Why Doesn’t NordVPN Work?

I have been using NordVPN for nearly two years now to unblock websites and services in
exile from my home country of Turkey. In that time, I have tried numerous times to use
NordVPN successfully but have never been able to get it to work the way I want it to.

There are a few different things that I try to do with NordVPN and every time I think
that I have it figured out, something changes and makes it unusable. The issue is
somewhat complicated and I will walk you through the many steps that I have taken (and
still take) to unblock websites and services that I can’t access due to censorship.

The Basics

I typically browse the web from my phone which is why I have a tendency to use
VPNs. When you are on the move, connectivity can be spotty at best which is why I have a
fascination with VPNs that give me an extra layer of security when connecting to public
WiFi.

Those are the bare essentials but now we need to get into the nitty-gritty of
configuring NordVPN. Without going into too much detail, here are the steps that you need
to take in order to get it to work:

Step One: Install the app

NordVPN is only available on the Google Play store for Android users so you will need
to have Android phones or tablets if you want to use it. To install the app, open the
Google Play store, navigate to the search bar, and type in “NordVPN”. After you search
for NordVpn, you will see the app listed among the search results. Click on the app’s
icon to download it to your device. Once the download is complete, launch the app and you
will be prompted to create a free account. Since this is the first time that you are
installing the app, you will be asked to enter your email address and choose a password
that will be used to identify you as a user of the service. On the other hand, if you have
used a different email address or password for another Google account, you will be asked
to update account information.

Step Two: Connect to a VPN server

NordVPN operates on a basic principle of security through encryption which essentially
means that all of your internet traffic is secured before it leaves the server and can’t
be read by anyone along the way. Just to be on the safe side, always connect to a VPN
server when you are using public WiFI. You can check the IP address of the server that
you are connecting to to make sure that it is a legitimate one. If not, you could be
redirected to a falsified IP address and have your traffic snooped on. To connect to a VPN
server through the Google Play store, click on the menu icon in the upper right corner of
the app and then tap on the “+” sign to connect to a VPN server. Alternatively, you can
click on the menu icon inside the app and then tap on the “Connect to VPN” option to
connect to a server. Once you are connected, you will see a green VPN icon in the upper
right corner of the screen. You can also see the IP address of the server that you are
connected to in the upper left corner of the screen. This is also where you can disconnect
from the server if you decide to do so. When you are using the app, always keep your
connection to the VPN active by tapping on the green icon in the upper right corner of the
screen whenever you connect to a new server. If you are already connected to a server and
decide to disconnect, tap on the red icon to exit the VPN app and then restart it
when reconnecting.

Step Three: Configure the app

NordVPN is a relatively simple app when it comes to setting up and configuring
but there are a few minor things that you need to check before you start using it. To begin
with, make sure that you have enabled the “Use a VPN network when connecting to public
WiFi” option inside the Settings section of the app. If not, you will not be able to use
the service. Next, you need to make sure that your phone or tablet is configured to
allow VPN connections. To do this, go into Settings > Security and check the box next to
“Allow VPN connections”.

Step Four: Use the app to access blocked websites and services

The last step in configuring NordVPN is to use the app to access websites and
services that are blocked inside your home country. To do this, open the app and click on
the menu icon in the upper right corner to display the settings panel. From here, you can
change your location to one that is free to access the content that you want to see. For
example, if you are in Turkey and want to visit the BBC website to read news articles,
you will need to use the app and change your location to one that is free to access
content from the UK. Once you have changed your location, you will see a “lock” icon to
the right of the URL bar. This indicates that the website or service is blocked for
specific IP addresses that are not in the country that you are in. In my case, I use
NordVPN to unblock websites and services that are blocked in Turkey. As a result, I
serve as a kind of decoy for others who want to do the same thing inside their own home
countries.

As I mentioned before, I use NordVPN to unblock websites and services inside
Turkey that are blocked due to government restrictions. I have also used it to unblock
YouTube videos that are blocked in my country due to copyright restrictions. As a result,
I have been able to see how people in other parts of the world live their lives and what
they find interesting online. In doing this, I have discovered so many things about
myself and the world that I never knew existed. It just goes to show how much we can learn
when we are exposed to different perspectives and different ways of thinking. In addition,
by using YouTube videos in my country illegally to promote social change, I have helped
push forward societal debates and helped educate people about issues that are relevant
to them. While I can’t expect that my actions will have changed the world, I feel
confident that I have made a difference in the lives of those around me.

Problems With The App

Even though NordVPN is a simple app to use and set up, it can still
be a little buggy and glitchy. There are times when I want to use the app and it just
doesn’t work. Typically, this happens when I try to connect to a server from my country
of residence and it won’t let me. In these cases, I have to restore the app to its
default settings and then try again. Another issue that I have run into is related to
YouTube videos. Since I use my phone’s YouTube app to play videos, sometimes those videos
will get blocked by my country’s internet service providers. In these cases, I have to
manually search for the YouTube video to allow me to watch it. Afterward, I can either
unblock it or remove the entire video since they are usually filled with ads that I don’t
need to see.

The Final Word

Overall, I feel that NordVPN is a valuable app to have since it provides
a simple and easy way to access content that is usually blocked inside your home country.
In addition, since I use it to unblock YouTube videos, I have discovered so many musical
talents that I didn’t know existed. As a result of this, I have been able to listen to
music that I love and which I couldn’t otherwise access. In the same way, I have
discovered so many news stories and topics that I feel passionate about. In many
cases, being able to access these stories has led me to take action and engage with
others who share the same interests as me.

To conclude, I would like to stress the importance of being smart about what
you click on when using public WiFI. Even though I use VPNs to keep my personal
information secure when using public WiFI, that doesn’t mean that every website and
service that I encounter is safe and secure. Public WiFI can still be dangerous if
you aren’t careful about what you click on. For this reason, make sure you are not
visiting sites and services that you know are not safe to access.