Hotspot Shield in a few words: “100% Security Through a VPN“. More: “It’s FREE!”
This small software creates a VPN – virtual private network between your computer and an Internet gateway. The tunnel prevents snoopers and hackers from viewing your email, instant messages, credit card information or anything else you send over the network.
So, you can use Hotspot Sheild not only to hide your IP address but for complete anonymity! It is ideal if you need to change your IP to an US one. There several reasons you might need an US IP address, such as watching videos from Pandora or Veoh, playing an online game Mabinogi, etc.
Hotspot Shield security application is free to download and is easy to install and use.
After you download the product, you have to unzip the file and launch the setup. Hotspot Shield will be installed in matter of seconds. When the product starts, the VPN connection is initialized as you will see in the configuration page (to see all values click Show Config):
In order to check your new IP address, go to www.whatismyipaddress.com or www.allanonymity.com/what-is-my-ip-address/.
When you are done and you what to use your real IP address Disconnect from the VPN or exit Hotspot Shield.
Now, I have listed several Pros and Cons regarding this solutions. Make sure you read them, especially the Cons. 
Pros
- It’s free!
- It uses VPN technology
- It is more than a hide ip software, it provide total anonymity (including email, chat, etc)
Cons
- It has a 3GB limit usage per month (it was more for previous versions)
- You don’t have any quaranty that the traffic is not logged (this is my main concern). My advice is to use it with care and make sure you read the terms and conditions of using Hotspot Shield.
To sum up, Hotspot Shield is an excellent product to hide your IP and get an US IP address, but, as with other good things in life, do not abuse it.
Happy Surfing!
Update: If you get the Daemon Error please read: Q&A: HotSpot Shield does not connect. I get the Daemon Error. What can I do?
If you found this post useful, you can get more such updates via email.
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21 Comments
Check out http://AlwaysVPN.com just released. It’s also a free vpn service.
HotSpot Shield do not connect on my PC. What Can i do?
It shows Deamon Error
open any web
HotSpot Shield do not connect on my PC. What Can i do?
It shows Deamon Error
I have a problem with installing HotSpot Shield. I can’t unzip it! I first tried Winrar and then CAM UnZip. I have tried both HSS-1.12 and HSS-1.13 downloads but Winrar says the files are either of an unknown format or damaged. CAM UnZip doesn’t work either and I don’t understand what’s wrong. Could someone help me, please?
@FrustratedSwed – Make sure the file has 3.34 MB. If it doesn’t delete the file and download it again from anchorfree.com. I use 7-zip and works perfectly.
Thanks a lot, HideIP Admin.
Now it works.
@FrustratedSwed – Great!
I have a problem with HotSpot Shield. I installed it yesterday and it worked fine until today when it refuses to activate. I can’t understand why, I have updated my wireless network connection and it seems to work fine. What could be wrong?
@Tom – sorry but its not free :
* 5GB – USD 8.50
* 10GB – USD 15.00
* 20GB – USD 26.00
* 40GB – USD 33.00
* 80GB – USD 47.00
@smokonzewater – Thank you for the update!
Thank you.
I want to know it is possible that only using the Hotspot Sheild for a certain purpose (e.g. browsing web) and for other purposes, such as downloading with p2p softwares, use real IP (in same time)?
@ArF – This is not possible, as HS is a VPN solution. All your traffic will be driven on HS connection.
@HideIP Admin – Thanks for your answer.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/05/AR2009100500411.html
http://digg.com/tech_news/5_free_tools_to_bypass_Internet_region_restrictions
Hi can u write about http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/free-vpn-client-freevpn/
this free vpn software that allow no one us server but also uk / canada server
How to watch bbc.co.uk/iplayer abroad
How break Great China Firewall
HOW CAN I CHANGE THE IP HOT SPOT I USING ???
FOR EX:- I USED HOTSPOT FOR SOME TIME…. THEN I WANT TO CHANGE THE IP HOT SOPT IS USING… HOW DO I CHANGE IT ?
@ADHI – You can not change the IP used by Hotspot Shield on demand. You can try to connect and disconnect several time. This is one of the downsides of Hotspot Shield.
@HideIP Admin –
HMMM….. CAN U PROVIDE ME WITH ANY SOFT FROM WHICH I CAN ???
@ADHI – You may try Ultrasurf and NotMyIP. They are both free. Also you could try IP Hider from AllAnonymity.com which is one of the best on the market, but it’s not free.
Hi;
Can it be used on a dial-up? Are there any issues with dial-up connections? How about with Opera and Google Chrome?
Kindly enlighten a newbie pls…
@malik521 – I never tested on dial-up. It should work but the speed it won’t be great. Also it should configure both Chrome and Opera.
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