A virtual private network or virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your personal data and hides your real IP address on a public network. It is one of the most common solutions to protect privacy and security on the Internet.
In addition to its privacy and security benefits, a VPN allows you to access more content on the Internet. With it, you can change your virtual location and bypass geo-blocked web pages.
In this article, we will talk about what a VPN is, how it works, and why you should use it. We will also show you how to use a VPN and offer you alternatives.
doWhat is a VPN?
VPN is a type of network that mimics a private network on a public Internet connection. Establish a secure connection by hiding your IP address and encrypting your Internet traffic. VPN connections also allow you to access geo-restricted content.
How does a VPN work?
When you connect to the Internet without a virtual private network, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is the main intermediary between your device and the Internet. Your ISP assigns a unique IP address to your device and tracks all the websites you visit.
Instead, when a VPN connection is activated, all web requests travel through an encrypted tunnel and are routed through a VPN server before reaching the destination server.
After a request is processed, data sent back to the device goes through the same encrypted VPN connection and routing process.
When using a VPN, your device’s Internet connection still goes through your Internet provider. However, since it is encrypted and routed through a VPN server, your internet provider will no longer see the websites you visit. It only knows that you are connected to a VPN and that the encrypted traffic travels from your device to a server.
To better understand how a virtual private network works, take a look at some of the key processes a VPN performs and its benefits:
- Proxying. Like a proxy, a VPN hides your IP address and location to increase your anonymity online. The websites you visit only see the IP address and location of the VPN server.
- Authentication. The authentication process ensures that your VPN client only interacts with the VPN server you want to connect to. This prevents other third parties from intercepting your data.
- Tunneling. A VPN connection activates an encrypted tunnel for Internet traffic. This process encapsulates each data packet within another data packet, making it difficult for malicious people to read.
- Encryption. Many websites that use SSL o TLS encrypt the data that is exchanged between your device and the destination server. However, this encryption is limited to the websites you visit. Meanwhile, a VPN tunnel encrypts all traffic. Many VPN providers use military-grade encryption, which is almost impossible for third parties to read.
These processes work together to protect your data from your Internet Service Provider and other third parties who want to intercept your data.
The following are the personal data that VPN technology can hide when activated:
- IP adress. The is the unique identifier of a device. It allows you to infer sensitive information such as your internet service provider, country, city or even your home address. A VPN hides your IP address with its own.
- Location. Because virtual private networks hide your real IP address, it can appear that you are browsing from a different location. For example, if you are in Mexico but connect to a VPN server in Spain, other users will think that your location is Spain.
- Search and browsing history. Since your Internet connection travels through an encrypted VPN tunnel, your ISP or malicious third parties will not know what you search and explore online. This helps prevent targeted ads and protects your privacy on the Internet in general.
Types of VPNs
There are various types of VPNs that are used for different purposes. Let’s look at four of the most common: personal, remote access, site-to-site, and mobile VPN.
Personal VPN
Also called consumer or business VPN, Personal VPN connects its users to the public Internet through an encrypted connection through a VPN server. Its main purpose is to protect online privacy and bypass geo-blocking.
Being intended for business use, personal VPNs are easy to set up on different devices such as computers, laptops, gaming consoles, and mobile devices. Some examples of personal VPN services are NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark.
remote access vpn
A remote access VPN allows users to connect to a private or local network. This type of VPN is typically used by employees to securely connect to their company’s office network and access their data and resources.
Remote access VPNs are beneficial for remote workers and employees who work from home. With a remote access VPN, they can access their work files as if they were physically in the office. Its encryption is also crucial to protect sensitive company data when using public Wi-Fi hotspots.
mobile vpn
Like a remote access VPN, a mobile VPN is often used by employees to connect to their company’s business network remotely.
The main difference is that a mobile VPN stays connected even if the user changes their network connection or loses their connectivity. For this reason, mobile VPNs are recommended for highly mobile users or people with unstable internet connections.
site-to-site vpn
This type of VPN merges two networks in different places. For example, if a company has two offices in Europe and Asia, a site-to-site VPN can merge the company’s two private networks.
Many global companies use a combination of site-to-site VPNs and remote access VPNs. Site-to-site VPN merges all of the company’s private networks around the world, while remote access VPN allows employees to access all of those networks at once.
Why should you use a VPN service?
Now that you have learned what a VPN is and how it works, you may be wondering why you should use it. If you care about your privacy, security, and freedom on the web, a virtual private network is an excellent tool. Let’s delve into the subject to find out why.
Privacy
A VPN encrypts your network traffic and routes your Internet connection through a remote server. It allows you to hide online data such as your IP address, location, search and browsing history, and downloads. As a result, your Internet service provider, the websites you visit, and other third parties will not be able to read them.
Security
Unfortunately, the Internet is rife with threats to the security of websites and users. VPN encryption and IP address hiding can add a layer of security to a person’s online activity.
If you browse the Internet using an unreliable connection, such as a public Wi-Fi network, the risk of falling victim to a cyber attack is high. Connecting to a VPN server will encrypt your Internet connection and hide your IP on those insecure networks.
For remote workers, the use of a VPN is not only necessary to access company files. It also keeps sensitive company data safe from being read or stolen by third parties with malicious intent.
Freedom
A VPN can change the virtual location of users. This feature gives VPN users the freedom to access blocked content in their region.
For example, a TV show you want to watch on Netflix may only be available in a specific location, or a social media site may be censored by your country. By changing your location to a different country with a VPN, you will be able to access geo-blocked content.
VPN connections can also bypass data and bandwidth throttling by Internet service providers. Many Internet service providers limit the bandwidth available for a number of resource-intensive online services, such as streaming sites or peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. A VPN can prevent this, allowing you to make the most of your internet connection at all times.
Some e-commerce stores and ticketing sites display different prices for their customers based on their location, buying habits, or assumptions about their socioeconomic status. A VPN can prevent this and help you get the best price for your online purchases.
Considering the above advantages, we recommend that you connect to a VPN when you do the following activities:
- Use an unsecured Wi-Fi network. You should use a VPN while connected to a public network, such as free Wi-Fi. A VPN prevents the network administrator and cybercriminals on the network from reading and stealing your data.
- To travel. A VPN allows you to receive your regular local content even when traveling to another country.
- View streaming content. Viewing video content from streaming services while connected to a VPN can bypass ISP throttling. It also allows you to access movies and TV shows available in different regions.
- Play online. Some games restrict their features to specific regions only. Using a VPN unlocks these features.
- Perform downloads. Without a VPN, your downloads are visible to your internet service provider. If you participate in P2P file sharing, unknown people will be able to see your IP address. By using a VPN when downloading, you can bypass these privacy issues.
- To buy. With a VPN, you can avoid price discrimination and get the best deal for your purchases.
How to use a VPN
Before learning how to use a VPN network, it is important to know which service provider to choose.
As a general rule, most free VPN services are not recommended. Free VPNs often collect logs of your online activity or contain malware. Knowing these risks, using a free service may defeat the purpose of using a VPN in the first place.
We recommend using a quality VPN service like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark. A good VPN service keeps your connection fast, doesn’t store logs of your online activity, and has many global server locations. On average, a VPN service costs between 5 and 10 dollars a month.
Many VPN services are easy to set up and use. With VPN client software available on a wide range of computers and mobile devices, you’ll be able to stay private, secure, and free on the web no matter what device you use.
Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to install and use a VPN service:
- Choose a VPN provider…
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