Verdict
While Anonymizer would recommend you always utilize the Anonymizer Universal service while connected and visiting web sites at all times, due to the drop in speed and increase in latency of your Internet connection, I would recommend only using the service in a couple of cases.
First, where your IP Address is recorded and displayed on the Internet which is a common practice of guest books and forum sites for example. Next, if you are surfing on sites that are not necessarily legitimate I would highly recommend putting your browser in private mode and using the Anonymizer Universal service. Finally, if you are not on your home network using a service with VPN access is becoming more critical for privacy and security.
Although there are free ways to anonymize your IP Address such as through various proxy configurations, it requires above-average technical knowledge to setup whereas the Anonymizer Universal service is a simple setup and you are off and running.
Additionally you are protected when web surfing from any remote network (not your home), especially free wireless networks (Starbucks comes to mind). Without using a VPN tunnel, a provider could actually break any SSL connections you have and intercept your traffic that you think is secure. If you are transmitting passwords, checking email or banking from a wireless hotspot, it is critical that your use a service with VPN connectivity like Anonymizer Universal.
Overall, the typical user can really use a service like Anonymizer Universal. The service is simple to setup and does what it says, including providing an encrypted VPN tunnel and presenting a proxied IP Address to web servers which shields your IP Address outside the service. Anonymizer does need to improve speed and latency so as to allow for streaming video and online game play. At less than $7/month, Anonymizer Universal is worth the purchase if you visit Internet forums or use wireless hotspots.
You can purchase Anonymizer Universal from Anonymizer’s web site for $79.99/year.
(Disclaimer: Gizmos for Geeks received a complimentary review copy of this product.)
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BEWARE! I had an ongoing subscription to Anonymizer Universal for multi years (79.99 first yr followed by 29.99/yr after that). My computer crashed and I waited 2 weeks to have a replacement delivered followed by 2 weeks of program re-installations. When I re-installed Anonymizer Universal I found that it had expired (less than one month). I contacted them and explained my situation. I asked them to continue my subscription. Guess what? Despite being a repeat years customer in good standing and explaining my delima, they REFUSED to continue my subscription and said pay another intitial year of 79.99 or forget using it. How about that for customer support? How about that for taking care of customers that have a problem? HOW ABOUT THAT FOR MONEY GRABBING FROM LONG TERM CUSTOMERS?? Steer away from this company, they will rip you off at any opportunity regardless of the situation. I highly recommend going with GhostSurf, they really care about their customers.
Anonymizer Universal is a useless product with useless customer support. you will get disconnected from their virtual server on a regular hourly basis. They are a complete ripoff . Stay away from these fuckers.
Their supposed "Total Network Security" doesn't actually secure all of your network activity. Be advised, if you do any kind of file sharing -wherein you'd most need and expect privacy – you're right out in the open. Anonymizer Universal is an utter ripoff. They are complete scam artists.
This Product has no shelf life… It works for awhile and then COMPLETELY STOPS WORKING and customer service mutters around inside your PC and changes a few simple things that does not help…
boom a few hours or next day… the internet stops working if you connect to Anonymizer Universal… or slows down like you are in wet cement… ON ANY AND ALL BROSWERS… !
And this is the key tell… IT STOPS WORKING ON FIREFOX, IE, CHROME AND OPERA !!
I think they have too many customers and too few servers or there code is FUBAR…
Everyone… Stay Away from ANONYMIZER UNIVERSAL