A VPN is a virtual private network, a sort of anti-spyware connection between you and the internet that prevents anyone from seeing your activity and personal information flowing between your device and a web page.
He is Softwarewhich usually comes in the form of an application, mainly serves to increase privacy on line, hence the name “private”. When enabled, it can block people from seeing what you are doing while using the internet.
But there are plenty of other reasons you might want to use a VPN, and they’re legal in many countries. Then we have already explained the process to use a VPN and thus benefit from all these advantages.
Why should you use a VPN
A VPN helps you prevent someone from seeing what you are doing while you are using the internet. Surely you can think of several situations in which this can be very useful, although your connection speed may slow down.
Also, your Internet service provider will no longer be able to sell your information to third parties and therefore these annoying advertisements will not appear. That doesn’t mean all ISPs do it, but if you’re using a VPN, they won’t.
It is commonly believed that VPNs allow you to surf the Internet anonymously, but this is not the case. To some extent they do, but your activity and “behaviour” on line they can reveal your identity.
For example, when you log into a web page with your username and password, that page will know who you are, even if you are using a VPN.
Another situation in which the use of a VPN is essential is in cafes, hotels, airports and shopping centers where they offer free Wi-Fi. It’s “open”, meaning you can use it without a password.
It is very convenient, but it is very easy to steal the information of those who use it and see what they are doing because without a password the connection is not encrypted.
Using a VPN when using public Wi-Fi networks solves this problem, because it adds a very important element: encryption.
Another use of VPNs is to pretend you are in another country. This may unlock services not available in your country. Thus, you will be able to watch Netflix series and movies not available in your region.
Also, if you like to play video games on lineyou can lower your ping connect to a VPN server in a country where the game is hosted.
How to Use a VPN
Now you know why you should use a VPN. It may sound complicated, but you will see that the process to install and start using this Software it’s easy. And on top of that, they are also very affordable.
1. Subscribe to a VPN service
First, you need to choose a company that offers this service. You can see our recommendations of the best VPNs around, but if you’re in a hurry, we recommend taking a look at these three:
You must install the application on your device, open it and enter your username and password (which you will have chosen when registering for the service).
Some VPN providers let you log in with an activation code instead of a username and password, but don’t worry, they’ll explain what you need.
During the subscription process, you will be able to choose the duration of the plan. In most cases, the longer the subscription lasts, the less it will cost you per month.
In some (rare) cases, you are offered a 30-day guarantee with which you can try the service and, if you are not satisfied, your money will be refunded.
2. Choose a VPN server
Once connected, you should see a button labeled “Connect” and probably also the option to automatically choose a server based on the one closest to you or the one with the fastest connection.
You can also see a list of countries or a map. In the case of NordVPN, which is the one we used for this tutorial, the main screen shows both a clickable map and a menu with recently used servers, specialty servers and a full list of locations.
You just have to click on one of them and wait for it to say “Connected” or “Protected”. It usually takes a few seconds, but keep in mind that it can take up to 20-30 seconds in some cases.
The location of the server you connect to will be your virtual location, meaning the internet will think you are physically there. Therefore, the server you choose will depend on why you want to use a VPN.
It can be useful to choose a server that is in the same country or even the same city to surf the Internet, as this will add a layer of privacy that you will not find elsewhere.
If you want to watch a show that is only available on Netflix US, you will need to choose a server in the United States; or if you want to watch BBC iPlayer from Europe, you will need to choose a UK server.
Obviously, it should be noted that this goes against the terms and conditions of both content services in diffusionbut it is not illegal.
If you want to use another server, you can usually click or tap the one you want to use from the list. To disable the VPN, just tap or click the “Disconnect” button.
3. Check that the VPN is working
To verify that your real location cannot be detected, you can use IPleak.net, which will tell you what your virtual IP address (and location) is. It should be approximately the server location you chose.
4. Activate the kill switch
Many VPN servers have a switch immobilizerwhich will terminate your connection to protect your privacy if the VPN connection stops working unexpectedly.
Normally, you have to go to the application settings to activate the switch, since it is generally not activated by default. On the other hand, keep in mind that it may not be available on all devices.
There is a specific reason why switches immobilizer are not enabled by default. In the case of NordVPN, as with many other services, you will only be able to access the internet if the VPN is connected.
If available, you can use the “App Kill Switch” option offered by NordVPN. It lets you choose which apps the internet connection will stop working with if the VPN stops working, while the others will work normally.
Other VPNs have a similar feature called split tunneling and this means you can choose which apps use the VPN connection and which apps use the normal connection.
There are other options, but that’s all you need to know: using a VPN is very simple.
Another useful setting is how to make the VPN connect automatically when you connect to an unsecured Wi-Fi network from your laptop or mobile. So you will be protected even if you forget to connect it manually.
What is the difference between a free VPN and a paid VPN?
There are many VPN services available and some of them are free. Depending on what you want to use a VPN for, a free service may suffice, although for most it will be quite limited.
Free VPNs offer a small selection of servers (and probably not the countries you need) and also have limited data which is usually not enough to watch videos on. diffusion.
In rare cases, free servers may also sell your email address and browsing habits to cover the cost of using their service, which contradicts why some people use VPNs.
You can take a look at our selection of free VPN services, but considering all the benefits of paying to use a VPN (and how little they cost per month), it makes more sense to sign up for one.
Paid VPNs typically offer hundreds of thousands of servers in locations around the world and give you unlimited data so you can stream videos to diffusion As much as you want.
How to Choose a VPN
It is important to choose a VPN that you trust. Almost every service in the market claims that they do not track your activity (“no-logs”), such as when you use the service, your IP address, and other information.
However, as a user, you cannot verify whether this is true or not. You will have to trust them blindly.
That’s why we recommend that you read our Comments VPN, although you can also view the provider’s privacy policy on their website.
If they offer little information on their website about the location of the company’s headquarters, who its director is, and in that sense it seems quite anonymous, that’s usually a bad sign.
There’s also the VPN Trust Initiative, created by a selection of companies that want to raise the minimum standards for VPN services and, at the same time, increase the level of trust people have in their services.
Beyond that, you need to consider if the provider has an app for the device(s) you want to use the VPN on (Android, iOS, Windows, Mac…) and also if they offer servers in the countries you need.
All VPNs will have an impact on the speed of your internet connection, but it won’t be as noticeable on faster services, especially if they offer the new WireGuard protocol.
The VPNs we recommend
Setting up a VPN is very simple, it can be done by anyone. It is important that you carefully choose the service you will use. Luckily, we have experience reviewing VPNs, which we’ve categorized in our best VPNs article.
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