Chances are, you already know what a VPN is and what it’s for. Overall, they provide an extra layer of privacy and anonymity, so you can:
- Hide your online activity and location so you don’t get tracked.
- Overcome censorship on the Internet and freely view the sites blocked by the provider.
- Use a torrent or download blocked files without speed limit.
- Unblock streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and others.
A Brief History
Just a few years ago, virtual private networks were almost exclusively used by businesses to allow employees to connect to the corporate network while working remotely.
However, after the Edward Snowden revelations in 2013, when it was discovered that government agencies around the world were actually monitoring how their citizens were using the internet. After this incident, people began to seriously think about their privacy on the network.
This, as well as the policy of providers using geo-blocking to stop access from certain countries, has led to a rapid increase in the popularity of VPNs.
If you have never used a VPN before or would like to learn a little more about how it works or want to get more knowledge before subscribing, then you will find the necessary information in this material.
Definition
VPN is an acronym for Virtual Private Network. To explain how it works, let’s first look at how we usually connect to the internet.
When you connect to the Internet, your device (laptop or mobile phone) connects to the router via Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable. The router is connected to a modem, which in turn connects to the Internet through your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Your device sends small clusters of information, called data packets, over connections. These, in turn, contain instructions on what you want the internet to “do.” For example, opens the site of your choice or autofill a data form.
The website then responds by sending you data packets that show the website and any required content or details.
These data packets can provide your ISP and websites with a lot of information about you, such as:
- Your exact location based on your IP address.
- Which web pages do you visit previously.
- Any information you enter on websites that are not secured by HTTPS.
This information can be used to track your interests or the place from which you access the network, as well as to restrict access to the content you need.
A VPN creates a secure path between your device and the network. This means that all those data packets mentioned earlier are encrypted and sent through your ISP to a remote server owned by the VPN company, where they are decrypted and sent back.
The main differences between the VPN connection
- All information is encrypted at the starting point (the device you are using) and decrypted after reaching the server controlled by the VPN company.
- Your real IP address is masked by the IP address of the VPN server.
- Your ISP can’t see which websites you visit.
- Using a VPN can slow down the speed of the Internet due to the time it takes to encrypt and decrypt data, and also depends on the speed of the server.
However, one of the most popular ways to use a VPN is to change your visible location. You can get the IP address of the server, which is located anywhere in the world.
Setup and Use
Using a VPN is easy. Most of the leading service providers have created products that are easy to set up and use.
Signing up with a VPN provider is usually straightforward, and many of them allow payment via cryptocurrency and only require an email address for people who want an extra layer of anonymity.
The exact steps vary between services, but usually look something like this:
- Choosing a quality service is probably the most important step. Some VPNs promise a lot but don’t live up to their commitments.
- Register in the service. Many offer a free trial, or at least a money-back guarantee, so you won’t lose anything if you find yourself just not using it.
- Download the software and install it. Many services have different applications for each device.
- Open the VPN software and log in.
- Select the server or country you want to connect to.
- Make sure it works correctly by going to the https://www.iplocation.net/find-ip-address and checking that it shows the correct country for the server you selected.
- Enjoy private internet without borders.
What devices will the VPN work with?
Most popular providers have VPN app for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, so you can just download what you need and connect within minutes.
Many companies also have apps, or at least detailed setup guides, for other devices like smart TVs, game consoles, and even tablets. Not every device that can connect to the internet can have a VPN installed, but there’s an option to run it on a router (again, not on any of them).
There are many reasons to choose a paid VPN rather than a free one. One of them is the software provided by the service. Up-to-date software is crucial in the cybersecurity world as fixed vulnerabilities will be updated in your client.
Popular Misconceptions
Most importantly: don’t believe anyone who says a VPN provides 100% anonymity. But beyond that, there are a few other misconceptions worth mentioning.
Misconception 1: You need to use a VPN when connecting to your bank
No reputable bank in the world allows unsecured connections. You can verify this by simply visiting your bank’s website and checking that the address starts with https://, not http://. s – this letter is the designation of a secure connection. Similar to how a VPN creates a tunnel between your device and a server, a secure website uses an encrypted tunnel to protect your data from being tracked.
Misconception 2: Using a VPN will protect you from viruses and other malware.
VPNs don’t protect you from viruses or other malware. It encrypts the data you send and receive over the internet and allows you to choose your IP address. This has nothing to do with malware protection.
Windows is equipped with protection against malware, but it is better to additionally use an antivirus. In addition, we must not forget about the firewall.
On Windows and Mac OS, they are preinstalled, but may be inactive. Just check your settings.
Misconception 3: VPN prevents you from being tracked online
Tracking users is a large-scale business. Facebook ads are built on tracking, just like Google ads. Many people believe that a VPN will stop this process, but they are mistaken. Marketing trackers continue their work.
When to Use a VPN
You should always use a VPN if you need to connect to an unreliable Wi-Fi network, such as at a coffee shop or airport. The reason is that you just don’t know if someone is tracking the network.
If you’re using open Wi-Fi without a password, anyone connected to it can intercept your data packets and track your activity. Most websites nowadays use TLS to encrypt the data transmitted between your device and the website, but not all, and anyone will still be able to see which websites you visit.
Secondly, a VPN provides access to content that is blocked in your country and is illegal in it.
Will the internet run slower with a VPN?
It depends on the specific VPN service.
Some of the best services have a barely noticeable drop in speed, while others make using the internet time-consuming and slow. There are two things that can slow down your internet when using a VPN.
The first is encryption. Encrypting and decrypting all data transferred between your device and the server requires constant calculations in addition to everything that usually happens when connecting.
Another point that can affect speed is the quality, configuration, and distance to the server you’re connecting to, as well as the number of other people who are connected to it. The maximum data rate is limited by the weakest hardware and available bandwidth.
In most cases, the loss of speed is almost imperceptible if you use the services of a reliable provider that properly maintains its services.
Free and paid VPNs
In almost all cases, a paid VPN service is superior to a free one. One of the main reasons for this is that running VPN servers, developing secure apps, and updating them costs money.
So, if the service is free, you should wonder who pays for its work and what they get in return.
As the famous phrase goes, “If you don’t pay for it, you’re not a customer; you are the product being sold.”
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