VPN - Frequently Asked Questions

What is a VPN

Virtual private network, or VPN, is a service that secures your online privacy and internet connection. Your data is protected in an encrypted tunnel, your IP address is concealed to preserve your online identity, and you may utilise open Wi-Fi hotspots without risk.

Why do I need a VPN?

Everyone dislikes being seen or followed, especially if they have nothing to conceal. You must thus improve your privacy practises. Your traffic is encrypted when you browse over a VPN, making it impossible for anybody to see what you do online. You require a VPN for the following reasons, among others:

How do VPNs work

Microsoft created the virtual private network for the first time in 1996 so that remote workers could safely access the company's internal network. Once it increased business productivity, more businesses started implementing the strategy. Corporate VPNs that enable remote work are increasingly a common sight in the world of business.

Then, developers understood that the typical person might use this safe "tunnel" to safely connect to the world wide web, the largest network on the globe. In the consumer industry, VPNs are now the pillar of internet privacy.

What does a VPN do

A VPN initially passes your traffic through a VPN server before transmitting your internet traffic—such as your online searches, uploads, and downloads—directly to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). In this manner, your data looks to have originated from the VPN server and not your own device when it is eventually delivered to the internet.

Without a VPN, the internet may see your IP address, a distinctive number exclusive to your home network. By serving as an intermediary and rerouting your traffic, a VPN hides your IP address. As you join, it also adds encryption, or a tunnel around your identity. The VPN server and encryption tunnel work together to prevent your ISP, governments, hackers, and anybody else from watching how you use the internet.

What to look for when choosing a VPN

How can you pick just one VPN provider when there are so many available? The first thing to remember is that low-quality, free VPN services should be avoided. Free VPNs have a number of issues, including:

• Poor security: Many free choices use PPTP or other less secure security protocols.

• Fewer servers: When there aren't enough servers to handle the required bandwidth for numerous people, your performance may slacken to a crawl.

• Annoying ads: Some free VPNs rely on advertisements to make money off of their free VPN software.

• Download limits: The amount of data you can download or even upload is typically severely constrained by free services.

Many excellent premium services have a free trial so you may try them out before you buy. For safe, dependable VPN use, a paid VPN service is required, but how do you know which provider to pick? When choosing the ideal VPN programme, keep the following things in mind:

• Speed: As many providers struggle to maintain a fast enough speed for streaming or downloading, you want to be sure the VPN gives enough speed.

• Reputation: Read user and expert evaluations of the VPN to obtain a thorough understanding of how it functions. Make sure you're looking at a legitimate VPN because many fraudulent ones have appeared since the debate over net neutrality gained attention.

• Shared IP addresses: Pick a VPN service that provides shared IPs. Your browsing is even more private when there are other anonymous users around.

• Servers: Because each server will be less congested, more servers result in greater browsing performance. Additionally, your connection could be speedier and more dependable the closer you are to a server.

• Encryption: The most secure encryption standard available right now is AES-256, so look for it. Given that there are more conceivable combinations than there are stars in the universe, it is almost impossible to break.

• Protocol: Select the more dependable OpenVPN instead than less secure PPTP.

• Data logs: Select a VPN provider that doesn't maintain data logs (basically, its own account of your internet movements). To find out if a VPN gathers your information, read the policy.

• Customer support: The top VPN services offer on-call customer help in case something goes wrong.

• Features: Make sure the VPN you select is appropriate for what you require while keeping in mind what is particularly vital to you. For instance, while some VPNs forbid BitTorrent use, others let it. While some VPN download limits include a cap on the quantity of downloads, others do not. Some allow you to change the location of your server whenever you want and offer ad filtering, firewalls, kill switches, multiple connections, or these features. Find what works best with your online lifestyle.

• Free trial: It's a good idea to test out VPNs first as many of them offer free trials. Before deciding whether to buy a VPN, test the software's usability and performance.

Are VPNs legal?

In the majority of nations, even those with the finest server locations, VPNs are completely legal. However, anything that is unlawful without a VPN, such as copyright infringement, remains unlawful even while using a VPN. While using a VPN to unblock websites is lawful, doing so to stream geo-restricted material can violate the terms of service of the website in question.

Can I still be tracked on a VPN?

High-quality VPNs make it incredibly difficult for ad trackers or anybody else to follow you online since your genuine IP address is concealed and your internet traffic is encrypted. Websites won't be able to determine your IP address, and while your ISP might be able to see that you've connected to a VPN, they won't be able to view the actual data. Use a private browser and make sure your VPN kill switch is turned on to further obscure your identity.

Can I use a VPN on any device?

The privacy that VPNs offer will be useful for every device that connects to the internet. Most VPN companies provide a variety of platforms on which they may be accessed. 

Smart gadgets are more difficult to connect to a VPN than computers, tablets, and phones are. The best choice for other IoT devices is to configure your router with VPN security. All devices will thereafter be secured if they connect via that primary hub. Some routers come pre-installed with VPN software.

Setting up a VPN is simple; most VPN providers will direct you to their download page where you can obtain the VPN client.

How does the encryption tunnel work?

The process of converting plain text into an incomprehensible tangle of code is known as encryption. The text is decrypted and made legible by a key, also known as a decryption. Only your device and the VPN service provider have access to the decryption key when you use a VPN. The only thing anyone else trying to spy on you would see is a jumble of characters.

Hashing, symmetric cryptography, and asymmetric cryptography are the three basic methods of encryption. Although each type has specific advantages and disadvantages, they all are successful in encrypting your data so that it is useless in the hands of anybody else.

There are many levels of encryption strength offered by various VPN companies. Hashing, symmetric cryptography, and asymmetric cryptography are all combined in VPN to provide 256-bit AES encryption, the same standard used by banks and the military.