Reviews

Best VPNs for School

Summary:  Many schools have taken it upon themselves to set restrictions on Internet content, in an effort to keep their students (and faculty) focused and on-task.

However, in addition to restricting entertainment content, these content blocks often wind up keeping students from accessing web content needed for research and school-related topics.

By using a VPN, students and faculty alike can circumvent these blocks and get the information they need. What it does is creates an environment where the computer that you are on doesn’t think that you are located there and therefore allows you to access the blocked websites. VPN we recommend is ExpressVPN.

For the most reliable VPN to access restricted content at school, get Express VPN today!

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Why Are Websites Blocked?

With the best of intentions, many school boards have called upon their IT departments to set up numerous content blocks on their networks, restricting access to even the most innocent of domains.

As a result, everything from social media to shopping websites often end up blocked.

This doesn’t just have the effect of restricting access to entertainment websites, but even to content that students may need to access for school projects and research.

But if you use a VPN, you can not only get around these irritating content blocks, but keep your browsing totally private, so your activity cannot be tracked or monitored, even by the IT guys.

 

What is a VPN?

VPN stands for virtual private network, and what is is essentially a private, separate network, hosted through a company that uses their servers to keep your identity and browsing private, no matter where you’re accessing from.

They encrypt all of your data, and conceal your IP address, so nobody can tell what you’re doing or where you’re doing it from.

Before you go and sign up for a service though, you want to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

There are a lot of VPN services out there, some better than others, especially our top choice – Express VPN.  Here are a few of the top-performing ones, and the perks and downsides to each of them.

 

#1 Choice:  Express VPN – 4.5/5

If your main objective is to get around content blocks, nobody does a better job of beating the system than Express VPN.

Their encryption is airtight, so nobody can see what you’re up to. That coupled with the speed of their connection makes them tough competition to beat.

If you’re still not sure how VPNs work, this is a good company to go with.  They have a great customer service team, with representatives available 24/7 to answer your questions via live chat or e-mail.

They’re incredibly fast at answer questions too, with average e-mail response times in less than 30 minutes.

Plus, they have a 30-day money back guarantee, so if you decide it’s not for you, you get a month to get your refund, no hard feelings.

But, if you decide to stick with them and talk your buddy into signing up, they have a great referral program, so you’ll both get 30 days of totally free service.

They also have a great worldwide network of servers, so even if you’re studying abroad, you can use their service.

If you’ve ever tried to check your Facebook on your phone on a school campus before, you know that those server blocks usually apply to Wifi enabled devices as well.

Luckily for you, Express VPN is compatible with every device you can think of.  You can even use it on more than one at a time.

So whether you’re a teacher or a student, Express VPN is the way to go with getting around those annoying content blocks, and keeping nosey snoopers out of your web activity.

For the best VPN to use at school, sign up with Express VPN today!

 

#2:  IPVanish – 4/5 – Good connection, not for iOS

If you’re trying to procrastinate on Facebook or watch cat videos on YouTube, IPVanish is another one to try if you are somehow unable to connect to Express VPN.

While their service isn’t quite as comprehensive as Express VPN’s, it’s the next best thing if you can’t connect to one of their servers.

Like Express VPN, with IPVanish you can connect to up two devices simultaneously under one service plan, making them great for people who have more than one device they’d like to secure.

The only major downside to this service is that it’s not compatible with iOS, so mobile Apple users get left out.

However, IPVanish has a comparable customer service record to Express VPN’s, with the only exception being that wait times are a longer for e-mail support.

IPVanish also gives their customers one week to claim a refund, so there’s plenty of time to decide if you like their service.

However, they don’t have a referral program, so there are no perks for getting your friends to sign up with them.

With unlimited bandwidth and software that is almost as easy to use as Express VPN, IPVanish is another option for getting past content blocks at school.

IPVanish can be found at this website.

 

#3: Surf Easy VPN – 3.2/5 – Good but 7 day free trial

Yuck, those are two words you don’t want to see in a VPN description.

Despite having a pretty large selection of servers, SurfEasy connection can be painfully slow, and incredibly unreliable.

This makes them a poor choice in general, but an especially bad one for people that do a lot of streaming and downloading.

In addition, their customer service has earned a reputation for being sluggish and impersonal, with responses that seem to be copied and pasted right out of a FAQs section.

Even with so many ways to get in touch with them (phone, live chat, and e-mail), it’s surprisingly difficult to get a prompt response from them.

Their software is compatible with all major operating systems, and their encryption is certainly strong enough to protect your information.

Surf Easy really drops the ball in terms of support and connection quality. If you’re trying to get around content blocks at school.

Surf Easy VPN is here.

 

Conclusion: Use Express VPN for Fast, Unlimited Access

There is nothing more irritating than being on a school campus and facing endless, seemingly random content blocks.

Even something just as simple as checking your e-mail can be impossible thanks to the rigidity of the content filters.

No matter what kind of device you’re using, if a school uses content blocks on your network, you won’t get through them without a VPN.

By using a service like Express VPN, you can count on features like:

  • 24/7 customer support
  • Complete device compatibility
  • Rock-solid encryption and IP address concealment

Use a VPN like Express VPN at your school and watch content blocks melt away at your fingertips!

Bryan

Bryan is a proud, career U.S. Air Force officer with over 20 years experience in IT, cyber security, and acquisitions.

5 Comments

  1. destinypringle24@gmail.com'
    destiny pringle
    November 3, 2015 at 1:39 am — Reply

    i need to block my school from blocking me on you tube how do I do that?

    • November 3, 2015 at 6:05 am — Reply

      Destiny, great question. A VPN can certainly help you with that. Check out the information on this page: /best-vpn-youtube/
      You’re sure to find a solution.

  2. Thomasnightriver888@gmail.com'
    Meloetta
    December 3, 2015 at 4:39 am — Reply

    VPN MASTER seems to be effective against my school, but its android only as far as I know. Its on the play store, but you probably could find it through a google search.

  3. atunnicliffe19@gmail.com'
    Alex
    January 5, 2016 at 11:10 pm — Reply

    Our school block VPN’s how do I bypass this?

    • January 8, 2016 at 5:09 am — Reply

      Alex,

      If they block you installing a VPN then try some proxy sites. Although they are less dependable than a VPN you might be able to find one that works.

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