Seedboxes.cc

If you thought that Seedboxes.cc is only about hosting remote servers, I have some news for you. Enter Awesome VPN – its attempt to make a foray into the VPN space.

Before jumping into the review, I’d like to mention that Seedboxes.cc offers VPN services as a free add-on. So, comparing it with top VPN players in the market would be both unfair and futile.

That being said, there are quite a few areas like security and speed where the Seedboxes.cc VPN surpasses expectations. On the other hand, my streaming, client support, and privacy checks show that there’s still a long way to go if it has plans to become a serious contender.

The fact that its target users are looking for remote hosting and its blazing fast speeds works in its favor. But its pricing might be a deal-breaker for those looking for just VPNs. Users have to purchase a web hosting subscription to access its complimentary VPN.

Much to the relief of aficionados, Seedboxes.cc did manage to unblock Netflix libraries of seven countries. But none of its 8 servers were able to get past the barbed wire of Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+.

Seedboxes.cc permits up to 5 simultaneous connections if you’re willing to cough up four times more than an average VPN subscription. The VPN can be used on Android, Windows, macOS, and iOS-run devices.

It supports state-of-art tunneling protocols like OpenVPN, IPsec, SoftEther, and L2TP/IPsec. But this isn’t backed up with a kill switch, anti-logging policies, or DNS leak protection to protect the users’ privacy.

[features-overview-table]

Streaming — There’s Not Much To Be Excited About

On the streaming front, it seems to be a mixed bag for all the TV buffs and OTT lovers out there. Seedboxes.cc did manage to unblock Netflix for us, but Amazon Prime Video threw a few errors. Here’s what happened when I tested them across the seven countries where Seedboxes.cc has servers.

Unblocked: Netflix

I ran tests across an array of Seedboxes.cc servers and were able to access libraries of the US, the UK, Netherlands, France, Germany, and Singapore. It was indeed exciting to see indigenous shows of these countries in high-definition without hitting any snags.

I was able to unblock Netflix with Seedboxes.cc

But there’s a catch. A standard leak test revealed that the VPN reveals DNS servers of the home country. So, it’s a matter of time before Netflix finds out about this and shuts down non-native library access via the Seedboxes.cc VPN.

A Seedboxes.cc rep says that running Netflix on its VPN might not be a viable option

Blocked By: Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+

Honestly, I am not too surprised that Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer blocked access. At a time when even traditional VPNs are struggling to crack the code, Seedboxes.cc doesn’t look like it stands a chance.

I tried to unblock its US and Netherlands library via most of the available servers and was met with this error message.

I wasn’t able to unblock Amazon Prime Video

I met with the same fate after trying to unblock Disney+ using the Seedboxes.cc servers.

Speeds — Leaves Almost Nothing Behind

By retaining as little as 65% of the download speed across many tests, Seedboxes.cc fails to make a case for itself.

My speeds before connecting to Seedbucket.cc

Let’s take a quick look at the three important metrics that point to the speed – ping, download speed, and upload speed. Above is a screengrab giving the baseline numbers or the connection speed for my tests.

I didn’t experience significant speed loss on its Parisian servers

Paris yielded the best results in my series of tests by retaining 75% of the download speeds and 72% of the upload speeds.

Seedboxes.cc’s London servers slowed me down

When I tried to switch to the London servers, the results were more or less ideal. The VPN managed to retain about 66% of the download speed and 64% of the upload speed. Understandably, the distance caused the ping to go up by many folds.

I lost 25% of my speed connecting to its US server

Upon moving even further to Seedboxes.cc’s fastest server in the US, I ran out of luck. About a quarter of my download speed was lost and only a third of my upload speed was retained. Irrespective of the country or the server, I was able to connect in less than 15 seconds in all the test runs.

I attempted to use multiple servers in Asia and Europe. The results were pretty similar to what we’re seeing right now. This makes it clear that you can rely on Seedboxes.cc only if you have a reasonably high connection speed.

Are Seedboxes.cc’s Speeds Fast Enough for Gaming? Yes

Impressed is what I felt after using Seedboxes.cc for a gaming session. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started playing Star Wars: The Old Republic — an online role-playing multiplayer game. More importantly, I was using the San Francisco server that is situated halfway across the world.

I was able to play seamless with Seedboxes.cc connected

By the end of it, multiple speed tests proved that gamers need not fret while using this VPN.

Server Network — the Count Falls Short by a Few Zeroes

Seasoned VPN users will be surprised to know that there are just over 8 Seedboxes.cc servers to choose from across 8 countries. They are the US, the UK, France, Singapore, Canada, Netherlands, and Germany.

Seedboxes.cc owns every single piece of hardware making them more reliable than other VPN providers’ servers. The company ensures accountability by providing all updates regarding maintenance and downtime on its service status page. I scoured through the past data and barely found any reports of unscheduled downtime on its servers.

I am inclined to believe that Seedboxes.cc doesn’t find the need to expand their server network due to fewer takers for the VPN service. After all, it all comes down to the ratio of the number of users and number of servers. Either way, seasoned VPN users might not find value for their money, especially given Seedboxes.cc’s two-digit server count.

Security — There’s Everything You Need

The VPN works with the most advanced protocols of our time, so we need not worry about security when it comes to Seedboxes.cc. The list includes OpenVPN, IPsec, L2TP over IPsec, and SoftEther.

It steps things up the fencing by a notch with OpenVPN’s Blowfish-CBC 1024-bit encryption. Additionally, you can use the HTTP Proxy service through the Netherlands servers offered by Seedboxes.cc.

Unfortunately, Seedboxes.cc failed even the simplest of the DNS leak tests. It means that your DNS address, home country, and ISP are not concealed despite using a VPN.

Privacy — Enthusiasts Should Steer Clear

Seedboxes.cc is a Cyprus-based VPN that logs your information and complies with government orders. While that is enough for privacy advocates to raise alarm, there are more reasons why you should be worried.

Seedboxes.cc does log your information

This screengrab from the privacy policy of the website shows that Seedboxes.cc intends to log your personal info – right from mailing address to OS details. It’s atypical for VPN services or any service provider that deals in torrenting.

Another section of the privacy policy talks about complying with legal requests and making disclosures when it’s ‘necessary to protect your safety or the safety of others.’ Such arbitrary policies for disclosures make it a risky option for those who value their privacy more than anything.

Torrenting — It Isn’t the Real Deal

The speeds are high, but other functionalities are pretty limited.

It is true that Seedboxes.cc’s userbase is looking for superfast torrenting speeds. With assured speeds of 20 GB per second, I thought that they had their bases covered. But it falters even in this department by not providing Seedbucket access to popular torrent clients like BitTorrent, Vuze, and uTorrent. I confirmed that this limitation exists by contacting the support team.

The only clients it supports are rTorrent, Deluge, and Transmission. Other clients can be accessed without the seedbox via their VPN servers.

You can only use its Netherlands servers for P2P

If you use their VPN without the seedbox option, torrenting would work only with the Netherlands server. This is because only those servers support P2P transfer of data.

Does Seedboxes.cc Work in China? Not Sure

Given the Great Firewall of China’s reputation, I doubt if Seedboxes.cc would be able to bypass it. The recent crackdowns on major VPNs in the country make us even more skeptical about its success.

Our query posed to the customer reps at Seedboxes.cc resulted in the following response:

Customer support doesn’t know if Seedboxes.cc works in China

While testing the VPN in China is the only way to find out, it’s best to rely on a traditional service provider in case you are planning to go to China.

Simultaneous Device Connections — Not Much To Look Forward To

Seedboxes.cc lets you use up to 5 devices depending on your plan. I tried stress testing two devices at the same time and it worked out pretty well for me. In addition to this, it provides iOS and Android apps for mobile users.

Device Compatibility — All Major Mobile and Desktop Operating Systems

It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, and Ubuntu operating systems. At a time when most VPNs have hopped on to the routers and mobiles segment, Seedboxes.cc is lagging far behind.

Seedboxes.cc has no options for using VPN routers. Its Android and iOS apps haven’t been updated for almost five years now. Nevertheless, they have above-average ratings – 4.2 on the App Store and 3.5 on the Play Store.

The ‘version 1.1’ mentioned in its iOS app clearly tells us that mobile VPN is not on Seedboxes.cc’s priority list. That said, Seedboxes.cc’s apps have a simple and minimalistic UI that can be comprehended by most of its users. They offer additional value by showing the subscription status, disk space usage, invoices, and other personal information.