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Posted 14 March 2023
NordVPN’s Meshnet feature is now completely free for all (No Plan Required)
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Just spotted this is now totally free, previously you needed to have an account/pay for it.
Meshnet is a feature that allows you to create encrypted tunnels between devices. If you’ve used a VPN before, it’s a similar process i.e create your own private VPN completely free of charge.
For Android, iOS, Linux, Windows and MacOS
NordVPN’s Meshnet feature is now free for everyone. Even if you don’t pay for a NordVPN plan, you can still access all of Meshnet’s best features, from traffic routing to secure file sharing. Why are we making Meshnet free? Let’s talk about it.
VPNs create secure channels between a device and a VPN server. Meshnet does the same thing, but it routes traffic through another Meshnet-enabled device, allowing you to essentially create your own VPN server.
With Meshnet, you could use your smartphone while on holiday, and still appear online as if you’re browsing with your home computer.
Is this a new feature?
No, Meshnet capabilities have been built into NordVPN applications for a while, but now the feature is entirely free to use. This means that you can create your own private VPN completely free of charge.
Why is Meshnet free now?
We believe that everyone should be able to access the security and convenience of a VPN. However, not everyone is ready to invest in a premium service like NordVPN. That’s why we’ve introduced Meshnet as a free feature.
NordVPN offers many benefits, from global server locations to built-in security features, but not all users need all these functions. For those who are just looking for security and remote traffic routing, Meshnet has a role to play. The service allows users to route encrypted traffic through almost any device of their choosing. For example, they can connect to a home computer while abroad, or route traffic through the device of a friend who lives overseas, using the IP addresses of these devices.
In the same spirit of accessibility, we’ve also made NordVPN’s entire Linux application available under an open source license. This means that anyone can examine and experiment with our code. These decisions are all driven by the same key goal: to make our services widely available to those who need them and to be as transparent as possible.
Meshnet explained
Meshnet use cases
Here are just a few of the use cases for Meshnet.
Meshnet is a feature that allows you to create encrypted tunnels between devices. If you’ve used a VPN before, it’s a similar process i.e create your own private VPN completely free of charge.
For Android, iOS, Linux, Windows and MacOS
NordVPN’s Meshnet feature is now free for everyone. Even if you don’t pay for a NordVPN plan, you can still access all of Meshnet’s best features, from traffic routing to secure file sharing. Why are we making Meshnet free? Let’s talk about it.
VPNs create secure channels between a device and a VPN server. Meshnet does the same thing, but it routes traffic through another Meshnet-enabled device, allowing you to essentially create your own VPN server.
With Meshnet, you could use your smartphone while on holiday, and still appear online as if you’re browsing with your home computer.
Is this a new feature?
No, Meshnet capabilities have been built into NordVPN applications for a while, but now the feature is entirely free to use. This means that you can create your own private VPN completely free of charge.
Why is Meshnet free now?
We believe that everyone should be able to access the security and convenience of a VPN. However, not everyone is ready to invest in a premium service like NordVPN. That’s why we’ve introduced Meshnet as a free feature.
NordVPN offers many benefits, from global server locations to built-in security features, but not all users need all these functions. For those who are just looking for security and remote traffic routing, Meshnet has a role to play. The service allows users to route encrypted traffic through almost any device of their choosing. For example, they can connect to a home computer while abroad, or route traffic through the device of a friend who lives overseas, using the IP addresses of these devices.
In the same spirit of accessibility, we’ve also made NordVPN’s entire Linux application available under an open source license. This means that anyone can examine and experiment with our code. These decisions are all driven by the same key goal: to make our services widely available to those who need them and to be as transparent as possible.
Meshnet explained
Meshnet use cases
Here are just a few of the use cases for Meshnet.
- Browsing abroad. Have you ever been on holiday or traveling for work, and struggled to access accounts and online services? If a website notices you logging on from an unusual location, it may assume that you’re a hacker and block you as a security measure. With Meshnet, you can easily get around this problem by routing your data through a device in your usual location — a computer in your home, for example. Even if you’re browsing on the other side of the world, websites will only receive location data related to that home computer.
- Your own VPN. Meshnet allows you to turn a device into a VPN server. If you have a family member or friend abroad, you could let them route their traffic through your computer, allowing them to access the internet in their home country while traveling. Likewise, if you’re connecting to risky public Wi-Fi, you can route your own traffic through a device at home, keeping your data safe from prying eyes.
- Secure file sharing. Want to send a photo or video to a friend? If you transfer it as an attachment on social media messenger apps, the file quality will be compressed. Sending it by email is fine — until you realize the file size exceeds the attachment limit set by your email service. That’s where Meshnet comes in. Just make sure that both you and your friend have Meshnet enabled on your devices, connect them with an encrypted tunnel, and share the file.
- Multiplayer gaming. If you want to play a cooperative game with someone, you can link your devices through Meshnet. No need to plug in cables, or even be in the same area: your data will flow between devices, moving along encrypted tunnels, for a safe and seamless gaming experience.
More details at Community Updates
Edited by Dan_82, 14 March 2023
53 Comments
sorted byStay away from Nord and go for Tailscale - dead easy to set up - works like a charm.
Although highly unlikely but if there was a leak and someone was doing something dodgy or illegal then it could implicate you through your IP.
You'd be able to prove your innocence but perhaps not before the fuzz have taken all your computers and phones away for analysis.
IF that's the case then there's completely no logical reason to use this above zerotier/tailscale...
EDIT - Yup, you can install it on someone else device and link it to your account, but that is an extra that YOU have to choose to do. That's the same as with the other programmes.
Reading the comments here i see that many people confuse this with a VPN solution that allows you to connect to other servers. Meshnet works ONLY on machines that you install the app on so you control the end points.
The reason why it's free is because that Nord doesn't use ANY bandwith (except handling the encryption keys) and I also suspect there's a large push for upgrade paths and I'm sure there's some ad stuff in the background. (edited)
I think if you are on fibre, it will probably be "okay", but if you are on 70mb or less, don't bother with the streaming.
Remember, for a server, it is the upload speed that matters, not the download speed of your ISP.
Meshnet uses WireGuard VPN with a couple extra security features built in. WireGuard is very fast.
Anyone know how intrusive these efforts are?
It's all encrypted but not without its risk