when the app is running, but also after OS reboot. Essentially, it prevents unsecured online access after you restart your device unless you connect to a VPN server.
In addition, Perfect Privacy offers a unique Multi-Hop VPN feature that allows cascading over up to 4 OpenVPN servers (multi-layer end-to-end encryption) at the same time along with SOCKS5 and Squid proxies. So you can create a chain of 6 VPN locations at the same time which basically eliminates any possibility of tracking you down. While this setup surely provides more anonymity, it will dramatically slow you down, which may be an issue for some VPN users.
NeuroRouting is an AI based dynamic routing that determines the most secure and fastest route through the Internet. The algorithm dynamically changes VPN servers when taking a secure route to different destinations. Since NeuroRouting automatically assigns you a new IP address for different exit points, government tracking becomes very challenging, if impossible.
Additionally, Perfect Privacy regularly updates a Warrant Canary page as an insurance that the provider has not received any subpoenas.
Another interesting feature is the provider’s ability to resolve .onion (TOR) addresses without the need for the Tor Browser. Perfect Privacy SOCKS5 and HTTP proxies are setup to resolve Tor addresses by default.
Perfect Privacy also can bypass strict firewalls by obfuscating OpenVPN to look like normal HTTPS traffic with Stealth VPN or OpenVPN over SSH feature. For additional firewall penetration Perfect Privacy allows 5 custom port forwardings or 3 default random ports. Basically, if your WiFi network completely blocks VPN, Perfect Privacy can bypass firewall and unblock VPN on virtually any network.
Overall, Perfect Privacy VPN is the most secure VPN service to avoid mass surveillance, bypass internet restrictions, access blocked websites, and securely stream multimedia content.
To read a full Perfect Privacy review click HERE.
ANNUAL PRICE: 1.66 USD/mo
MONTHLY PRICE: 12.95 USD
Switzerland based VyprVPN is a leading no logs VPN provider with over 700 ultra fast servers worldwide that support gigabit VPN speed (1,000Mbps). VyprVPN was independently audited by Leviathan Security that confirmed VyprVPN to be a no logging VPN service.
Unlike most VPN providers, VyprVPN doesn’t rely on 3rd party hosting – they own and manage their own VPN servers. Essentially, no 3rd parties involved means that no one else handles your data, which increases overall security and privacy.
All VyprVPN servers run on the highest encryption using the most modern encryption methods. NAT firewall is an additional layer of security since it blocks unrequested inbound traffic.
VyrpVPN apps have a DNS and IP leaks protection and a kill switch to protect your device from accidentally accessing the Internet using your real IP address. VyprVPN kill switch works deeper than a typical kill switch. It remains active even after you quit the app, so when enabled, it works as a firewall and completely blocks Internet access until you connect to VyprVPN.
In addition, VyprVPN is an excellent provider to bypass even the strictest firewalls that block VPN connection. For this purpose VyprVPN designed a proprietary VPN protocol called Chameleon. The protocol scrambles OpenVPN to hide VPN use and make it undetectable via deep packet inspection (DPI). Chameleon allows you to use VPN on very restrictive networks that completely block VPN.
VyprVPN infrastructure is amazingly fast offering ultra fast gigabit speeds and low ping times for high speed HD streaming. Being one of the fastest VPN services, VyprVPN boasts some of the best VPN speeds. VyprVPN has dedicated streaming servers that can bypass Netflix proxy error and also work with BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Spotify.
With over 200,000 IP addresses in 64 countries, VyprVPN offers a fantastic choice of VPN locations.
To read a full VyprVPN review click HERE.
ANNUAL PRICE: 6.67 USD/mo
MONTHLY PRICE: 12.95 USD
Based in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN is an excellent no logs VPN service for privacy oriented VPN users who want to protect their data from government surveillance, improve online security and bypass censorship.
ExpressVPN has been independently audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers, a top team of security audit experts with access to ExpressVPN servers’ codebase to verify their no logging claims. The audit also checked that TrustedServer technology operates as described, one of the extremely important features to guarantee user anonymity.
TrustedServer is a name ExpressVPN uses to describe their security tech that has VPN servers running on RAM only, instead of a hard drive that typically contains data until it is erased and written over. TrustedServers are automatically wiped every time they are rebooted or the electricity is cut off, which eliminates any possibility that the government could seize VPN servers and access sensitive user data.
ExpressVPN custom apps have a built-in DNS leak protection to ensure that no data is leaked while the app is running. Even though ExpressVPN is extremely reliable, kill switch is another useful feature that guards your real IP address from leaking.
ExpressVPN default configuration wraps OpenVPN into SSL and reroutes VPN connection through HTTPS port 443. This setup completely hides VPN use from network admins and makes your VPN traffic appear as regular encrypted Internet browsing, thereby, making ExpressVPN a perfect choice for VPN users who need increased anonymity. Assuming your restrictive network blocks VPN protocols and VPN ports, ExpressVPN can unblock VPN on virtually any network.
Additionally, the provider has one of the fastest infrastructures with over 3,000 servers in 94 countries. Ultra fast ExpressVPN is one of the few services with VPN network that supports gigabit Internet connection, making it a perfect choice for ultra high speed streaming and torrenting.
ExpressVPN is also an excellent choice for high speed Netflix streaming. The provider can unblock Netflix USA and UK, Hulu, BBC iPlayer and a number of other streaming services.
Overall, this ultra fast infrastructure, dedication to security, and a number of additional privacy features definitely makes ExpressVPN one of the most secure VPN services.
To read a full ExpressVPN review click HERE.
How kill switch works
A kill switch is a feature that automatically blocks your internet access if your VPN connection drops, preventing any IP leaks that could expose your identity or activity.
A kill switch is especially useful for torrenting, streaming, or browsing sensitive or censored websites, where exposing your IP address and location could have serious consequences. A kill switch can also protect you from DNS leaks, WebRTC leaks, or IPv6 leaks, which are other ways that your IP address and location can be revealed even when using a VPN.
To explain in technical details, a VPN creates a secure tunnel between your device and the VPN server, using protocols such as OpenVPN, IKEv2, or WireGuard. These protocols encrypt your data packets with a secret key that only you and the VPN server know, making it impossible for anyone else to intercept or decipher them. The VPN server then assigns you a new IP address from its pool of available IPs, masking your original IP address and location.
A kill switch is a mechanism that monitors your VPN connection and detects any changes in its status. If the VPN connection is interrupted for any reason, such as network congestion, server failure, or malicious attack, the kill switch immediately cuts off your internet access at the system level, blocking any data from leaving or entering your device. This way, you avoid any IP leaks that could compromise your privacy and security.
A kill switch is especially important for users who engage in sensitive online activities, such as torrenting, streaming geo-restricted content, or accessing censored websites. Without a kill switch, if your VPN disconnects unexpectedly, your device may automatically reconnect to the internet using your default network settings, exposing your real IP address and location to your ISP, copyright holders, or government agencies.
Therefore, a VPN with a kill switch is an essential tool for anyone who values their online privacy and security. It ensures that you always stay anonymous and protected on the internet, even if your VPN connection fails.
Auto Shutdown Internet & Stop Torrenting when VPN Connection Drops
If you are using a VPN to download torrents, you may want to protect your privacy and security by automatically shutting down your internet connection and stopping your torrent client when your VPN connection drops. This way, you can avoid exposing your IP address and other sensitive information to your ISP or other third parties.
To avoid this, you can manually make changes on your PC or use a VPN with a kill switch feature.
A kill switch feature is a security measure that automatically shuts down your internet connection and stops any torrenting activity when your VPN connection drops. This prevents your real IP address and online activity from being revealed to your ISP, government, or other third parties. A kill switch feature is particularly beneficial for torrenting, as it safeguards you from legal problems and bandwidth throttling that may occur from downloading or uploading content.
To enable the kill switch feature, you need to have a VPN service that supports it. Once you have a VPN service with a kill switch feature, you need to activate it in the settings of your VPN app. The process may vary depending on the VPN provider, but usually it involves going to the preferences or options menu and looking for a toggle or checkbox that says something like “kill switch”, “network lock”, “internet kill switch”, or “app protection”. Make sure to turn it on and save the changes. You can also choose which apps you want to apply the kill switch feature to, such as your torrent client.
After activating the kill switch feature, you can start torrenting with peace of mind. If your VPN connection ever drops for any reason, your internet connection and torrenting activity will be immediately cut off until the VPN reconnects. This way, you can avoid any leaks or risks that may compromise your privacy and security.
There are many benefits of using a kill switch feature, such as:
- Protecting your privacy and anonymity online. A kill switch feature ensures that your online identity and location are always hidden behind a VPN server, even if the VPN connection fails for some reason. This way, you can avoid being tracked, monitored, or censored by anyone who might want to spy on your online activity.
- Avoiding legal troubles and fines. A kill switch feature prevents any accidental leaks of your torrenting activity, which could get you in trouble with the law or your ISP. Torrenting is illegal in many countries and regions, and even if it is not, you could still face copyright infringement charges or DMCA notices if you download or share copyrighted content without permission. A kill switch feature helps you avoid these risks by cutting off your internet connection and stopping any torrenting activity as soon as your VPN connection drops.
- Saving bandwidth and data. A kill switch feature also helps you save bandwidth and data by stopping any unnecessary internet traffic when your VPN connection drops. This way, you can avoid wasting your data plan or exceeding your bandwidth limit, which could result in extra charges or throttling from your ISP.
If you prefer to do a manual setup, you may want to try the following method on Windows:
- Open the Network and Sharing Center from the Control Panel or by right-clicking on the network icon in the system tray.
- Click on Change adapter settings on the left sidebar.
- Find your VPN connection and right-click on it. Select Properties.
- Go to the Networking tab and click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). Click on Properties.
- Click on Advanced and go to the DNS tab. Check the box that says Register this connection’s addresses in DNS.
- Go back to the Networking tab and click on Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6). Repeat steps 4 and 5 for this protocol as well.
- Click OK to save the changes and close the Properties window.
- Go back to the Network and Sharing Center and click on Change advanced sharing settings on the left sidebar.
- Under HomeGroup connections, select Use user accounts and passwords to connect to other computers. Click Save changes.
- Download and install a firewall software of your choice, such as Windows Firewall, Comodo Firewall, or ZoneAlarm.
- Open the firewall software and create a new rule that blocks all outbound traffic from your torrent client (such as uTorrent, BitTorrent, or qBittorrent) unless it goes through your VPN connection. You can find the exact steps for creating such a rule in the documentation of your firewall software.
- Test your setup by disconnecting your VPN connection while downloading a torrent. Your internet connection should be cut off and your torrent client should stop downloading or uploading.
This way you can ensure that your torrenting activity is always protected by your VPN connection and that no one can see what you are doing online.
Choice of VPN protocol: ExpressVPN says connections are more stable when the network runs on the TCP protocol as opposed to the default UDP. So, if your connection proves unstable, a good trouble-shooting test is to switch your protocol.
Af first I pirated without any VPN, I received piracy warnings from Comcast and was advised to get a VPN. I didn’t know about a kill switch so I wasn’t using it. When I received another piracy warning I was really mad because I thought I did everything right. Then I found out about a kill switch that will shut down torrenting when VPN suddenly disconnects. Using Nordvpn with kill switch for over a year, zero warnings.
Unlike kill switch that’s built into some apps, PIA kill switch completely disables internet when VPN disconnects. I also tried a kill switch by Tunnelblick (open-source app for Mac), but it’s completely different and way too inconvenient. It literally turns off your Wifi and you need to manually click on a pop-up several times and then on Wifi icon to turn the Wifi back on. PIA kill switch works on a firewall level and automatically reconnects when the connection is back on. I use PIA all the time, I also torrent at school and use it to bypass restrictions at school. PIA is one of the cheapest VPN providers, never had issues with them so I don’t even know why anyone would feel the need to pay more for a VPN.
Seriously don’t ever torrent without a kill switch! Reddit is full of stories from folks who were using a VPN and still received copyright notices. I get it that there are bad VPNs that leak and disconnect all the time. But even if you are using the best VPN in the world, you still should have a kill switch enabled. This feature instantly kills your Internet when VPN disconnects and prevents unsecured torrenting.
A few more rules to follow:
– VPN should always be ON before the torrent client starts
– never start your torrent client before VPN (make sure to uncheck the box “launch on startup”
– always turn the torrent client off before disconnecting from VPN