When you need privacy and security for your data, there are few options better than obtaining a Virtual Private Network, which is a tool originally developed for businesses, so that workers could access work data from home that has taken on a consumer application due to its effectiveness and versatility of use.
What is a VPN?
A VPN works by creating a secure connection from your computer,essentially a safe tunnel for your data to travel through, to a secure offsite server that you have the address and password for. This server will then do your browsing and data collecting for you and then send it back your way over the encrypted connection. The nature of this means that no one can see what you are connected to other than a VPN and no one can see the data traveling in the connection.
As a general rule, any VPN is better than no VPN, but not all services and products are equal, and Virtual Private Networks are no different. Before you place your safety into the hands of a service, you will want to shop around a little bit first and read up on what your options are. Luckily,specialized reviews help you determine which features are most important for you.
What Are the Main Uses of a VPN?
A Virtual Private Network is primarily meant for security and privacy. The security usually comes from the encrypted connection, and the privacy comes from the fact that you are using a secure connection and your IP is untraceable. For this reason, they are great when you travel or commute and have to use a lot of unsecure public networks. Perhaps the most common use of a VPN is to safely use these networks.
Additionally, if you torrent or download a lot of material, your privacy is extremely important, so that no one snoops around your internet usage. In fact, some VPNs are especially useful for keeping you hidden while torrenting, so if you do quite a bit of it, you might want to invest in one of them.
You might also want to take into consideration how much you travel, and see how many different countries the service has servers in when you look at a VPN. The reasoning for this is that a VPN, due to the fact that it will seem as though you are in another country if you so choose, can get around regional restrictions and government censorship. This means that you can watch Netflix without having to worry about your region and that you can visit any website you want in China. Look at the statistics of the VPN you are researching and see if there are any problems with this.
There are even people who report that by using the country settings on their VPN and being savvy about markets that they can get cheaper airfare and travel expenses reduced, effectively making the VPN pay for itself pretty easily. With the correct applications, the right VPN, and a clever mind, the sky is the limit with what you can do with a VPN.
What You Want to Look For
Other than the major uses of a VPN, there may be other factors you want to consider depending on your personal preferences.
One is price. While some Virtual Private Networks claim to be free and are, they simply do not have the maintenance, security, and versatility that a paid service will offer you. Some will claim they are cheaper than others, but at the monthly cost VPNs have (which is normally rather low), you’re better off focusing on the features of the VPN. That all being said, only you know what you can afford and what you are willing to give up.
You might also want to know how a VPN interacts with your browser, such as Google Chrome. Others might wonder which VPN works best with their particular operating system. Some may have special needs based on the country they are in (with extra focus on getting around government censorship). Even more might want to check how fast the VPN is because some of the cheaper and lower-quality VPNs are known to slow down your internet speed.
Finally, you might want to see how many devices you are allowed to use the VPN on. Some services offer a blanket statement saying you can use it on all of your devices, but others limit the number of devices you can install the application on, thus increasing your overall expense to protect all of your devices. Thank you for reading, and I hope you are better able to find a VPN service to satisfy your privacy and security needs.