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Many people still have a question about VPNs, even though they are now familiar with the concept. How can you pick the best VPN? This guide was created to provide you with information about VPNs.
It will explain how they operate and tell you what to consider when buying one. You should also be aware of some fascinating statistics regarding digital privacy, particularly if you are considering a VPN.
What are VPNs?
Software that protects your internet activity is VPN. VPNs establish an encrypted tunnel that connects your device to the internet, allowing your online activity to be hidden from hackers and Internet Service Providers.
Why Use a VPN?
Why would someone use a VPN?
Privacy on the Web
Online, there's no privacy. Do you know your ISP or internet service provider can monitor everything you do on the Internet? Your ISP can track your searches, the sites you visit and even your unique IP address.
But ISPs don't track us alone. Trackers are installed by advertisers to determine how to target their ads best. According to leaks, the government may be monitoring our online activities.
You can restore your privacy online with a VPN. Your IP address remains anonymous, and all your online activity is encrypted with a VPN. So, your online activities are only between you and the VPN server.
Access to Content
You might not have access to certain online content right now because your current location is blocking it. You won't have access to Facebook or Twitter if you travel to China.
Netflix and streaming websites are also examples. Netflix U.S. has some shows that aren't on Netflix U.K.
So how do VPNs help? How do VPNs help? Not only do they hide IP addresses, but the servers also use them. If you connect to a U.K.-based server, your IP will be U.K.
Because most websites use an IP address to identify a user’s location, you will be able to browse U.K. exclusive shows and watch them on your streaming service.
Torrenting
A VPN can be a great safety tool if you're looking to download more content (although we don't encourage doing anything illegal).
Avoid Government Restrictions
Nine per cent of VPN users use VPNs to circumvent government internet censorship, according to our study. China has the "Great Firewall", which prevents its citizens from viewing websites outside of their country.
A VPN is, therefore, necessary to gain access to sites such as Youtube, Google, and Netflix. You could, for example, connect with a U.K. address to view BBC content. Or connect with a U.S. address to watch Netflix U.S.
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VPNs vs Routers vs Bridges vs Dongles vs TOR
There are many other ways to conceal your IP and website traffic. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Private Routers
Some people use VPNs directly installed on routers instead of installing a VPN on their devices. This will automatically encrypt all web traffic on the router from any devices that are connected.
It is easier to use a VPN directly on a router than on every device. However, not all VPNs are compatible with routers.
Bridges
You can use an ethernet bridge instead of VPN software.
It has a unique IP address and connects to a local network. This option is not as good as a VPN because it uses more bandwidth.
Dongles
Dongles may be a funny word, but they are another option for connecting to VPNs. We have to include them in this article.
They're adapters which plug into the port of a computer and contain VPNs.
TOR Browser
TOR is a network which uses the computers of its users to form a global network for encrypting web traffic. Special browsers are required to access the Network.
Tor, however, is slow and does not allow us to access every website, as opposed to VPNs, which give you access to the whole web.
What VPNs Do?
We'll repeat it for those in the rear if we don't make it crystal clear: VPNs change your IP address and encrypt all web traffic.
It means their Internet Service Provider will not be able to see what they did online or where their IP address originated, leading to increased privacy and security.
FYI, Are you curious about how safe and secure you are online as well as offline? You can take our Security Score Test to determine your digital and physical security score.
This is based on factors such as the frequency of digital and physical security crimes, your lifestyle, etc.
How VPNs Work
VPNs are used to connect the user's computer to a public network via a tunnel that is encrypted. Tunnels encrypt the online activities of users and replace their IP addresses with those of private servers.
AES-256 is used by most VPNs as it's the standard encryption in the industry. VPNs transmit data from the device directly to the server using Internet Protocols that send data packets in the correct order.
Most VPNs have kill switches which will close all web-traffic windows and apps, protecting the user's privacy online.
When Do We Use A VPN?
Do you want to keep your ISP from knowing all of your personal information? Use a VPN to connect to the Internet.
VPNs are not necessary for the majority of people on their home networks. Most people are using VPNs on the following networks instead:
Wireless Public Networks
Joining Starbucks' WiFi to search for Airbnbs this weekend may seem like a good idea. Still, it can make you more vulnerable to hackers, as your IP address is stored on the router of the Network and, therefore, by the ISP.
By joining a VPN, you can encrypt and mask your internet traffic while connecting to the Wi-Fi that you want.
Hotel Networks that are Wired
You're using a wired desktop in the hotel. Do we need a VPN? We believe that a VPN is essential if your goal is to conceal the IP address and activity of your computer from the server at a hotel.
This is particularly important when dealing with confidential customer information or other business-related data.
Office Networks
A VPN is useful if you work remotely, like the 40 percent of Americans who were affected by COVID-19. How? Split tunneling VPNs allow you to access both a public network and a personal one at once, reducing bandwidth.
This results in faster speeds. You can work all day at the office while simultaneously enjoying baguettes in your favorite café. Good food!
LTE Networks
We use data when Wi-Fi is not available. This usually happens through the 4G LTE network. Bottom line? On LTE networks, VPNs remain necessary.
Researchers found that 4G networks have 36 security vulnerabilities which could make your devices hackable. So, even when using data, you should connect to a VPN.
VPN Pros and Cons
VPNs are no different. They are worth it in general, but they still have drawbacks:
Pros:
- Anonymous: VPNs give you privacy that you have never experienced while browsing the internet. When you use a VPN, not even your ISP will be able to see what you do online.
- Geo Shifting: You can circumvent government restrictions and bypass website limits by connecting to a server in another country. For example, watching Netflix Canada rather than Netflix U.S. You can browse the web from anywhere. Find out how VPNs can hide your web history.
- Split Tunneling: VPNs that offer split tunneling allow you to simultaneously access both a public Wi-Fi network and a private one.
Cons:
- Slowed browsing speed: No VPN can claim to be fast, but all VPNs will slow your internet connection by some amount since the data must go through an encryption tunnel instead of connecting directly to the router. We always check our VPNs' latency, upload and download speeds to see how much of a slowdown they cause.
- Blocking servers: While Netflix allows some VPNs to access Netflix, it is becoming smarter and blocking many VPN servers. So, there's no guarantee.
- Cost: How much do VPNs cost? Even though VPNs don't cost much, some plans start at just a few dollars per month, depending on the length of time you use them. You can also use proxy servers as an alternative, which are often free. Check the VPN cancellation policy for information on how to terminate your VPN or disable it in the future.
What if We Want to Stream?
Despite the thousands of choices available, there are still some who want to watch movies or TV shows that may not be on their server in their home country and may not even be able to access them through streaming websites.
VPNs are useful in these situations, as they allow users to stream content from other countries and protect them against torrenting.
Read More: What are Cyber Security Services?
Can VPNs Slow Down My Internet?
VPNs can slow your Internet, and we would like this to be minimal. VPNs use encrypted tunnels to prevent your data from connecting directly to routers.
Instead, it goes through an intermediary. Imagine taking the backroads instead of the main highways. The journey may take longer, but you will eventually arrive at the same destination.
We test all VPNs for their impact on our upload and download speeds as well as ping (also known by the term latency).
We'll cover this in more detail in our methodology section. This will explain how we test VPNs.
Are VPNs Legal?
Some people wonder if VPNs even exist. VPNs in the United States are legal. However, that does not mean everything that a VPN user can do is legal.
Even if a VPN is used, it is illegal to torrent copyrighted content. (That would be the same as saying burglary is allowed if only you wear a disguise). VPNs may be legal in the United States, but they are not a license to roam.
Keep in mind, too, that VPN laws vary from country to country. For example, Russia has prohibited popular VPNs we have tested, such as NordVPN ExpressVPN HideMyAss and IPVanish.3 To summarize? When you travel, make sure that you are familiar with the laws of the country before using your VPN.
If you are not sure what VPN to use, then just choose one.
VPN Limitations
VPNs are extremely helpful in protecting data on the internet, but they can also be limited depending on which brand you use and the level of subscription that you select.
What to watch out for:
- Security breach: If you have read our VPN reviews, you may notice that we devote a lot of time to logging policies. These are usually buried in their privacy policies. We do this because we don't want to risk a breach of security by a VPN company logging our data. Only the information necessary to maintain our account is logged. NordVPN experienced a breach by a third-party4 in October last year. The data remained on the server for more than a month until it was discovered. To our great dismay, companies can still suffer security breaches, even if they store customer data on the cloud and have limited log policies.
- Reliability: Not all VPNs provide reliable service, and some have sporadic connectivity. No doubt, we've had some technical issues when trying to connect with our closest servers. The next day, however, it worked perfectly.
- Accessibility: Not all VPNs are available to everyone. It's more about the location of their server, so check to see if you are covered by a particular service before choosing one.
- Data Usage: Depending on the subscription that you select, some VPNs limit data usage. Usually a free subscription has a limit of 500MB, while most VPN subscriptions offer unlimited data usage.
- Switches between servers: Some subscriptions allow only a certain number of switches, while most do not.
- A total number of devices: It is more common that VPN subscriptions differ in terms of how many devices can be connected to the VPN. Look for a provider that offers unlimited devices if you're looking to protect your whole family.
- The number of simultaneous connections: We use multiple devices simultaneously, such as watching TV with our Chromecasts, sending texts to our friends using our iPhones, and searching for bedding designs on our Macbooks. It may sound ridiculous, but we have to make sure our VPN subscription will allow us to connect multiple devices at the same time. Some VPNs permit an unlimited number to connect at once, while others only allow 1, 5, or 10 devices.
How We Test VPNs
We test each VPN on three different devices. These are usually a Macbook or a Windows PC. These tests are performed on the Wi-Fi network at our office and home, ensuring that we and only us use it.
We also test with and without a VPN. We usually perform these tests in our Brooklyn office. However, we have also performed them in Poland and the Philippines in certain cases.
This is how we perform each security and speed test:
- WebRTC Leak Test: To ensure that our IP addresses remain private when the VPN is on, we run the WebRTC leak test5 from ExpressVPN, checking to see if it displays a different address with and without the VPN.
- DNS Leak Test: This is the same for your Domain Name Servers or URLs. We use DNSLeakTest.com6 to check again for DNS leaks. Note any changes in IP addresses with VPN enabled.
- Test of speed: To test the difference between ping, download, and upload speed, Ookla's speed test is used. It measures speed in milliseconds (ms) for the ping and in megabits per second (Mbps) for the download and uploads. We then do the math to see how these speeds have changed, both with and without a VPN. You could do it by hand, but we like to use an online percentage calculation.
Setup a VPN
Virtual private networks can provide an extra layer of privacy and security. A VPN is a great way to protect your privacy, whether you are working on a public WiFI network or you want to avoid prying eyes.
A VPN is essentially a connection that is encrypted and secure between your device and a server. This prevents your data from being viewed by anyone else.
The VPN can see all your traffic. This is why it's important to choose a VPN that you can trust. Avoid free VPNs because they could be using them to monetize in a less-than-desirable manner.
A VPN provider can also give law enforcement access to your data. A VPN is a good way to conceal your online activities from other people.
You can make web surfing more secure by using a VPN. Other measures include using two-factor authentication and a password management tool.
A VPN can be useful for several reasons, including security. It is also great if you are traveling to Europe and you want to watch Netflix or Amazon Prime content that's only available in the US.
You may also be able to bypass firewalls, even in countries with strict regulations like China. However, this is getting more difficult. As well as their benefits in terms of security, VPNs are also useful when trying to gain access to sensitive information.
You can configure your VPN at home through your router. This takes a few more steps, but it means all devices that are connected will not need to be configured individually.
It can also cause traffic to slow down. In this article, we will focus on VPN applications that can be downloaded on your phone or laptop to allow you to use the Internet safely when you are away from home.
The majority of VPN apps today support OpenVPN, which makes setup simple. You simply allow the app to access your settings and configure them for you.
Stay tuned for our list of the top services. We've broken the setup process down into simple instructions, regardless of whether you use MacOS, Chrome OS or Windows 10.
How to Set up a Windows 10 VPN
You'll need first to create a VPN Profile and fill it out with the details of your VPN provider:
- Then, click on Windows and navigate to Settings > Internet & Network > VPN. Then click on the Add VPN Connection button.
- Select Windows (built-in) as your VPN service provider. Under the Connection name, give your VPN a unique name. Enter your server address or name, VPN type and type of login info.
- You can add a password and username for added security. This is optional but highly recommended. The computer can remember the information you enter to sign in.
- Click on Save to Download
- Go to Settings > Internet & Network > VPN. Select your VPN by clicking on its name.
- You can choose Advanced Options at this stage to change the connection settings, delete your login information, or create a VPN proxy.
- If you have set a password, select Connect.
How to Set up a VPN on Chrome OS
You can download a VPN from the VPN site or Google Play Store (if you have a Chromebook that supports it). Your VPN should give you instructions to set up the app.
You can do this manually. The Chrome browser has native support for L2TP/IPsec and OpenVPN. Installing a VPN formatted in one of the following formats is easy:
- To change the settings, click the clock in the lower-right corner of the screen.
- OpenVPN/L2TP will appear when you click on Add Connection.
- You can add all the necessary information, such as the server hostname and service name. Also, you may need to enter the pre-shared keys, your username, or your password. If you wish, your password and identity can be saved.
You will have to import a certificate for some VPNs. You'll need to import a certificate if that is required:
- Head into chrome://settings/certificates.
- Click on the Authorities Tab. Click Import after you have found the certificate.
- Follow the instructions above to set up your VPN.
How to Set up a Mac VPN
You can use apps to help with setup, just as you would do for the other formats, or you can set it up manually. Select VPN from the dropdown menu to enter VPN details.
- Start by going to System Preferences, then Network.
- The process from there is simple. Use the Interface dropdown menu and click the Plus button at the bottom left. To fill in the VPN Type, you'll need to know the VPN service name and the VPN type.
- The Create button will appear. In the fields provided, enter the remote ID (server address), local ID (local ID) and server address in the respective boxes. Click on the Authentication Settings.
- You can enter the username and password of your VPN through your VPN application.
- Click Connect and OK.
How to Set up a VPN on iOS
It is easy to set up a VPN for an iOS device. If you install an app through the App Store, it will automatically set up settings.
You can do it manually by following these steps:
- Simply tap General in Settings.
- Select VPN from the list (the iPhone tells you if it is currently connected or not).
- Select a protocol by tapping on Add VPN Configuration, then Type. Follow the app's instructions.
- You will then be able to add the VPN description, the server ID, the remote ID, and the local ID.
- Please enter your username and password. If you wish, you can use a proxy.
- You'll be taken back to your VPN page. Switch the Status to On.
How to Set up VPN on Android
Setting up a VPN for Android devices is not too complicated. If you don't want to use an app that configures things automatically, here's how you can do it manually:
- Go to Settings > Network and Internet > Advanced, then click on VPN. (You should see the little key icon). You may not see Network & Internet under Settings (depending on the Android overlay). Search for VPN in Settings. Click the Add button.
- Google prompts you to set up a password or screen lock if it's a brand-new phone or you don't have one yet. It would help if you did so.
- Create your VPN profile. Enter the VPN type, name and server address. Click Save.
- The name of the VPN should appear on the screen. Enter your password and name by tapping on the VPN icon. You can choose to store your account details and turn on the VPN at all times. Select Connect.
- Type in the VPN type, name, address of server, user name, and password.
- Then, save. You're done!
You might find that your web browsing speed isn't quite as good as before, particularly if traffic has been configured to pass through a different country.
Your internet speed can be affected by stronger encryption or more people connected to the same VPN. Your League of Legends game screen might lag, and downloads may slow down quickly. It's not as bad as you think if you compare it to the added security.
Want More Information About Our Services? Talk to Our Consultants!
Conclusion
We've finally reached the end of our VPN guide. If you want to know more about staying safe and secure online, check out our guide to digital privacy, 2023 data safety statistics, VPN statistics or the article on Internet privacy.
There's no perfect way to prevent hacking, security breaches and phishing. But the more information you have, the better prepared you are.
