Yes, I’ve always used UDP as well. Although there’s no built in error correction, it’s faster and delivers data in sequence. You should really always use it if you stream a lot of video.
I think there is confusion here.
In terms of raw protocols there is no speed difference between UDP (user datagram protocol) and TCP (transmission control protocol), as @hairbear says UDP just delivers packets, if it can - it doesn’t do anything about lost packets, errors within packets, nor (sorry hairbear) getting the packets to the destination in the order they were sent.
In fact about the only promise UDP makes is that if you send individual packets of 10, 200 and 300 bytes they will arrive as packets of 10, 200 and 300 bytes and won’t get glued into a single packet of 510 bytes somewhere along the route.
TCP includes sequencing and error correction, the protocol itself will deal with re-transmitting dropped packets along the way and there is built-in congestion control to try to match the transmission speed to the end-to-end link speed.
One thing TCP does not promise is that it will preserve message boundaries so, in the example above all 510 bytes could arrive together.
All of which makes TCP a less than ideal for things like voice - if a voice data packet is lost it is better to forget about it and insert silence into the output for a few milliseconds, if it is only the occasional loss the user won’t even notice. The same is true of video.
It also means that TCP is not (in theory anyway) the best choice for the tunnel itself, as the congestion control inherent in the tunnel’s TCP connection can “fight” the congestion control of the streams within the tunnel. Some VPN’s might offer transport over UDP as a result. Something like MSPPTP (or anything PPP based) is inherently a datagram protocol anyway.
In practice I have happily run video streams through TCP-in-TCP tunnels and all sorts of other things which “shouldn’t” work, but often do so well enough in reality.
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Yes, your correct that UDP doesn’t guarantee packet order. No need to be sorry 
. Of course TCP does guarantee that you can reconstruct the data in order, even if they are delivered out of order. Just got it the wrong way round 
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Have taken the plunge and subscribed to NordVPN Basic for 30 days and BBC iPlayer is mine! Just finished watching Detectorists Episode 1.
But a couple of times I had no connection and was informed by BBC I can’t watch because I’m not in the UK. Fiddled about with it, got connected again, but not sure how.
Will I be plagued by occasional or many refusals to connect?
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iPlayer is getting savvy about VPN access from abroad.
Helps to make sure you’re not holding cookies from rejected access, then switch the date and time on your device to London time.
If you get another message from BBC refusing access, simply refresh to a new Nord server and try again.
I access iPlayer, Channel 4 and ITV like this.
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Yes, I’ve noticed that when using my laptop to watch iPlayer. If my VPN isn’t running then I have to delete the BBC cookie before enabling my VPN and trying again.
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Ok, thank you. I’ll see if my patience can cope, but maybe it’d be better to hone my patience and be rewarded! Will see how the 30 days go…
I hope you like it. Nord is a Godsend for me. I also have their NordPass for passwords. I can highly recommend 
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Just learned to find and delete specific cookies. BBC cookies. Done!
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For us this happens when, despite having fibre, the bandwidth flugters
If your Nord subscription offers Smart DNS (I think they all do) then you don’t get involved in swapping servers. It’s easy to set up & once done you can forget about it.
There are easy instructions on how to set it up out there on t’interweb.
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I am surprised to see no mention of Proton VPN. They are the only VPN that guarantees your data will be kept private. Nord, Express and several others are all part of the same ownership group and sell whatever of your information and viewing habits they can.
Where do you get that Nord sells your data?
30 seconds on Google will tell you that this is incorrect.
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My bad, it was Express that owned the other VPNs. However Nord has its own issues and I will note that Proton is not mentioned in any of these.
NordVPN controversies include a 2018 server breach that was disclosed late, allegations of deceptive subscription practices, and user complaints about customer service and billing issues. While the 2018 breach did not expose user data, it led to criticism regarding the company’s handling and disclosure of the incident. More recent controversies involve a class-action lawsuit over automatic renewals and a perception that the company’s “offshore” setup is misleading.
2018 server breach
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An attacker gained root access to a third-party data center server in Finland and compromised an expired TLS key.
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No user credentials or logs were accessed, and the breach was not targeted at NordVPN specifically, but at the data center’s vulnerabilities.
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NordVPN faced backlash for not being immediately aware of the breach and for a delayed disclosure, which occurred over a year after the incident was resolved.
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In response, the company enhanced its security measures and implemented more stringent internal audits.
Subscription and billing issues
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A class-action lawsuit was filed in 2024 alleging that NordVPN uses deceptive practices related to its auto-renewing subscriptions.
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The lawsuit claims the company doesn’t adequately warn users that their subscriptions will automatically renew, which is often at a higher price.
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Users have reported difficulties canceling subscriptions and issues with unexpected charges, which are frequently linked to the automatic renewal policy.
Jurisdictional and transparency concerns
- Some users have expressed skepticism about NordVPN’s claim of being based in Panama, pointing to its parent company’s ties to Lithuania and questioning the company’s commitment to privacy, especially since Lithuania has strict data retention laws.
Here is a deep dive into who owns the various VPNs:
Who Owns Express VPN, Nord, Surfshark? VPN Relationships Explained.
Also, from Google:
Paid VPNs that have logged user data
While less common among respected, paid VPNs, some services have been exposed for violating their own privacy policies.
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Private Internet Access (PIA): While it has defended its no-logging policy in court, PIA was acquired by Kape Technologies in 2019. This acquisition raised concerns among some users, as Kape also owns CyberGhost and ExpressVPN.
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ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark: A 2025 analysis found these three paid services, among others, using third-party marketing software like AppsFlyer in their mobile apps. They collect some anonymized device information, though you can often opt out in the app’s settings.
Mullvad don’t even collect your data so there is nothing of yours that they have that needs to be kept private. 
That’s all true. I’ve had battles with them.
I’ve always considered VPN companies as dodgy. I think NordVPN are a bunch of shits, but maybe the least shitty of the bunch of VPN shits around at the moment.
As users who are really only trying to circumvent geographic licensing via VPNs it’s difficult to take the moral high ground 
If NordVPM wants to siphon off my Only Fools and Horses (I hate it really) stream, they’re welcome.
Is there end to end encryption in Outlook, iCloud mail, whatever? No I guess not.
Think it tirned out Nordvpn are based in Panama when I had my run in with them. Historically Panama location is a bit of a red flag for enforcing stuff
The servers for the VPN are in Panama but it is a Dutch company.