All You Need to Know About VPN (Virtual Private Network)

The Internet has grown a lot in the recent years, and almost everything is on the internet be it shopping, playing games, doing business, transferring money, etc. For example, I am a blogger, and just using the computer and internet I am running a business online. In short, the Internet is a very important thing in the age we are living in.

When we access the internet using a computer or mobile, data are exchanged between our device and the network we are accessing on a public network. The device we use to connect to the internet sends packets which are much like the address of the sender and receiver when we send letters. That means when we access the internet, our details are sent over the public network, and that can be a big privacy issue since that is not encrypted, and the details can be compromised. Also, our all details like IP address and what we do when we visit a site are exposed to the site observers.

There comes VPN into use as it secures your communication with the web by encrypting your details, and stop exposing your details on the public network.

What actually the VPN is?

VPN, short for Virtual Private Network, is a group of individual networks networked together on a public network. VPN offers the users to mask their IP address which makes the browsing anonymous as no one sees your computer’s actual IP address.

When you subscribe to a VPN service, you actually get the access to their worldwide network of the servers. You can set a server location and connect to the internet. Suppose you are in India, and if you visit a website on the internet, your IP address is traced and so is the location, but when you use a VPN, you can set your location as per your requirement, and access websites. Only the IP address which VPN grants you can be traced and your original IP will not be exposed to anyone. In short, your actual IP is hidden, and you browse anonymously.

Apart from this, till you are connected to the VPN, and browsing, everything you do is completely protected and private from the hackers or any surveillance since VPN encrypts all the traffic.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

When should you use VPN?

At times you may need to access a website which is not accessible from your country because it is banned there. But you really need to visit that particular site, then VPN comes handy as when you are connected to a VPN, you can select your location as per your choice. So, you can set the country location from where that particular website is accessible, and enjoy browsing that particular site.

Also, when you visit some websites, and you don’t want to let the webmaster know the details of your computer and IP, VPN is the best thing to use to become anonymous while visiting those sites.

There are a lot of VPN providers available, but you need to find the best VPN for you, and that you can get an idea from https://www.bestvpnrating.com/  on which ratings are available which makes your work easier to find the best.

Also Read: What is Hamachi, and its Alternatives

What should you look in a VPN while choosing one for you?

Bandwidth: You must go with the VPN which offers too much of bandwidth or offers unlimited. Because the VPN companies that restrict the bandwidth usually don’t have a big network to support their user volume.

Encryption: 128 and 256-bit encryptions are used in the VPNs to encrypt the traffic. 256-bit encryption is stronger so while choosing a VPN for yourself; make sure you choose the one that offers 256-bit encryption to the traffic.

Network Size: Always choose the VPN that has a larger network because more servers mean wider bandwidth distribution. Hence you get a fast connection.

Multiple Connections: Always make sure that the VPN you are choosing offers multiple devices that can connect to the VPN. It is important because nowadays we all use a computer and our smartphone for various works, so when you are not using a computer, you can still connect to an Android or iPhone VPN using your phone. It does save cost too.

VPN In The Real World

Let us consider not hypothetical but a real situation using virtual private network technology. At the moment, the use of free and, as a rule, open Wi-Fi network in cafes, hotels, and other public places are becoming more popular. The number of devices with which you can connect to the Internet is constantly growing; there are mobile phones, tablet PCs, laptop, and so on. It is undoubtedly convenient to read news on the web, check email, and connect to favorite social network at any time.

But is it safe?

Are you sure that using open and unprotected internet Wi-Fi, no one will intercept your passwords?

Analyzing your unprotected traffic is not difficult to get access to your personal data, and take control over your computer. Precisely in order to avoid this, VPN service is needed. Before you connect to your email account or social network on public Wi-Fi, you just need to establish a virtual private network connection which makes the connection secure by inserting an extra level of security.

If you are using VPN, you don’t need to be afraid of your data being intercepted as encrypted data exchange is carried out by means of VPN.

Suppose you do not use the public and open Wi-Fi network. But it often happens that you want to hide your real IP address for security and anonymity. The use of virtual private network service can help in this as well.

Final Words

VPN is not a technology that you can use only for one thing, but it can be used for multiple purposes. For example, I use it to access a few websites which have blocked Indian IP. Since I can use any IP to connect to the network; I can easily access those websites.

Nowadays, many companies and even individuals are using VPN technology and making most out of it.

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