What Is a VPN and How to Use It (Short Beginner’s Guide)

A virtual private network (VPN) is one of the best and smartest ways to protect your online privacy and keep your data secure. It helps you create a secure connection and send and receive data across shared or public networks. You can use VPNs to remain anonymous while browsing on public Wi-Fi or access region-restricted websites. VPNs are gaining popularity and most operating systems have integrated VPN support. Hence, here is everything there is to know about VPN.

What Is a VPN?

A virtual private network is a way to connect your smartphone, computer, or tablet somewhere on the internet. A VPN allows you to browse the internet using that computer’s internet connection. However, if the server is in a different country, it will help you appear like you’re from the same country. Thus, it allows you to access more things, which you normally can’t.

In fact, using a VPN will help you watch streaming media, such as Hulu or Netflix, protect yourself from untrustworthy Wi-Fi hotspots, bypass geographic restrictions on websites, achieve anonymity online, hide your true location, and shield yourself being logged while torrenting. A VPN is mostly used to bypass geographic restrictions in order to watch content in a different country.

A virtual private network works so as when you connect your device to a VPN, the device appears to be on the same local network as the VPN. Therefore, you are allowed to access and see local network resources wherever you want. This is especially handy when you use public Wi-Fi and try to access Geo-blocked websites.

As soon as you connect your device to a VPN, the device contacts the website through the encrypted VPN connection. Then, the request is forwarded as well as the response. For instance, users who use a USA-based VPN to watch a film on Netflix, the media-services provider will recognize your connection as it is coming from the USA.

People usually use VPNs for a wide range of purposes, including accessing their business’ or home network while they are on a trip, keeping the browsing activity a secret from the local network, bypassing internet censorship, and downloading files.

A VPN: Short Beginner’s Guide

If you are a beginner and want to learn how to use a VPN, keep reading. First and foremost, you should decide why you need the virtual private network for. Thus, you can either create a VPN server yourself, use one from your workplace, or host one out of your house. However, it is best if you head to certain sites, where you will need to sign up and download the VPN client for your gadget.

There are several websites from which you can download a VPN. So, if you want to get a cheap VPN, check ExpressVPN, which offers fast servers which support torrenting and streaming media. If you want to use a VPN at a coffee shop, check Tunnelbear, which is an extremely easy VPN to use. However, it comes with a limited free tier. Last but not least is StrongVPN, which can be a bit more challenging to use, but it’s also a great VPN. What’s best about all three of these VPN server websites is that each one of them has free trials.

In case you decide to use a corporate VPN on your windows gadget, simply press the Windows key, type VPN, and click the Set up a virtual private network (VPN) connection option. Then, you’ll be required to enter your address and login credentials of the VPN service. Simply by clicking the network icon in the system tray, you can connect to and disconnect from VPNs.