A virtual private network simply means a private connection between your device(s) and the internet. The concept of VPN has gained popularity over time and would soon be a necessity for the sake of online privacy and security. Now the question arises, why should I use a VPN? A VPN has a great utility to make your online experience faster, safer and more accessible. The biggest advantage of having a VPN is its unblocking ability along with maximum user security.

The article focuses on the various utilities of a VPN that would make you want to use a VPN on your device right away.

Why Should You Use a VPN?

A VPN is a powerful tool that ensures complete online privacy and security for the user. There are many more utilities of a VPN which would surely convince you to get one.

1. Business Utility

Today, most of the businesses are established online and have multiple branches situated at different locations. A site-to-site VPN is the best option for businesses to transmit corporate data to such groups/branches securely over the internet. There are many VPN providers that offer VPN packages for business use.

2. Media Streaming

There are hundreds of new viruses created on the World Wide Web today, infecting many websites and the users who visit them. A VPN helps to prevent such virus attacks on your device quite effectively through inbuilt firewalls. Besides, there are many entertainment websites which are blocked by regulatory agencies due to location issues. So, why use VPN? A VPN allows you to get access to all your favourite websites irrespective of your location. Enjoy secure uninterrupted media streaming on websites like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime, etc.

3. Gaming like a Pro

A VPN often allows you to connect multiple devices at a time. You can connect your gaming consoles, smartphones, PC or tablets to a single VPN network and enjoy gaming without getting restricted due to your geo-location. You can unblock online gaming websites with a VPN connection and enjoy online gaming too!

4. Torrenting Securely

Downloading movies, software, games and much more using torrents is faster and safer when done on a VPN network. You are less likely to have a virus on your device with a VPN than without having one. So, download fearlessly on torrent websites like UTorrent, Torrentz, ExtraTorrents and many more.

5. Travel Cheaper

When you book your flights on a travel website, your IP address and location is often monitored by them. They charge you a price higher than the normal for the booking depending upon your location. Why use a VPN while booking my flights or hotels? A VPN helps to prevent the tracking activities by the travel companies, helping you to save money on your booking.

6. Defeat Geo-Blocking

Many countries have regulations put in place for restricting access to websites on the basis of the user’s location. This can be a hindrance in case you are traveling and want to access geo-restricted websites. The reason why you should use a VPN is that it helps you unblock such websites while traveling for work or holiday.

7. Privacy and Security

A VPN protects you from hacking and phishing attacks while working on the internet. The sophisticated encryption protocols like SSL, IPsec and PPTP ensure that your data is securely coded and accessible by authorized entities only. Some VPN providers have an inbuilt firewall on their VPN servers to prevent any malware and viruses from invading your device. The reason why many businesses use VPN for their websites is to safeguard their sensitive data from theft or misuse.

8. Cloud Storage

Some VPN providers offer packages with cloud storage facility for users. You can easily upload your files or data on the VPN cloud servers securely and access them over the internet anytime, anywhere. Cloud storage facility can be useful for business users to store their sensitive data online.

Conclusion

Before summing up, it would be interesting to know that a VPN is widely used in various industries like healthcare, manufacturing, retail, banking and finance sectors. These industries outsource the VPN services in order to function efficiently. They use the VPN to upload or transmit their confidential data securely. So, it can be well concluded that a VPN has a great utility wherever you find internet!

Advancing technology has significantly boosted the growth of Internet of Things (IOT), which means more and more devices are internet-enabled. This also means a greater threat to privacy and security of the user while using the internet. The VPN is a popular tool used by internet users worldwide to protect their privacy while working online. The benefits of using a VPN are many, extending to private and corporate sectors alike. Some of the advantages of using a VPN include unrestricted access to the web, enhanced security, and better productivity in business.

The article focuses on informing the readers about the benefits of using VPN on devices like smartphones, iPads, tablets, Wi-Fi routers, desktops and laptops. Read on to know more!

Advantages of VPN

1. Digital Security Guard

VPN establishes a secure connection between your device and the website on a public network. It becomes your online security guard that protects your data from being tracked or misused. This is done with the help of a sophisticated encryption mechanism that does the job of coding the private data securely. Most of the VPN servers come with a 256 bit encryption for maximum protection.

2. No Hacking, No Tracking.

There are various VPN Tunnelling protocols used to ensure that your data is encapsulated securely on the server. Some popular encryption protocols include IPsec, L2TP, SSL and PPTP. Whether you are banking, trading, gaming or torrenting, VPN will shield you from unwanted tracking and hacking activities.

3. Never Be Seen

Another advantage of using VPN is that no one can track your online activities except the VPN provider, which is not an issue at all because that has “No-Log” policy. They often do not store any of your confidential data on their servers and if they do, it is for your assistance only. You are protected from being monitored by your ISP while transmitting data traffic over a VPN server. So, browse remotely on a VPN server from anywhere without having your IP address revealed.

4. Online Privacy

It is often better to be safe rather than sorry. Buying a good VPN would keep you off from hackers who try to steal sensitive information to their advantage. Privacy is the key benefit of using a VPN, be it for business or personal use. It would be better to choose a VPN provider that has a “no log” policy if you are concerned about your data privacy.

5. Stay Private in Public

If you are using public networks frequently, then your online safety might be at risk. A VPN would solve this problem by creating a layer of security and protect you from data theft. Places such as cybercafés and public Wi-Fi spots are common targets by hackers. So, a VPN would be the best option to be safe online while using such networks.

6. Freedom of Access

Another major benefit of using a VPN is gaining unrestricted access to various websites which may be blocked by government agencies due to the geographic location of the user. You can enjoy unrestricted media streaming, uploading and downloading content securely on the VPN servers irrespective of the country you are in. Good VPN providers often have an extensive distribution network for users to ensure internet freedom.

7. Multitasking on VPN

Most of the VPN providers allow connecting more than one device at a time. You can multitask by working on different devices for your business use, media streaming, gaming and much more. The number of devices supported under one account depends on the VPN provider you choose and the subscription you purchase. So, the advantage for you is that you save time and energy by multitasking over a single VPN network.

8. Maximize Efficiency

A good VPN would boost your overall efficiency in whatever activity you are doing online. For example, if you are into an online business, then you can easily maintain a customer database privately on a VPN server. There are different packages offered by VPN providers at varying prices depending on the features offered. Most of the VPN providers have their servers covering all the countries of the world for better efficiency.

9. Speed & Reliability

There is a big advantage of using VPN for users if they need to get work done online quickly and safely. VPN provides good speeds for data transmission between your device and the internet, making it faster to upload or download information.

Reliability is taken care of by a feature known as the “kill switch” offered by most of the reputed VPN providers. The kill-switch ensures that your data is not exposed to the unsafe internet traffic by disconnecting you from the internet in case of a connection failure. It is recommended to check whether this feature is available for the VPN you choose to pay for.

10. Great Device Compatibility

Today, most of the devices associated with the Internet of Things (IOT) are supported by most of the VPN services available in the industry. You can use a VPN on practically any device that allows internet connectivity. There are dedicated VPN services for different devices for example:

The Bottom Line

A strong conclusion for this article is that, undoubtedly, the benefits outweigh the cost. This means that the number of benefits offered by a VPN to make your online experience richer, safer and better are way higher than the price you need to pay for availing these. The benefits of using a VPN for business, phones, routers, etc., are worth the price paid to be honest. If it’s for online privacy, there is nothing better than a good VPN. You can compare top VPN service provider here to choose best.

In a world of increasing internet activities, the use of VPNs will likely continue to increase over the years. However, a common debate has always been which the better option is between Paid VPNs and Free VPNs. In order to determine which the better option between the two is, we shall conduct a comparison of the various features offered while weighing the advantages and disadvantages of both the Free and Paid VPN. Finally, we will make a recommendation based on which is the best VPN for use.

Final Verdict

Although Free VPNs might appear cheap and easy to access, they do come at a costly price. Free VPNs are less secure and stable which reduce their usability. Also, the lack of a 24/7 support makes it harder to navigate the sites thus limiting the scope of use. However, paid VPNS are more stable and reliable as they have servers evenly distributed across multiple countries. This makes the connection stable, and the use of multiple protocols such as Open VPN, L2TP/IPSEC, SSH make it safer for use. Paid VPNs do not monitor user activities; this makes them safer and more reliable when dealing with important and personal issues. Therefore, when compared to free VPNs, paid VPNs are more effective, reliable and secure as they offer value for money and protect you every time you are online.

A VPN is the most commonly used tool by internet users worldwide for securing their online activities. A VPN basically means a "tunnel" that connects the internet user securely and anonymously with a website or a public network such as a Wi-Fi.

The rising instances of government tracking and hacking activities have made the VPN an ideal tool for warding off such threats. This tool has made it easier for frequent internet users to work online without any fear of unwanted tracking. A VPN is a paid service offered by numerous VPN service providers for a fee based on the duration the user opts for.

How is a commercial VPN different from a corporate VPN?

The first VPN was formulated solely for the use of business organizations to ensure confidentiality of their data. These VPNs are termed as "corporate VPNs".

On the contrary, a commercial VPN is meant for the use of ordinary users for their private usage. This guide mainly focusses on the commercial virtual private networks, while most of the providers offer both types of VPN services.

Types of VPN

Basically, there are two types of virtual private networks - the remote access VPN and Site-to-Site VPN. The former type helps the users to remotely connect to a LAN device and access their private servers or databases securely, while the latter helps the users to connect securely to a public network or website.

There are different types of VPN protocols which have their own level of encryption. The PPTP is the most commonly used protocol which requires the users to access the VPN server only after authentication via username and password.

VPN Process

The users are first connected to their internet service provider (ISP) which provides them the access to the websites they wish to visit or surf.

The user activity is encrypted and monitored by the ISP who can see the data being transmitted to the websites.

The VPN process starts with the user's network being connected to an encrypted server that is hidden to the ISP.

A VPN protocol is associated with the server connection to provide varying levels of encryption for the user.

The end result is a completely secure and anonymous connection for the user on a virtually created private network.

Setting up a VPN

Following is a short checklist for the users wanting to set up a VPN on their handset/desktop PC.

Phases of a VPN Connection

There are three important phases for establishing a VPN connection successfully:

a) Authentication

Users need to verify their identity before they can access the VPN server. They need to provide the login credentials like Username and Password in order to use the server. The device sends a request to the VPN server to initiate authentication of the user.

b) Secure Tunnel Creation

Post authentication, the user can connect to the available VPN server by selecting the server country/location.

Once the VPN connection is established, a virtual "tunnel" is created through which the data can be transmitted securely and anonymously.

c) Encryption

Finally, the user data is encrypted to prevent any tracking or hacking activities. The tunnel is used to transmit the coded data between the websites. Free VPN providers do not provide this privilege. The IP address of the user can be changed or hidden to prevent ISP to monitor their online activities.

Results of Using a VPN

Following are the implications the users should know before utilizing a VPN software.

1. The users' Internet Service Providers (ISP) would not be able to track or monitor any data or websites. VPN servers use high-end encryption technologies to ensure maximum user privacy.

2. The Internet Protocol Address (IP) is changed temporarily while using VPN. The user's IP address is set by the VPN server of the selected country/location, thus hiding the real IP address of the user.

3. The VPN provider can track the user data and websites visited by the user. Privacy is guaranteed by most of the VPN providers through their "no log" policies.

4. It is possible for the internet speed to reduce due to the power required by the servers to encrypt or decrypt data.

Legality of Use

Using virtual private networks is completely legal in most of the countries around the world. Such countries usually do not impose restrictions on internet access for its citizens.

But there a few countries which do not encourage unrestricted usage of internet due to security reasons.

Some of the countries which have banned the usage of VPN include China, Iran, France and Saudi Arabia. Despite the government restrictions, some of the VPN servers do operate in these countries without any legal trouble.

Conclusion

This beginner's guide aims to educate the readers who want to know about virtual private networks (VPN) and the host of benefits offered to make the online experience safer and easier.

A VPN is basically an intermediary between the user and the website that helps to keep all the data encrypted. The users can explore the "freedom of internet access" by breaking all the restrictions put in place by various regulating authorities.

Finally, it could be concluded that Virtual Private Networking is one of the best marvels in the internet software industry. It has helped to break numerous barriers to ensure a free flow of information across the globe.

VPN: A Brief Overview

Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a widely used technology for enhancing the user's internet accessibility and security. The history of VPN dates back to the year 1996 when an employee of Microsoft formulated the P2P protocol which was succeeded by the modern virtual private network (VPN).

VPN is significantly different from a traditional private network. A VPN uses an internet service provider (ISP) as the mediator between the user and the public internet system unlike a private network uses a system of leased lines. Basically, a VPN is a private network connection created virtually over the internet.

Now, the question arises, is the use of VPN legal? Usage of virtual private networks is not considered to be a violation of law in most of the countries and big companies are already relying on VPNs to conduct efficient business with confidentiality. There are some countries like Saudi Arabia, France and China which do not allow the use of VPN technology for security reasons.

What Is a VPN?

1. VPN Meaning & Types of VPN

What is VPN Stand For?

A virtual private network (VPN) is a technology that is used to create a secure "tunnel" over the internet. The "tunnel" refers to a highly encrypted and private network that ensures anonymity of the user while working on a relatively unsafe public network.

VPNs are supported on a wide range of devices and operating platforms which include computers, desktops, mobiles, tablets, WiFi routers, etc. running on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and many more.

The users are connected through a P2P (point-to-point) system in a VPN which enables them to obtain a different IP address. This helps them to transmit data at faster speeds without having their original identities revealed.

The connections are made secure through VPN protocols which help the user data to be encrypted. The level of encryption depends to the type of VPN protocol used to secure the VPN network.

Most VPN providers have a global network distribution to enable the users to access these networks from their place of work or residence. This helps them to access websites that are restricted due to geographic location or government actions.

VPNs are of three basic types namely: WAN (Wide Area Network) is often used for connecting branch offices of a company, Access VPN is used for users who are travelling and need access to location-restricted websites. Finally, the Extranet VPN is used for customer-supplier networks.

2. Types of VPN Protocols

What is VPN Protocols?

The users often use the VPN networks to secure their sensitive data from being misused on a public internet network. Businesses can connect securely to their different branch locations easily with VPNs. The level of security/encryption provided depends on the type of VPN protocol associated with the connection.

Here are the basic types of VPN protocols which are commonly used:

a) IPsec (IP Security):

What is IPSec VPN?

This protocol refers to the Internet Protocol Security and is the mostly commonly used encryption method in a VPN. It helps to establish a secure connection between two networks or an individual device with these networks. This protocol is used as a layer of security for other types of encryption protocols too.

b) P2P Protocol:

What is VPN P2P?

This refers to the Point-to-Point protocol which uses the "tunneling" technique to establish an encrypted connection between a remote client server and a private server. This helps the users to share and transmit data securely to a dedicated private server.

c) L2TP:

What is VPN L2TP?

It is another type of VPN encryption which refers to the Layering to Tunneling Protocol. It is a combined encryption of Cisco's L2F and Microsoft's PPTP algorithms used to establish a secure connection between two websites.

d) SSL:

What is SSL VPN?

Secure Sockets Layer refer to the VPN protocol which uses digital certificates in order to authenticate servers for their safe and security. The coded information is stored as a security certificate to define the website as "safe" and "secure".

3. Basic Components of a VPN

i) IP-Address

The internet protocol address acts as the identification component of a VPN network. The IP Address refers to a 32 bit number which identifies the sender and receiver of data on the network. It is a 32 bit system, hence is popularly referred to as IPv4 (version 4).

The newer version is IPv6 which offers a greater number of addresses than the IPv4 and is expected to be supported by the VPN providers soon.

The role of VPN is to provide a different IP address to the users in order to avoid unwanted tracking from the internet traffic which include government agencies. The changing IP addresses allows the users to hide their actual location, making it possible to access geographically restricted websites while on a VPN server.

ii) IP-Packet

The IP-Packet is simply the load on the VPN server. It is the specified set of data transmitted over the server by the user while uploading, downloading or streaming data over the network. Technically, the IP-Packet is defined as a "payload" on the VPN server.

The IP-Packet consists of a set of communication rules which include the "address headers" and other identification indicators. There are specific limits to the amount of data transmitted by the user depending on the packet length used.

The packet length limits for a standard IPv4 protocol is by default: 20 bytes minimum and 65,535 bytes maximum. So for IPv4, the maximum transmission limit is 65,535 bytes on that particular IP address.

Security Mechanisms

Virtual private networks offer a wide range of security and privacy options to the users with the help of various encryption techniques. Most of the VPN servers have a 256-bit encryption for the user's safety and privacy. This may vary from the different IP protocols associated with the server.

What is VPN encryption?

Encryption refers to the coding of the simple text or characters that are readable into a unique ciphertext. This code can only be read by the authorized user computer. This helps to protect the user data from being exposed to the internet traffic, thus preventing risk of data theft.

There are encryption protocols implemented with the help of different methods explained below:

Encapsulation Mode: This method of encryption is associated with the IPSec protocol described above. It helps to establish a secure connection between two networks through "tunneling". A tunnel helps to encrypt the data securely in the server's IP-address, which is "encapsulated". This method enables the users to hide their actual IP addresses to avoid tracking.

Transport Mode: This method is a shorter version of the encapsulation mode. The difference is that the IP address of the target website remains the same. Only the user data is encrypted on the VPN server.

Future Scope of VPN

With advancing technology, the risks and threats to cybersecurity will increase. Virtual private networks (VPN) are expected to be in high demand in the near future.

Businesses would be greatly benefited from an evolution and upgradation of the VPN technology. It would make it much easier to transact securely over the internet.

VPN would be the best technology that would promote free flow of data and information over the internet irrespective of the user's geographic location.

The launch of the IPv6 protocol in the VPN industry would be a great boost to its performance and user satisfaction.

VPN Providers

There are lots of VPN (Virtual Private Network) service provider in the market but not all are not great with features with pricing. This is why we have prepared very in-depth Top VPN comparison to find you best VPN Service provider to choose from.

Conclusion

Summing up. The VPN technology is an important element when it comes to internet security. Users have been relying on VPN for their business and personal use. The article focusses on VPN as a utility to enable the readers to know about its meaning, basic types, its process and the components.

VPN is one of the best methods to obtain complete freedom and security when it comes to online activities such as streaming, gaming, torrenting, P2P, business, etc. With advancing technology in the fields of internet and software, the future of the VPN industry looks bright.