You might have read about VPNs and wondered if you need to use them. Well, don’t worry. We will get you covered. In today’s post, we will discuss VPN and its features, how it works, its drawbacks, and some myths that have been floating around the internet for a long time. So, let’s get started. Here’s an overview:
What is a VPN?
A virtual private network (VPN) will allow you to securely connect to a private network and access data remotely through public networks. It securely encrypts the connection between your device and the internet. As soon as you connect to a VPN, your internet traffic is routed through a private, secure “tunnel” to a VPN server. This server acts as a middleman, relaying your internet and device traffic. As more and more people choose to work remotely, VPNs have started to become increasingly popular.
Many people use private browsers like Duckduckgo to keep their browsing patterns private. Is duckduckgo safe, or should you rely on a full-fledged VPN service along with it? Let’s find out.
How Does a VPN work?
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how a VPN works:
- Connecting to a VPN server can be done by downloading a VPN app, logging in, or manually configuring your device’s settings to connect to the VPN server.
- Your device establishes a secure connection to the VPN server: This is typically done using the OpenVPN or IKEv2/IPSec protocols, which allows your device to securely connect through an encrypted “tunnel” to the VPN server.
- All your data is routed through the VPN server: Once the secure connection is established, the VPN server routes your internet traffic. This means that any website or service you visit will see the IP address of the VPN server rather than your actual IP address.
- The VPN server relays your traffic to the internet: The VPN server then relays your traffic to the internet, effectively acting as a middleman between your device and the websites or services you’re trying to access.
- Your internet traffic is encrypted: Because your internet traffic is routed through a secure “tunnel” to the VPN server, it is also encrypted. This makes it much more difficult for anyone to intercept or read your traffic.
- Your data is decrypted when it reaches the VPN server: The VPN server then deciphers the traffic before sending it to its destination.
I hope you have an idea about how a VPN service works. Now let’s look into the advantages of using a VPN service.
Advantages of using a VPN:
Here are the key features of a VPN and how it will help you:
Encryption and Security:
One of the essential features of a VPN is its ability to encrypt data. All data transmitted over the VPN is converted into a coded format. Also, it is unreadable to anyone who intercepts it. This ensures that sensitive information, such as passwords and financial data, remains private and secure.
Remote Access:
VPNs allow you to connect to a private network from anywhere securely. This is particularly useful if you are an employee and need to access your company’s network while working remotely. It also allows you to bypass geographical restrictions and access content that may be blocked in their location.
Anonymous Browsing:
Another feature of a VPN is that it can hide a user’s IP address, making it difficult for websites and advertisers to track their online activity. This allows for anonymous browsing and can also help protect you from targeted advertising and cyber attacks.
Multiple Protocols:
VPNs offer different protocols, such as OpenVPN, L2TP, and PPTP. These protocols determine how the VPN encrypts data and how it establishes a secure connection. Each protocol has strengths and weaknesses, so choosing one that meets your needs is essential.
Kill Switch:
A VPN kill switch automatically terminates your internet connection if the VPN connection drops. This will prevent your device from transmitting any data over the unsecured network, thereby preventing any leakage of your sensitive information in case of an unexpected VPN disconnection.
VPN Myths Busted:
There are several myths related to VPNs, some of which include the following:
- VPNs make you completely anonymous: While VPNs can help increase your online privacy, they do not make you completely anonymous, as they can’t hide your IP address entirely.
- VPNs slow down your internet connection: While some VPNs can slightly slow down your internet connection, this is usually not significant enough to notice, and modern VPNs are optimized to minimize this impact.
- Free VPN services are equally good as paid ones: Free VPNs may not have the same security and privacy protections as paid ones and may also have data or bandwidth limits.
- VPNs are only for people who want to hide illegal activities: VPNs are used by many people for many different reasons, such as accessing geo-restricted content, protecting their online privacy, and improving their online security.
- VPNs are only for tech-savvy people: While VPNs are becoming increasingly popular, most current VPN services are designed to be easy to use and set up, even for non-technical users.
Top 10 VPN Providers:
If you are wondering which VPN to try, here are some of the best VPN providers.
- Surfshark
- ExpressVPN
- Windscribe
- NordVPN
- CyberGhost VPN
- Hotspot Shield
- PureVPN
- IPVanish
- StrongVPN
- TunnelBear
Last Words:
VPN is a powerful tool that offers many benefits, including data encryption, remote access, anonymous browsing, multiple protocols, and a kill switch. Whether you’re working remotely or want to protect your personal information, a VPN can help keep you safe and secure online. However, they also have drawbacks, such as slower internet speeds, cost, limited server options, and difficulty in configuration. It would be best if you made a sensible decision while using a VPN.
Thank you for reading. If you have further queries, drop a comment below. I will be happy to help. Keep visiting HiTricks.
Nirmal Sarkar is a Biotechnologist from the city of Joy, Kolkata. He is the founder of this blog and covers a wide range of topics from Gadgets to Software to Latest Offers. You can get in touch with him via nirmal@hitricks.com
