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What is a VPN and why do I need it?

What is a VPN and why do I need it?

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It seems like we spend most of our lives online these days, sharing more personal information than ever before. To make sure our online activity is as safe and secure as possible, many people prefer to use a VPN when online, at home, at work, and on public Wi-Fi.

What is a VPN?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. In simpler terms, a VPN creates a private network connection that you can access on your computer, laptop, or mobile device. As the name suggests, they make internet access more private, which makes sharing information online more secure.

What is a VPN connection

A VPN connection consists of a network of servers located in locations anywhere in the world that are managed by a VPN provider. When a VPN connection is established, all traffic to and from your device is encrypted and then passes through an intermediary server in the location of your choice.

How does a VPN work?

A VPN works by connecting you to a group of servers in a process known as tunneling. These servers act as a “virtual home” on the Internet, meaning transferring your online experience to a more secure network on the Internet.

As you explore the Internet from this secure space, the data you send and receive is encrypted, giving you more security and anonymity while online.

When you click on a link or type an address in your browser, your computer sends a series of connections across a number of computers. Your data travels across your local network, through a number of computers on the Internet, and through more computers on the website’s servers, before following the same path again to get the information back to your computer.

When you use a VPN, these data packets are encrypted at the point of creation, and both the data as well as the information about your original IP address is usually hidden.

There are two types of VPN. The first is a corporate VPN, sometimes called an enterprise VPN, which is often used by companies in order to secure the transmission of information between two local office networks. Corporate VPN includes control of both VPN endpoints

The second is a consumer VPN, which secures only one endpoint. and consumer VPNs, the kind you might use when you log into public Wi-Fi to secure your information. Consumer VPN services help ensure that your communications on apps such as social networking, email, online shopping and banking are protected.

Do you want more information? Read our review of Surfshark’s VPN.

What does a VPN hide?

A VPN hides all your personal information when you access the Internet. A VPN encrypts all of your device’s data while forwarding it through a separate server and hides a lot of different types of personal information while you’re online.

A VPN hides your IP address which hides your identity to your activities, and prevents ISPs, marketers, hackers, and search engines from being able to track your online movements.

A VPN also hides your social media identity as well as your online shopping habits, which also makes it difficult for marketing companies to target you, while at the same time keeping your sensitive information safe.

Finally, a VPN hides your geographical location. Since your data is forwarded through intermediate servers and your IP address is hidden, there is no way to track your location directly when using a VPN.

Why use a VPN?

1. Security

Security is the main reason to use a VPN as your data will be encrypted making it difficult for others to access your browsing activity. This is especially important when entering personal information or payment details such as credit card numbers. This is why using a VPN when connecting to public networks is an especially good idea.

2. Privacy

In the same way, a VPN also protects your privacy. The encryption provided by a VPN means what you look for, what you say in comments or forums, and what you watch on streaming platforms is kept private and does not belong to anyone else.

However, it is important to remember that a VPN protects the data you transfer from your computer, but does not necessarily prevent your information from being tracked using cookies or other web trackers. The VPN ensures that your communications cannot be intercepted or accessed, but it does not affect app features such as cookies.

3. The default location

Another popular reason to use a VPN is to give you a virtual location. Accessing the Internet via a VPN means that you can appear as if you are browsing from another country. This allows you to access potentially restricted content wherever you are. This is especially useful when traveling. If you want to continue streaming a program you watch back home, or access your online banking or personal records, you can use a VPN to access the internet as if you were at home.

How to set up a VPN

You can set up the majority of VPN apps right away, as most of them will have the OpenVPN protocol, which means letting the app configure your settings for you is simple. However, there are some small differences that you should be aware of when setting up a VPN on Windows, Mac, Chrome, Apple, and Android devices.

How to set up a VPN on Windows

Once you have created a VPN profile, you may need to configure your Windows VPN settings.

  • Go to Settings -> Network & Internet -> VPN.
  • Click on Add VPN Connection.
  • Select Windows (built-in) for your VPN provider.
  • Fill in the details of the connection name, server name or address, VPN type, and type of login information.
  • You have the option to add a username and password for added security, which we recommend.
  • At this point, you can also select advanced options to edit connection properties, clear login information, or set up a VPN proxy.
  • Select Connect and enter your password if you set one.

How to set up a VPN on a Mac

  • If you need to manually set up the VPN on your Mac, go to System Preferences and then click Network.
  • Click on the β€œ+” icon and select VPN from the dropdown list.
  • You will need the details from the VPN service you signed up for to complete this registration.
  • Click Create and then enter the server address, remote ID, and local ID in the appropriate fields.
  • Click on Authentication Settings
  • At this point, you will need to enter your VPN username and password, which you can set through your VPN app.
  • Click OK and Connect.

How to set up a VPN on Chrome OS

The easiest way to set up a VPN on Chrome OS is to install a VPN extension. Visit the Chrome Web Store and search for the VPN of your choice and add the extension to your browser from there.

If you need to set up the VPN manually, Chrome has native support for L2TP/IPsec and OpenVPN. To install a VPN that works in one of the following formats:

  • Go to Settings and in the Network section, click on Add Connection -> OpenVPN/L2TP
  • You will need to include all the information you have from your VPN service including things like server hostname, service name, provider type, pre-shared key, username, and password.
  • Save your ID and password
  • Click Connect.

### How to set up a VPN on your Apple device

Setting up a VPN on your iPhone or iPad is fairly easy, and if you download an app from the App Store, it will automatically configure the settings for you. However, if you need to tweak anything or set up the VPN manually on your Apple device, here’s what you need to do:

  • Go to “Settings” -> “General”.
  • Scroll down and select VPN, and click on Add VPN Configuration.
  • Select a “type” security protocol by following the instructions provided by your VPN service.
  • Return to the Add Configuration screen and enter a description of VPN, Server, Remote ID, and Local ID.
  • Enter your username and password as well as a proxy if you wish.
  • Click on Done.
  • Finally, toggle the “Status” switch to the ON position.

How to set up a VPN on an Android device

  • Go to Settings -> Network and Internet -> Advanced -> VPN.
  • Click on the “+” icon
  • Enter the VPN name, type, and server address.
  • Press “Save”.
  • From the VPN screen, tap on the newly created VPN, enter your name and password, and tap Connect.
  • At this point, you can also choose to save your account information, and you can always turn on the VPN.

How to use a VPN on Xbox One

Gaming devices are more connected than ever before, and a VPN can help make online gaming more secure as well as open up restrictions and possibly even make gaming faster.

Usually the main reason to use a VPN on your Xbox One is to access blocked regional content, but a VPN can also help your console achieve lower latency for multiplayer games in some cases. A VPN can get around bandwidth throttling if your ISP limits your speed on specific sites.

How to set up and use a VPN on Xbox One

The Xbox One does not have native VPN support or any official VPN apps, so the easiest way to access one is to connect to a VPN-enabled Windows computer via an ethernet cable.

  • Connect your Xbox One to your computer using an ethernet cable and enable your VPN.
  • Go to Settings -> Network & Internet -> VPN
  • In the “Related settings” section on the right, click on the “Change adapter option”.
  • Right-click on your VPN icon and select “Properties”.
  • On the Sharing tab, select Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection, select an Ethernet connection from the drop-down list, and click OK.
  • On your Xbox One, go to network settings and check the “Test network connection” box and your console should be connected to the Internet via your VPN.

Just remember to keep your console connected to your computer at all times.

Are VPNs legal?

In most countries, using a VPN is legal, but there are a few countries where it is not used, such as the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, China, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia and Russia. Restrictions and penalties vary in each of these countries. For example, China only allows certain approved VPNs, while in the UAE you could potentially go to jail or face a $100,000 fine if you get caught.

Can I use a VPN to stream TV from other regions?

A virtual private network (VPN) allows you to access the content of streaming platforms in other countries since each territory has a slightly different catalog of TV shows and movies in its library. For example, if you’re a Netflix subscriber, you’ll likely notice a different list of programs available when you sign in while you’re abroad. So in order to keep watching your favorite shows while traveling, you will need to access Netflix through a VPN.

However, Netflix and other streaming services are aware of subscribers who use VPNs to access geo-restricted content and regularly block access. If a platform like Netflix logs the traffic coming from a particular IP address that belongs to the VPN, it will block it and you will see the following proxy error message:

β€œSorry, something went wrong. Streaming error. It looks like you are using a decoder or proxy. Please turn off any of these services and try again.”

How to watch Netflix with a VPN

Once your VPN is set up on your device as described above, you will be able to access that region’s version of Netflix automatically (you may need to clear the cache on your browser if you experience problems on your computer).

To watch Netflix with a VPN – or any streaming service for that matter – you will need a VPN that is fast, reliable and has enough data to accommodate your streaming video files.

Which VPN is the best?

A good VPN would be the one that offers a fast and secure connection for a good price. There is always some debate about the best VPN, but here are some of the top contenders for the title of best VPN:

Surfshark

Surfshark is one of the smaller VPN providers out there. But even though it may have fewer servers than some of its competitors, it still offers excellent service. One of its biggest advantages is the unlimited device support you get, which means you can connect every device in your home without having to worry.

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