What Is A VPN? Why Do We Need A VPN?

With the growth of the Internet, online data theft is also increasing. From your personal data to bank accounts, anything can be stolen if you don’t protect it properly when you make online transactions.

What is a VPN? Why do we need a VPN?
What is a VPN? Why do we need a VPN?

What is a VPN? Why do we need a VPN?

In order to protect your data, you should use any medium that helps you protect your data. One of these supports is the VPN (virtual private network). By using a VPN , your data is encrypted and no one can steal it.

Besides data theft, the VPN also has many other features. Let us discuss in more detail on What is a VPN, How to Use a VPN, Benefits of Using a VPN and much more in this article.

What is a VPN?

VPN stands for virtual private network. AVPNallows you to establish a secure connection with another network. It also increases the security of private and public network connections. A VPN masks your IP address and displays a different IP address for the others.

Each time you transmit data to another network, VPN encrypts it and sends it as encrypted data to the network.

To be more precise, a VPN adds security and confidentiality to its customers. The virtual private network also allows you to remove geographic barriers. Blocked location-based content is accessible through a VPN.

How does a VPN work?

Once connected to a VPN server, the software starts encrypting the data before your ISP takes note. Then the data is encrypted and transmitted to the VPN. From theVPN server, the data will reach the destination network. The network can now only see the IP address and location of your VPN server. Your personal IP address and location are hidden using a VPN.

If you are not using a VPN network, there is a risk of data theft. If you use a VPN, your data will enter the encrypted network that protects your data.

Here are the steps on How a VPN works:

# 1:You must first install and activate the VPN on your device. (The device can be any medium used to connect to the Internet. For example: mobile phones, computers, iPad, USB Fire Fire key, Android TV, etc.).

# 2:After activation, VPN will start encrypting your device data. (Once the VPN is activated, your IP address is hidden and you are not connected to a virtual IP address).

# 3:Now everything you search for or give as input will go as encrypted data.

# 4:The encrypted data will be transferred to the VPN server and from there it will be sent to the destination online. (By checking your IP address, the online destination website or network will only find the IP address and location of the VPN server).

Your location and IP address will remain hidden using a VPN server. Here is the step-by-step procedure on how a VPN works.

Benefits of using a VPN

Using a VPN has many advantages. Here are the most important advantages of using a VPN:

  1. VPN hides your IP address and location.
  2. The data and communications put online can be encrypted.
  3. Using a VPN, you can view all blocked websites from anywhere.
  4. Your device is protected from surveillance. No one will be able to watch or monitor your activities on your device.
  5. The data is completely encrypted and you can hackers and thieves will not be able to steal your password or other data.
  6. VPN also prevents third parties who track your data.
  7. By connecting to a broadband VPN, you can access movies and videos in 4K resolution without any sort of buffering.
  8. Videos that are not available in a specific country can also be viewed using a VPN.

These are the most important benefits of using a VPN.

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VPN protocols

For any application, a protocol can be followed to guarantee the standards. Likewise, VPN also has different protocols and all reputable VPN companies follow any of the protocols to maintain their standards in the VPN industry. Here are the most commonly used VPN protocols:

# 1:PPTP: PPTP is a point-to-point tunneling protocol. It is one of the oldest protocols used. This protocol is now barely secure. The protocol was developed by Microsoft and is very easy to install on older computers. Do not choose the VPN which only follows the PPTP protocol.

# 2: SSTP: SSTP is a secure tunneling protocol. This is another protocol built by Microsoft. It uses SSL / TLS encryption to establish the connection. The SSTP protocol is one of the most secure solutions used.

# 3: IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange, version 2): another Microsoft protocol reinforcing security compared to the previous version. IKEv2 is the iteration of the Microsoft protocol that was previously developed. This protocol is one of the best security solutions for your data.

# 4: OpenVPN: the OpenVPN protocol makes the most of all the other protocols used previously. It is an open source protocol that works with SSL / TLS. As an open source protocol, it is constantly being developed by many developers around the world. OpenVPN is the best VPN protocol available on the market.

If you are considering purchasing a VPN service, you can check the protocol version and continue if the VPN offers the OpenVPN or IKEv2 protocols.

Free and paid VPN

Both will provide the same service but the quality will certainly be different. If you really want to opt for a world class VPN service, you need to purchase only the paid version. Here is the important difference to understand between free and paid VPN:

# 1:Speed: You can’t expect to download and download from a free version. If you’re using a paid VPN, you have the right to ask questions when you can’t expect speed with a free version.

# 2:Limited IP addresses: a free version will only offer a few IP addresses and everyone will use the same thing. In paid VPN mode, you have access to many IP addresses around the world.

# 3:Ads: A free VPN will surely show lots of ads on their app, because it’s the only way to win. The paid version will not display any ads.

# 4: Security: a free version can track your information and sell it to third-party apps to make money. This is one of the major drawbacks of using free VPN.

This is the main drawback of using a free VPN. The only positive is that the free VPN is available for ”Free“.

How much does a VPN cost?

The cost differs depending on the supplier you choose. The plans are available on a monthly and yearly basis. You need to choose the best plan for you and buy the VPN. Here are the most used VPNs with their cost:

The average price of a VPN is around $3.99 a month. You get the best deals if you buy a VPN on an annual basis. You can save around 50% of the cost of VPNs by purchasing it on an annual basis.

Does the VPN work on Windows / Mac / Linux?

Yes! VPN was designed for desktops and computers. Previously, you were asked to add the VPN manually, but you can now install the app directly and connect to the VPN with the press of a single button.

Most VPNs are available on almost all versions of the operating system used in laptops and desktops. You can go to the official VPN site, download the version of the relevant operating system and install it on your system. After a successful connection, you can use the VPN on your computers.

Does the VPN work on iOS / Android?

The internet is mainly used by mobile phones these days. VPN companies have developed their application for mobile platforms so that customers can use it.

All major virtual private networks have their application for Android and iOS devices. Here are the steps to install a virtual private network on mobile devices:

# 1: Open the official VPN site.

# 2: Go to the download section or the product section.

# 3: Select your device (iOS or Android or any other operating system, if available).

# 4: Download and install the app on your device.

# 5: Connect and connect to VPN services.

These are the ways to download and install a VPN on iOS or Android devices.

VPN compatible devices

In addition to desktop computers and mobile phones, VPN apps can also be installed on various devices. Here are the other devices that can use a VPN:

  • Smart TV
  • router
  • Amazon Fire TV key
  • Roku
  • Android TV Box
  • Apple tv
  • Xbox

These are other devices that also support virtual private networks. You can install a VPN on these devices and secure your data on these apps.

VPN FAQ

Q1: Is the VPN legal?

A1: The legality of VPNs depends on the country in which you use it. Use of VPNs in countries like North Korea, Iran and Oman. There are few countries where the government has restricted the use of VPN. Apart from that, all the other countries have authorized the VPN as being legal.

Q2: Is it safe to use a VPN?

A2: It depends on the VPN you use. Using a free VPN is risky and you can’t expect these free VPN companies to protect your data. Always choose a virtual private network (VPN) that does not track your data.

Q3: Can you be followed if you use a VPN?

A3: the VPN makes you anonymous. It does not show your actual location or your IP address. You cannot be screened if you are using a virtual private network unless you log in with your email ID or another identity.

Wrap

VPN is a useful application that should be used by everyone to hide their identity. These add an extra layer of security to the SSL certificate used by websites. All the data you send will be encrypted using a VPN.

By adding a VPN to your computer / mobile phone, you can easily connect to another country and choose an IP address. With lots of features, VPN is the best tool that everyone should have on their devices.

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