Perimeter 81 sells itself as a reliable, versatile, cloud-based VPN for business owners. I wanted to see if it lives up to its own claims so I took it for a test drive, and you can see all my findings below.
Bear in mind that Perimeter 81 is predominantly for business use rather than leisure, so you can’t stream or game with this VPN. If you want a reliable service that unblocks streaming platforms and gives you great speeds to watch and game without buffering, try one of my favorite VPNs instead.
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- Strong security Its cloud-based architecture means you don’t have to invest in additional hardware, and it has plenty of features for a business VPN.
- Tons of customization features You have complete control over your entire network, allowing you to group employees and give temporary access to contractors.
- Decent server network There are 700 servers in 16 countries, which is substantial for a business VPN. I also love that there are dedicated IPs in 8 countries.
- High price You’ll pay a minimum amount per user, but it becomes increasingly expensive as you add more features.
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Server Network — Small but Good Distribution
Perimeter 81 has 700 servers in 16 countries. Although this isn’t the largest network of servers by any stretch, I was impressed with its distribution.
If you have an international company, the global network ensures your employees or colleagues in different countries have nearby servers to connect to in your network. That way, you can all avoid any annoying latency issues.
The server locations are:
| Europe | Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK |
|---|---|
| South America | Argentina, Brazil, Mexico |
| North America | Canada, The US |
| Asia | Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Singapore, Thailand |
| Oceania | Australia, New Zealand |
| Africa | South Africa |
Perimeter 81 also has dedicated servers in 8 countries — USA, UK, Canada, Japan, Netherlands, France, India, and Singapore. This means that you can pay an extra fee and have a dedicated server address and static IP which is only used by you and authorized staff members.
Even though it’s quite a small network, I can recommend Perimeter 81 due to its location distribution and stable connections.
Security — Keeps Your Business Network Secure
Perimeter 81’s cloud VPN architecture means that you don’t have to invest in additional security hardware. This saves you money, and means that all of your staff are kept safe online each day so your business data can’t be compromised.
Encryption and Protocols
Perimeter 81 uses AES-256-CBC cipher, which is the highest level of encryption available and impossible to hack. It would take over a hundred years to decrypt your traffic. It’s also great against brute force attacks, as the keys are incredibly long.
For its protocols, the VPN uses WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2. WireGuard is my favorite choice thanks to its fast speeds. However, OpenVPN is the industry standard, so it’s still a great option — even though it’s a little slower than WireGuard, it’s usually pretty fast and keeps your connection secure. IKEv2 is great for mobile devices since it has good stability when switching from WiFi to mobile data.
IP, DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 Leaks
All of Perimeter 81’s servers I tested were fully secure. I ran each one through a leak detector tool and there were no IP, WebRTC, or DNS leaks detected on any of the servers I tried.
A DNS leak is when your VPN’s security fails and allows your ISP to see your internet activity. If there was a cyberattack during an IP and WebRTC leak, your real IP address would be revealed. This is something that could seriously compromise a business network.
There were no leaks in Perimeter 81’s servers, meaning that your data is protected.
Cloud VPN Architecture
Perimeter 81 runs on zero-trust architecture, which is meant to revolutionize the way businesses run their day-to-day operations by keeping all online traffic completely secure.
The architecture prevents the need for additional security hardware. All staff and contractors are allowed to use the network with restrictions that are pre-set by the company, preventing threats such as malware, phishing, and brute force attempts.
DNS Filtering
This feature allows you to limit the websites that your team members can visit. DNS filtering prevents risks from sites with dangerous scripts. It stops malware and phishing attempts, and ensures that nobody on your team can accidentally or purposefully engage in non-authorized activities while using the business network.
Device Posture Check
Device Posture Check gives you control over which devices can connect to your network — so you can give temporary access to contractors, for example.
All connecting devices must qualify as “secure” according to the standards you set. These rules can identify what level of anti-virus software is in use, disk encryption standards, Windows Registry Keys, and specific files, processes, and certificates.
Split Tunneling
Split tunneling lets you route some of your traffic through an encrypted VPN, leaving other applications or devices with direct access to the internet. This can be useful if you need to access local banking servers while connected to the VPN.
There are certain restrictions to Perimeter 81’s split tunneling in order to keep your networks as secure as possible. The service warns that there are limitations with some operating systems, and recommends specific subnet numbers depending on which protocol and OS you are using — so always check the specific recommendations before using the split tunneling feature.
Dedicated Servers and IP Addresses
Perimeter 81 offers you dedicated servers and IP addresses in 8 specific locations — the USA, UK, Canada, Japan, Netherlands, France, India, and Singapore. This means that your network is the only one that is connected to the allocated server, enhancing security and preventing overcrowding and connectivity issues.
User Management
This cloud-based VPN comes with management features that can be set in advance and apply to everyone who signs into the network. These include:
- 2-factor authentication — Choose how your staff sign in securely.
- Allocation of a specific VPN for specific employees — Keep certain activities confined to a private server with minimal access.
- Kill switch — If the VPN malfunctions for any reason, your connection is cut off immediately, ensuring the network is protected.
- User configuration profiles — Assign rules to all user emails that can restrict access, control website searches, and monitor data.
Because of these features, I can recommend Perimeter 81 for its security. It uses secure protocols and has features that are dedicated to keeping your IP protected, no matter who is accessing your business network.
Privacy — Standard Business VPN Policy
Perimeter 81 keeps some logs in order to comply with its zero-trust security policy. This is fairly standard for a business VPN, which must track and log user traffic to ensure its security is in full working order.
The following management actions are monitored:
- Invitations to and deletions of team members.
- Changes to team permissions.
- Creating new cloud-based access gateways and other actions carried out in the management portal.
All parties who are allowed onto your network will have the following activities tracked:
- Connection and login timestamps.
- Login successes and failures.
- Locations of all devices that are connected to the network.
- Hostnames and server information.
- Origin IP addresses will be logged when private access gateways are used.
It uses cookies and logs to track user data
This seems like a lot of data, but in order to adhere to its promised security regulations, Perimeter 81 has to keep more information than a personal-use VPN. Most of these checks are linked to monitoring of functionality (login failures and changes to permissions within teams, for example). But the logs of user devices and originating servers relate to the security steps that are offered within your subscription price.
The company is based in Israel, which isn’t technically part of the 5 Eyes Alliance. However, it does have close ties with countries that are — including the US and Australia. This means that, if the government makes a request to see your information, Perimeter 81 may be obligated to hand it over. The privacy policy also states that it has no issues handing over your data if there are requests related to police activity, bankruptcy, etc.
If you need a personal VPN that doesn’t store any logs, try one of these recommended choices.
Simultaneous Device Connections — Up to 10
Each staff member can have up to 10 devices connected to the network.
- Strong security Its cloud-based architecture means you don’t have to invest in additional hardware, and it has plenty of features for a business VPN.
- Tons of customization features You have complete control over your entire network, allowing you to group employees and give temporary access to contractors.
- Decent server network There are 700 servers in 16 countries, which is substantial for a business VPN. I also love that there are dedicated IPs in 8 countries.
- High price You’ll pay a minimum amount per user, but it becomes increasingly expensive as you add more features.
Final Verdict
Perimeter 81 is a great option for businesses with multiple staff using a shared network. It comes with outstanding security features, control over what your staff can access, and quality VPN servers for fast and secure tunnels.
The overall packages do work out quite expensive, but there is a lot included in the subscription plans. If you have a growing business you may find that Perimeter 81 has the solution to many of your network management concerns.
If you need a fast and reliable VPN with great streaming abilities for personal use, take a look at my top recommended VPNs instead.
- Strong security Its cloud-based architecture means you don’t have to invest in additional hardware, and it has plenty of features for a business VPN.
- Tons of customization features You have complete control over your entire network, allowing you to group employees and give temporary access to contractors.
- Decent server network There are 700 servers in 16 countries, which is substantial for a business VPN. I also love that there are dedicated IPs in 8 countries.
FAQs
What is Perimeter 81 used for?
Perimeter 81 is a cloud-based business VPN network, using zero-trust architecture. It allows you to pre-set your staff access and controls, comes with state-of-the-art security, and has multiple features to prevent cyberthreats such as malware, brute-force attacks, and trackers.
Is Perimeter 81 a VPN?
Yes, it is a business VPN. Perimeter 81 gives you access to secure servers across the globe, including dedicated locations and static IP addresses. You also run a management panel that allows you to invite staff to join a pre-configured network. This means that you have control over what staff can access online, preventing additional cyberthreats.
Is Perimeter 81 safe?
Perimeter 81 is extremely safe. It uses state-of-the-art encryption and protocols, but it also allows additional controls over what can be accessed on your business network. Access is only granted to specific users and particular devices that adhere to pre-set conditions. This way, you don’t have to worry about malware or malicious scripts being introduced.