Buffered VPN is a small VPN provider formed in Hungary by three privacy-cautious friends. Since their launch in 2014, the company became a reliable protector of internet safety. The team behind Buffered VPN knows that there is no such thing as a “finished” VPN service, so they work hard to constantly improve their features. Currently they offer connections to 31 different countries (including exquisite locations like Australia, India, Russia, Korea, Israel and Panama), with the ability to connect 5 devices simultaneously, which is a pleasing bonus for larger families or groups of youngsters. Speed and flexibility are also among the strengths of Buffered VPN. But sometimes knowing the story behind an up-and-coming provider proves to be just as exciting. We asked these go-getters about the origins of the company, their take on the issues regarding privacy protection, and their plans and ideas about the future.
There are technical benefits to Buffered like the ability to have 5 simultaneous connections at any time, most providers can’t match that. We also focus heavily on our network so the speeds we offer through our servers are consistently high. Because we operate outside of certain jurisdictions, we are able to give our users an extra layer of safety as we’re not bound by some of the laws that other providers may have to deal with. We also have a tool called Port Discovery that scans networks for open ports to connect through. This is particularly effective for networks behind firewalls.
In the beginning of Buffered, it was used by people who are younger and more knowledgeable about technology, as you would expect. Expats trying to access geo-restricted content were also, of course, a big chunk of our users. What we’re seeing now is a huge variety of people, all ages, a variety of countries, backgrounds and so on. This is the direct result of what is going on in the world in regards to online security and privacy. People nowadays are more aware of the risks, therefore more interested in the solutions that are available, like VPNs. Bypassing geo-restrictions is no longer only for expats. Netflix is probably the one responsible for most of it. Even though they made their service global, their libraries are vastly different in quality and quantity. And people obviously want their money’s worth by getting access to the Netflix biggest library in the US.
Well, two of us were/are expats and we had the same problem as most people living in or visiting other countries: we wanted access to content from back home. The three of us also shared concern for the state of online security and the direction it was (and still is) heading. It was around the time of the Snowden revelations and the issue was really jumping out in the open. Luckily our Hungarian partner had the actual technical ability to set up a VPN. So it was almost natural that we got together to create Buffered.
Our challenges were always the same as any startup in this sphere. Anything/everything from payment processor issues to Netflix bans. But we always worked through these problems, learning and adapting in the process, and I think we’ve handled everything pretty well and in good time. Currently, I strongly believe that we’re in a very good position and are able to focus on offering whatever our users need, like more server locations for example.
There are way too many countries with restrictive internet. That can be both government firewalls or services that don’t want to cater to certain locations. Whatever the reason, we would like to offer an opportunity for people to connect safely and enjoy borderless internet. So countries in Middle East and some parts of Asia come to mind, as well as some locations in South America. Not to mention those who are experiencing restrictions, for example issues with WhatsApp in Brazil. So ideally we would like to have as many servers catering to as many people as possible. But online security is a global issue affecting all countries to be honest, so we have to be as global as possible.
We’re connecting a lot more through our smartphones and tablets. Everything from emails to banking can now be done on the go but we do all this on dangerous public networks where personal information can easily be stolen. Obviously this can lead to identity theft, fraud and all the rest of it. So the focus for VPNs needs to be on supporting platforms like iOS and Android but at the same time laptops are getting smaller, demanding security on both Windows and OSX.
Our support enjoys what they do and this is the most important aspect to making it work well. The guys on that team genuinely like interacting with our users who in turn are generally a good bunch of people, so the relationship works well. We also try to maintain very low response times. In case there is a problem or a question, it’s important to be able to address it immediately. A user has to have a good relationship with their VPN provider so we generally focus heavily on how we interact with our customers: we hear them out and their requests are what drives our development to a large degree. We’re also hiring people from all over the world so that we’ll have 24 hour support very soon.
I think the relationship between a VPN provider and its users needs to be based on trust. A high percentage of people sign up to Buffered because they’re concerned about their personal data and a VPN should ease this concern, not create more worry by implying that a customer’s information is being collected by the VPN as well. We don’t log anything you do online at all, as privacy is one of our key focuses with Buffered. However, we do need to maintain our network and make sure that it’s running as well as possible. Additionally, we need to protect ourselves from things like DDOS and other abuses. For these reasons we need to log the bare minimum for our service to work effectively. It’s doubtful a VPN can function well as it should without some of this data.
We will be focusing on offering a lot more servers in many locations while at the same time working hard on maintaining our existing network to offer the speeds and reliability that we’re already proud of. We will also continue working on providing an even better experience on iOS and Android as VPN use on portable devices is growing very fast. And there’s also room to improve with support: we’re trying to get response time down to as little as possible. Nothing is more important than our customers.
I think the ability to connect through a VPN is something everyone will have on their devices and will be using the service regularly to connect safely. Issues of security, censorship, and privacy are not going away any time soon and disturbingly are getting worse in many countries. So it’s a matter of getting into the habit of using the various security/privacy tools available, including VPNs. Providers will have to focus on making VPNs lighter and faster to make that extra step in connecting through them a much more seamless experience. And as mentioned before, use of VPNs on portable devices will continue to grow very quickly and it will eventually becomes the primary way of using such services.
Share your thoughts, ask questions, and connect with other users. Your feedback helps our community make better decisions.
©2012-2025 Best Reviews, a clovio brand –
All rights
reserved
