Can You Use NordVPN With Vuze in 2024?

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Yes, you can use NordVPN with Vuze.

This is because NordVPN provides a Socks5 proxy and allows torrenting, which is a requirement for the Vuze client to download files.

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ISPs target users they identify as torrenting or downloading copyrighted material, so if you care about your privacy, it’s essential to use a provider like NordVPN to hide your online identity.

If you’re looking for a VPN that offers different features to NordVPN, you’ll find a list of my recommended alternatives further down in this article.

How to Set Up and Use NordVPN With Vuze?

Whether you’re only just beginning to use Vuze or you’re ready to take back your privacy, the following steps detail how to protect yourself with NordVPN while using Vuze:

  1. Sign up for a NordVPN subscription here.
  2. Download and install NordVPN for your chosen device.
  3. Run NordVPN, and, when prompted, enter your NordVPN login credentials to log in (usually your email address and a password you set yourself).
  4. Click “Quick connect” or select a server of your choice.
  5. You should see a screen similar to the below, which shows you are now connected.
nordvpn connected to uk server
  1. You can check your connection by heading to https://nordvpn.com/ and checking the header banner says “Protected”.
nordvpn site protected status
  1. You can now open Vuze, connect to a torrent or magnet link without fear of your IP address being visible to your ISP.

What Is Vuze Interface Binding, and How Do I Enable It?

One of the great added security benefits of Vuze is its interface binding option.

Interface binding works similar to an internet kill switch which is included with nordVPN.

Essentially, enabling interface binding will force Vuze to use your VPN, and if that connection fails, the connection to Vuze is cut temporarily.

Please follow the steps below to enable Vuze interface binding (these steps are based on a Windows 10 setup, so may differ for other platforms):

  1. Connect to NordVPN by clicking “Quick Connect” or by selecting a country of your choice.
  2. Right-click the local area connection icon at the bottom-right of your taskbar and select “Open network and internet settings.”
  3. Select “Change adapter settings” and find your active connection. On my system, this was Tap NordVPN Windows Adapter.
windows adapter settings
  1. Open Vuze and head to Menu > Tools > Options > Connection > Advanced Network Settings. Look through the list of entries and find the option that closely matches the name of your connection. Eth8 was the name of mine, but yours may be different.
  2. Type ““Bind to local IP address or interface” in the search box before clicking save.
  3. A routing icon will now appear either green or red in the interface box. If you see the below, then you are up and running.
routing icon

If you see a red icon, you may need to correctly enter your connection details.

NordVPN Alternatives That Support Vuze

If you’re searching for a VPN with different pricing and features to NordVPN, which also works with Vuze, I’ve listed my top recommendations below.

  • ExpressVPN is a pricier VPN provider, but it comes with advanced privacy features such as VPN split-tunneling, a private DNS, and operates a no-logs policy.
  • Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous connections so that you can use Vuze on multiple devices at once. It has a great range of server locations and incredible all-around connection speeds.
  • CyberGhost allows torrenting and provides dedicated torrenting servers which are optimized to provide the best quality Vuze experience. In addition, you can look forward to military-grade encryption and a zero-logs policy.

FAQ

No, Vuze is not illegal as a standalone BitTorrent client.

However, the moment you begin opening magnet links and torrent files from the platform, that is the point that using Vuze becomes illegal.

You could use Vuze’s built-in media player to play movies, TV shows, and music that you already own, but if you want to begin torrenting, I’d recommend using a VPN.

How to Resolve Vuze NordVPN Connect Timeout Error?

There have been reports of users attempting to connect to Vuze with NordVPN who experience a connection timeout.

This error has been known to appear as a result of a break in the Socks5 handshake between Vuze and NordVPN, and you can try the following steps to resolve the issue:

Restart Vuze

Although it sounds pretty basic, simply restarting the Vuze application can prevent connection timeouts while using Vuze and NordVPN.

Instead of just closing the software, please open the task manager and force Vuze to close if you see an entry listed.

Disconnect and Reconnect NordVPN

I’d advise you to first check that you have an active internet connection i.e. you’re able to access a web page when connected to NordVPN.

If you can, but you receive a Vuze timeout error, please disconnect NordVPN and reconnect to the same server.

Alternatively, select a different server location to see if this helps.

Uninstall Vuze

Try uninstalling the Vuze application from your PC.

Reinstall the application and then check if the issue is resolved.

Check Vuze Is up to Date

If Vuze is not running the latest version, please head to the Vuze website to check for an updated version of the client.

If you still have issues accessing Vuze with NordVPN, please contact Vuze support.

What Makes NordVPN Suitable For Vuze?

NordVPN is great for use with Vuze because it hides your IP address and allows torrenting over its VPN connection.

I’ve taken a deeper dive into what these features mean and why they are essential below.

Hides Your IP address

NordVPN uses modern 256-bit encryption to hide your IP address from your ISP and any other prying eyes.

That means while using the Vuze client to download potentially copyrighted material, your ISP cannot identify the user downloading the file.

The copyright owner also uses scanners and tracking technology to alert them when a user downloads a torrent containing pirated content such as movies, software, or music.

Without NordVPN, the copyright owner would be able to trace back the download to you as Vuze broadcasts your IP address when you begin a download.

vuze torrent

Allows Torrenting

Many VPN providers strictly prohibit the use of torrenting as it is often associated with downloading content illegally.

Because Vuze relies on p2p torrenting to commence a download, NordVPN is one of a handful of providers that offers Socks5 proxy servers to run effectively with Vuze.

Torrenting also requires large amounts of bandwidth compared to other types of traffic, and if you were using a direct connection (without VPN) to download torrents, your ISP would throttle your connection.

If they did this, your connection speeds would be reduced.

Fortunately, NordVPN uses obfuscation techniques to scramble your traffic, making it much harder for your ISP to identify what is passing through your connection.

Zero Logs Policy

NordVPN runs its operations from Panama and adheres to a zero-logs policy.

This means that your online activity is never tracked or stored anywhere, so your use of Vuze, however you intend to use it, remains anonymous.

Additionally, operating from Panama means NordVPN is outside the jurisdiction of the Five Eyes Alliance.

So, even if NordVPN did somehow have some logs of yours stored, they would not be obliged to hand them to local authorities if they requested them.

Conclusion

To avoid being prosecuted by local authorities due to downloading torrents of copyrighted content via Vuze, you need to hide your online identity.

NordVPN does a great job of protecting your privacy while using Vuze to download files over the BitTorrent network.

If you are considering another VPN option with alternative features to NordVPN, my top recommendations would be to use ExpressVPN for its advanced safety and privacy features or Surfshark because of its unlimited device usage and affordable subscription options.

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