Many professionals have to use the VPN for their work and many people just prefer to surf the Internet anonymously. The VPN services are simple and extremely easy to use however choosing the right VPN requires critical thinking. We’ll tell you how the what is VPN, how it works? and what to look out for when choosing the best suited VPN provider.
What is VPN
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN connection can be thought of as a tunnel. The user’s device is at the entrance and the Internet is at the exit. In between are the servers of the VPN provider. However, this only works if you already have a connection to the Internet.
Protected from prying eyes in the tunnel
The special thing about a VPN tunnel is that only the outer tunnel wall is visible to third parties, but not the entry and exit or the data flowing through the tunnel because the connection is encrypted.
A VPN is therefore often used to access data that is on an employer’s server from home or on the go. You can log into the network environment at the company location from home or any other location using VPN access. It is also advisable to switch on a VPN client for open WiFi connections, for example, free Wifi zones.
Dealing with VPN Geo Blocking
Applications and data are not only available in the office, but also at any location with internet access and are still protected from prying eyes. VPN clients can also bypass so-called geoblocking.
With geoblocking, a provider blocks websites or content for certain countries. The country or the user’s location can be noted from the IP address. You can go virtually to another country via a VPN client and its server. The user’s IP address is then assigned to the location of the server.
For example, if you want to access the Indian or American media libraries Netflix while on holiday in Europe or anywhere outside these countries, you cannot normally do so. Because many programs are only licensed for India or the USA. But if you connect abroad via VPN to a server in India or the USA, you can easily access the media library content.
VPN connections can slow down surfing
There are several providers on the market for VPN services. The core services are mostly identical. Using VPN software, a server in another country can be selected through which your data traffic is routed. The main differences between the providers are the selection of countries, the number of servers available, and the speed.
VPN connections can, for example, greatly slow down surfing or streaming, depending on the type and load on the server and the distance between server and client. This is especially important for users who want to use a VPN for streaming. Streaming films in HD quality does not work with all services and not all connections.
Four important factors for VPN clients
When choosing a VPN provider, four factors are important:
- Number Of Servers
- Country Offerings
- Price
- Trust.
After all, VPN is supposed to make the internet connection more secure. The view from the outside should be shielded. But it is just as important that the view from within is also secure.
The VPN providers themselves could monitor the data traffic and create log files over the connections. The precise control of the providers is unfortunately almost impossible. In any case, you should stay away from VPN providers who offer dubious free connections.
Also Read – Here Are the Top 10 Most Insecure Passwords for a Router. Is Yours One of These?
Almost all providers also offer term contracts, which are always cheaper in proportion than booked individual months, but almost all services always have discount promotions. Depending on the term, monthly subscription prices between three and ten dollars are realistic.