Central Shows Bitdefender VPN Installed On 4 Devices, But I Can Only See 1. Any Help?

trapper
trapper ✭✭✭
edited December 2022 in VPN

HI.

Apart from the problem with D.I.P and false notifications I also find that on my Central Dashboard it shows as installed on 4 devices but I can only see it as installed on a laptop I very rarely use. In fact I do not remember ever installing it. My dashboard shows VPN on 3 mobile android phones but the VPN does not show up on the actual devices on the dashboard.

Is it that VPN is installed but does not show on the devices in my dashboard?

Apologies if my description is confusing.

I have 3 mobile devices and a laptop all 4 are noted as individual devices on the my dashboard screen when I select My Devices from the menu.

If I select My Devices then the 3 mobiles then 'View Details' link for each it then shows that VPN is NOT installed on any of them.

Best Answers

  • Alexandru_BD
    Alexandru_BD admin
    edited December 2022 Answer ✓

    Hello @trapper,

    Don't worry about anything, we're here to help and I will do my best to achieve that. Here's a breakdown of your above comment to make it easier to follow:

    1. I see my New A40 is 'Protected', is this protection the basic VPN? I have downloaded to the same phone the VPN app from Google Play but is this the 'Standalone' Premium VPN at a normal cost of around £60 a year? However I know there is an offer on the first year. - The Protected status referrs to antivirus protection and not the VPN. The paid VPN version is the Premium one, that offers unlimited traffic and the option to choose between the available servers. Bitdefender VPN has servers in 53 countries around the globe and the basic version included in your antivirus will connect you automatically to the optimal server, without the possibility of choosing the location. The standalone app will work with both basic and Premium VPN and we will eventually migrate to the app at some point, meaning that the VPN will become available only through the standalone app. The Premium VPN does come at a discounted price for the first year of subscription, however, you can also benefit from the available offers at the time of your renewal, thus you won't necessary have to pay the full list price, in the event the automatic renewal feature of the subscription is disabled.
    2. I have opened my OLD A40 phone but that does not have VPN shown as any version on the phone app lcons, so I am not sure if I can access even the basic VPN that as you mention is part of the Family Pack. As said above I have downloaded the app from Google Play but I need to 'subscribe' do I not have the basic version installed? Would seem not. As you state above ".......VPN is available, as the standard version is included by default in your Bitdefender product" - If you download the standalone VPN app and login on that mobile device using your Central account credentials (where the Family Pack is active), what happens next, what do you see?
    3. Please do not think I am being intentionally difficult, I just want to understand exactly what I have in the Family Pack and what the limitations are, Basic versions of whats included and/or how they compare to Premium versions sold as addons? - See point 1. The standard version is included by default in your Bitdefender product on Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS. It offers 200 MB daily traffic per device and automatically connects you to the optimal server, without having the possibility to change it. You can purchase the Premium VPN subscription as an addon to get unlimited traffic and the option to connect to any available server. The benefits of the Premium version will get unlocked once you activate the subscription (redeem the code received in Central, following the purchase).
    4. I note on my PC there is an Icon with Bitdefender VPN this link also goes to the standalone app which requires purchasing, and there is no mention I can find of a basic VPN on my system. The only reference is under Privacy on my dashboard. - Once the standalone VPN app is downloaded, simply click on the sign in option and enter your Central account credentials as described at point 2. On the Central Dashboard, you will have the VPN informative details and user guide under Privacy, but there should also be a VPN shortcut on your PC desktop, as the VPN is installed alongside the security solution. If it's not displayed on your desktop, simply type in Bitdefender VPN in the search bar to look for it:

    If the VPN is installed on your Windows PC, it will come up here.

    Bottom line is, it is not mandatory to purchase the Premium VPN subscription to use the standalone app and if you do not require more than 200mb/device on a daily basis (meaning that the basic VPN is not ideal for streaming purposes), you can stick to the basic version.

    Let us know how it goes. If you are encountering difficulties setting this up, you can also get in touch with the Support representatives and they can guide you through the process over the phone, if necessary. Simply use this link to reach them:

    https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/help/

    Regards

    Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user

  • trapper
    trapper ✭✭✭
    Answer ✓

    Thanks once again, that explanation makes it much clearer 😀.

    I have no idea what 200mb equates to, we use the mobiles for mainly checking emails, a quick check every 30 mins or so and the odd forum post. The majority of use is on this PC and my wife's PC, the above use plus web-browsing and the occasional game on Steam which I am sure would go well over 200mb of data. If I knew how much I was using it be very helpful! A bit like having a fuel gauge on your car that did not work so that you do not know how much you have used or how far you can go.

    I will mark this down as a 'Yes' and cannot thank you enough for your extended and helpful replies to my problems.

    Very best regards.

Answers

  • Flexx
    Flexx DEFENDER OF THE YEAR 2023 / DEFENDER OF THE MONTH ✭✭✭✭✭ mod

    Life happens, Coffee helps!

    Show your Attitude, when you reach that Altitude!

    Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus (user)

  • Hello @trapper,

    First, check if the VPN is installed on all devices. If installed, there should be a separate icon for the VPN shortcut on the desktop:

    You currently have the basic VPN included in your Family Pack subscription.

    "My dashboard shows VPN on 3 mobile android phones but the VPN does not show up on the actual devices on the dashboard." - Can you post a screenshot displaying this, so we can get a better understanding of what's happening there? Are you referring to the below screen? (taken from my account)

    Regards

    Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user

  • Thanks for the reply, I am finding this rather confusing so will attempt to upload the screenshots as requested. On one you will see the 3 android phones all showing with (VPN) as installed the second screenshot shows the android phones with VPN Not installed.

    Is it that VPN is on these android phones but not activated? Hence installed but active?

    The same applies to all 3 android phones, Dashboard states installed, actual phone states Not installed.


  • Alexandru_BD
    Alexandru_BD admin
    edited December 2022

    Hi @trapper,

    OK, let's see if we can sort this out. The first screenshot displays the devices on which VPN is available, as the standard version is included by default in your Bitdefender product on Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS.

    The second screenshot displays the security status of the Android devices and if they are "at risk", this means that the Web protection is not active on them. If you activate Web protection on each device, their status will change to "Protected", as shown for the New A40 device.

    Should you wish to use a VPN connection on the Android devices, I recommend downloading the standalone VPN app, for easier management. You can get it from the Google Play Store free of charge. Normally, after downloading the app on each device and logging in using your account credentials, this should be reflected in Central as well.

    This is how my iPhone is displayed in Central and I have both the Mobile Security and the VPN apps installed on my device:

    Regards

    Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user

  • Thanks for your continued help, you must be getting fed up with me, I reckon I would!

    I see my New A40 is 'Protected', is this protection the basic VPN? I have downloaded to the same phone the VPN app from Google Play but is this the 'Standalone' Premium VPN at a normal cost of around £60 a year? However I know there is an offer on the first year.

    I have opened my OLD A40 phone but that does not have VPN shown as any version on the phone app lcons, so I am not sure if I can access even the basic VPN that as you mention is part of the Family Pack. As said above I have downloaded the app from Google Play but I need to 'subscribe' do I not have the basic version installed? Would seem not. As you state above ".......VPN is available, as the standard version is included by default in your Bitdefender product"

    Please do not think I am being intentionally difficult, I just want to understand exactly what I have in the Family Pack and what the limitations are, Basic versions of whats included and/or how they compare to Premium versions sold as addons?

    I note on my PC there is an Icon with Bitdefender VPN this link also goes to the standalone app which requires purchasing, and there is no mention I can find of a basic VPN on my system. The only reference is under Privacy on my dashboard.