As a result of the COVID pandemic, the shift towards working remotely was greatly accelerated. More employees are working from home and this has further increased the demand for VPNs. The market is flooded with many VPNs that come with different features, making it difficult to decide the best VPN to use.
However, when you develop a good IT strategy for your home-based business, you need to ensure that using a VPN is part of this, and so you need to take the time and make the effort to find the right one for you but first, you need to know what is a vpn? Of course, a VPN is not going to be enough on its own, but it is certainly one of the first things you can do to make sure that you have a good line of defense when you are using the Internet from home.
With that being said, below, we are going to take a look at VPNs in further detail. We will provide you with some great information on what VPNs are and the advantages that are associated with them so that you can get a better understanding.
How do VPNs work?
Despite having numerous VPN providers in the market today, all virtual private networks work in a similar fashion.
A VPN can be defined as a software-based tool that delivers an end-to-end tunnel that is encrypted and runs between your connected devices and a VPN server. In simple terms, the VPN redirects your internet traffic away from the servers of your local internet service provider (ISP) and through its own.
Incoming and outgoing web traffic within the VPN channel is encrypted at all times. Encryption ensures that your activity online is hidden and it’s therefore impossible to track your footprint. In addition, a VPN hides your internet protocol (IP) address. To that end, government agencies, companies, cybercriminals, internet service providers like EATEL Business, and other third parties are not susceptible to hackers. For businesses, it's also good to add another layer of protection such as a dedicated server (view Venyu to know more) to avoid losing important data.
VPNs act as useful security and privacy tools. Using a VPN, your local location is automatically changed and as a result, you bypass local restrictions to certain websites and unblock content that typically isn’t available in your country. This is possible since VPN services are connected to worldwide servers. VPNs are great for streaming due to their ability to bypass local restrictions.
How do you get blocked from accessing some websites? Websites determine your location based on your local IP address and block access accordingly. Changing your IP address to that of another region makes it possible for you to access websites that could be blocked at your present location.
Advantages of using a virtual private network (VPN)
In addition to the obvious advantages mentioned above; online anonymity and access to blocked content, VPNs have other numerous advantages.
VPN allows you to use Public Wi-Fi Safely
Public Wi-Fi networks often lack stringent security features and are often used by cybercriminals to intercept data and information of innocent users. VPNs encrypt your internet traffic allowing you to access public Wi-Fi networks safely. If you use public Wi-Fi often whether it’s in coffee shops, public parks, or public transit, you should consider getting yourself a VPN.
Compatibility on Multiple Devices
Most VPNs allow you to connect various devices at a time with a single account. Since VPNs work on most desktop and mobile platforms, you can secure your devices including your laptop, game consoles, smart TV, and mobile phone. This is quite convenient considering the prevalence of data theft.
Averts Bandwidth Throttling by your ISP
When using large amounts of data at a time, your internet service provider (ISP) deliberately throttles or slows down your bandwidth to keep track of your online activities. Using a VPN prevents bandwidth throttling and invasive monitoring from your internet service provider.
Bypass Restrictive Firewalls
You may have noticed by now that there are some websites, you’re not able to access either at school or work. It is common for the IT departments of these institutions to set up a firewall in compliance with the rules and policies of the institution. These include blocking users from various websites including social media and other activities such as streaming and torrenting. Connecting to a VPN allows you to bypass the firewall restrictions and access these sites.
Gaming
Are you a fan of online gaming? Using VPNs while gaming online has plenty of advantages. Since VPNs hide your IP address and encrypt your data, you can play from any geographical location of your choosing. Even better, you can download games that are yet to be released in your country. If you're currently playing at a comfortable spot but is far from the router, utilizing the best wifi extender for gamers ensures that you won't suffer from lag or crash issues in-game.
Using a VPN while gaming online also protects you against DDoS attacks from deceitful players. It is also common to get unfair bans on your IP address while gaming online and VPNs come in handy. Make sure also that you are equipped with gaming accessories like Playstation 4 controller for a good gaming experience.
Accessing Great Deals Online
One significant yet understated advantage of working with VPNs is the ability to access better deals online whether it’s from online stores or companies. Price discrimination based on your geographical location and internet activity is a reality. For example, airline companies use your location and online activity based on cookies to determine prices.
A VPN allows you to switch between different servers and browse from different locations making it possible for you to find better deals. Before going to any website, we recommend that you clear website cookies; otherwise, you’ll still be exposed to price discrimination since companies can still recognize your device.
So there you have it: everything you need to know about using a VPN and the different benefits that are associated with this. We hope that this has helped you to get a better understanding of why a VPN is important and what sort of benefits you can gain from having one installed. There is no denying that we all need to do everything in our power to make sure that we protect ourselves from hackers and that we browse the Internet securely when working from home. Call for computer repair services in Cambridge to set it up for you.