VPN comes from Virtual Private Network, as probably many know, but I’m going to try to clarify a few things that might be useful to you as an Internet user without going into the technical or legal havoc at all. As the name says, we are dealing with a private network that only accepts nodes with certain permissions. Thus, the connection between a user and the data or sites he is trying to connect to is secure, and the information exchanged within that connection is encrypted. So, you can mask your real identity. There are a lot of myths related to these functions, you can find out more about how to get better speed with a VPN. In this article, I will make the best VPN Speed comparisons.
I have nothing to hide, I do not need a VPN
The most common myth is that you do not need such a connection if you have nothing to hide or if you aren’t doing anything illegal. You should know, however, that a VPN does more than get rid of geographical restrictions or change your IP address. See here more information.
If you keep on confidentiality and you want to encrypt your communication channels, then you need a good service for that. Naturally, such services are paid, but the costs are small compared to the benefits that you can get.
Your VPN slows down your Internet connection
Most people are shy of this technology because they think it will slow down their internet connection. In some cases, it is true, but generalization is the one that builds the myth. The average speed of such a connection depends primarily on the speed you normally have.
Check this out: https://www.expressvpn.com/what-is-vpn
Indeed, free VPN services give you terrible page loading speeds, that’s why paid services that offer much more quality are recommended. It is also important to document the location of the servers: the further away from you, the lower your access speed.
If I use a VPN, I can do anything on the internet
Using such a service is not a guarantee that you can do whatever you want online. You will not be protected from malware, phishing, or even hacking. Thus, a VPN should only be used alongside other security methods, such as an antivirus. Click here to see more.
All VPNs are the same
Like any other service, some are better than the others. Some offer more advanced encryption methods than others, for example. You need to look at the protocols offered by the service you are interested in (PPTP or OpenVPN, for example) and avoid as much as possible PPTP, which is a rather old protocol.
More info: https://www.t3.com/features/best-vpn-for-torrenting
Another factor that you need to consider is whether or not the service provider saves the logs of a browsing sessions. Private Internet Access, linking something above, is one of the recommended services that does not save such information.
A free VPN is enough
When it comes to computer security, a common saying is the following: if you use something for free, then you are the product being sold. This also applies to VPNs. A free service can hide your IP, but it may impose bandwidth restrictions or internet access speeds. In addition, free service providers could record different information.
A proxy and Tor are enough, I do not even need a VPN
The best combination to do if you have a choice between the three is the Tor browser along with a VPN. This is because Tor has its own limitations that such a service covers. In addition, it is superior to a proxy that does not encrypt your data on the internet.
The VPN is just for advanced users
Indeed, setting up such an access point is not the easiest task, but it is not very difficult. In addition, most of your paid service providers also offer you comprehensive setup guides. You can also find such tutorials on the internet to help you.
So, if you’ve been reluctant to VPNs, but if you want to enjoy a high degree of security on the internet, you should consider these dismantled myths and understand that you can rely on such services.
These services can tell you that there are lots of sites that provide access to the already popular VPN “tunnels”, depends only on your preferences and what you need to use these private networks. But let’s take a look at some reasons to use VPN:
Access to sites like Hulu and Netflix outside of the US
Due to copyright, sites such as Netflix, Hulu, Pandora cannot provide streaming media content in territories that are not the US. This means that many services are blocked for viewing in many countries. This geographic “embargo” is possible by recognizing your IP by the site and blocking the content to that IP. If you use a VPN service, we can manipulate the IP address so that it looks like it comes from the US, so we can have access to services like those listed above.
Download/upload files in private mode
In many countries, a tracking system has already been implemented for those who download p2p files like torrents, which become illegal in several countries due to copyright laws. In this case, a VPN can become the best friend of the user who wants to access this kind of file. You need to know that although the download speed is reduced by about 25% due to the created tunnels, purchasing a VPN service is worth it and so you can avoid much higher fines from local authorities if you are caught downloading p2p files.
Use public Wi-Fi safely
From the very beginning, you must know that public networks are mostly hacked. So if you are at a café, at a bar and you need to connect to a Wi-Fi network, because you remembered that you have to make an online payment, using VPN is a necessary thing because it will be encrypted, otherwise you risk giving access to your bank account or other important information on your personal computer / phone.
For example, to avoid these things, I have purchased a router capable of creating a free VPN server that is very easy to set up and knows how to do a bunch of other things.
Browsing sites blocked by network administrators
Like a company employee, you are subject to “acceptable usage policy” restrictions when it comes to using the internet. It’s also normal, because nobody wants to answer for you, for the acts that you do in the online environment or no one wants to pay you for to stay on Facebook or other sites. A VPN tunnel can resolve the problem again. Such practices in any way, and the information presented is of a strictly educational nature or should be used only if there is a need and there are reasonable grounds for traffic bypass.
Bypass Internet traffic in censored countries
Some countries have decided under the same type of “acceptable use policy” to ban access to different sites. Of course, there will be a question – what am I to do if I have to travel to one of these countries and need access to one of these sites? Normally we need to know that we must obey the laws of that state and follow the same conduct. In the case of this, again, there is a need and there are good reasons for the traffic bypass, we have the VPN tunnels.
Hi, Himadri Subrah Saha
Thank you for sharing your article about is very helpful for me. you reach every topic related to VPN use and safety.
Good article. People need to start caring about their cyber security more. I own a small business and all my employees use Surfshark, went for it because of unlimited connections, but there’s many other good providers to choose from depending on the features you want to get. You just need to make sure the vpn company does not keep logs and that it’s trustworthy, that’s the least you can do for your own sake. Thanks again for spreading the word.