My Private Network VPN Review – 2022

My Private Network, MPN, is a UK-based provider of VPN and Smart DNS service that’s been on the market since 2008.

Why Choose My Private Network

They run an impressive network of 200+ servers in 44 countries and offer a robust privacy and security package coupled with ease of use and cross-platform support.

Best VPN for

• Netflix, Hulu, and streaming online
• Torrenting and downloading
• Security and privacy

Works on

Mac

Windows

Android

IOS

Linux

Routers

Pros:

• Three-day free trial
• 90-day money-back guarantee
• Fine selection of free and paid plans
• Excellent speeds
• Transparent Privacy Policy
• Cross-platform support
• Five simultaneous connections
• P2P allowed on some servers

Cons:

• Some connection logs
• UK-based
• No kill switch

Pricing and Plans

First off, My Private Network has a three-day three trial of their Global plan. All they need is your email, and you’re up and running in a matter of minutes. No payment details are required. The free trial includes all the premium features of the Global plan – all the servers, unlimited bandwidth, and up to 5 simultaneous connections.

If you’re happy with MPN’s performance after the trial, you can choose from a variety of subscriptions. There is a free membership, which grants you all the security perks, but access to the free servers only, somewhat slower speeds than in the paid plans, and no access to the streaming services. Notably, the bandwidth is not limited, but the speed is.

The two paid memberships are Global and Single Country. As the name suggests, Single Country lets you choose the servers in one country. You can pay on a monthly 4.97 GBP, quarterly 14.16 GBP, and annual 47.71 GBP basis. You’d have to do the conversion to the USD the day you subscribe. Today, a monthly subscription for a Single Country plan would set you off $6.54.

Global is more expensive at 8.97 GBP ($11.8) in the monthly, 25.56 GBP ($33.62) in the quarterly, and 86.11 GBP ($113.26) in the yearly subscription. Global grants you access to all servers, speedy connection, solid encryption, Smart DNS, access to geo-blocked streaming services, five simultaneous connections, and cross-platform support.

MPN accepts payments via PayPal, credit cards, BitPay, wire transfers, and there is a solid money-back guarantee for up to 90 days. This is something you’ll rarely find among VPNs these days.

Features

My Private Network offers OpenVPN for Windows (XP through Win 10), Mac, iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Linux, and DD-WRT. I’ve tried their Windows desktop and Android apps and was pleased to encounter zero glitches or hiccups. It installs fast, runs smooth, and does what it’s meant to do.

MPN’s Windows client is a modified version of the open-source OpenVPN. Your client area gives you quick access to the installation instructions – give them a quick read.

The installer isn’t just your ordinary click-through wizard. Instead, you choose the config files (location of servers) you wish to install, the connection method (UDP, TCP), and input your membership details (login, pass). That way, you don’t need to login multiple times per each server as you normally would with the native Open VPN client.

Other than that small yet meaningful usability improvement, MPN’s OpenVPN client doesn’t differ much from the OpenVPN client. It resides in your taskbar, and you can connect by right-clicking on it and choosing a server.

I’ve had no problems connecting and disconnecting. Despite the spartan interface, the app did its job flawlessly.

The installation guides and the comprehensive Knowledge Base are thorough. The provider offers support via email, with a rather quick turnaround time.

Even though the app itself doesn’t have many toggles, the VPN service is robust. You can connect up to five devices simultaneously, and set up your streaming-focused Smart DNS dubbed My Telly. Torrenting is allowed on servers located in Malaysia and Russia. Do apply common sense to your P2P activities, as the provider explicitly states that servers located in the countries with strict anti-piracy laws won’t grant you protection from authorities.

The provider does not limit your bandwidth nor speed (in paid plans), and their server coverage is impressive.

Their mobile app is a breeze to use and provides nearly the same functionality of its desktop counterpart.

Tests

One key reason My Private Network is impressive is its ability to provide above-average speeds. Here is my default connection speed measured by Ookla’s Speed Test app:

And here is my speed test when connected to MPN’s US server:

and a UK server:

MPN passed my security tests with flying colors – no DNS, WebRTC, or IPv6 leaks detected:

MPN is one of those rare VPNs that don’t advertise unblocking Netflix US but just unblock it. I could access the US repo, and stream what I chose without Netflix frowning.

BBC iPlayer got unblocked just as easily, and the initial buffering was minimal.

MPN also offers a Smart DNS feature, which lets you disable all the VPN bells and whistles like protection and encryption, and leave the IP masking only. This way, you won’t be losing out on your connection speed when streaming.

At the same time, I wouldn’t recommend using Smart DNS aka My Telly in cases when you need watertight privacy.

Privacy and Security

My Private Network is a UK provider. This means the 14 Eyes mass surveillance, the UK Snooper’s Charter, and whatnot.

On the other hand, the provider is transparent as far as its Privacy Policy and ToS are concerned. MPN keeps your email, nickname, and username, and might hand them over to law enforcement when legally compelled. They do not hold your credit card details, as they use third-party payment gateways.

MPN doesn’t store your usage logs, bandwidth used, or DNS queries. They do store connection/disconnection time for accounting, and that’s about it.

The provider also maintains a Warrant Canary right below the Privacy Policy page while ToS and acceptable use policy hold no surprises.

Security-wise, they offer a wide range of protocols, OpenVPN included, with UDP 4096-bit, SHA 256-bit, and AES 256-bit as a maximum protection. The technical specs are excellent.

Final Thoughts

My Private Network is among the top performers on the VPN arena. With solid technical specs and transparent privacy stance, MPN shows above-average speeds and unblocks the streaming services many other VPNs don’t. It might be on the expensive side, but the refund policy and the three-day trial should clear your doubts.

The only nag about this provider is their UK jurisdiction. So be warned. Other than that, It’s a feasible – and functional – proposition.