It’s not long ago that VPNs were exclusive to businesses and individuals concerned about privacy. Today, there is a thriving market for commercial VPNs with user-friendly applications and affordable prices that do not require networking knowledge to use. It can be difficult to choose the right network and understand how to use it after finding it. We will help you understand the best uses for VPNs, how to choose the right network, and how to use it to enhance your online privacy.
Do You Need a VPN?
VPNs have become easier to use than ever, but explaining what they are good for is not straightforward. But this might help. In 2021, the Federal Trade Commission released a report detailing how much internet service providers know about their customers’ (you) data. A particular paragraph in the report makes a compelling case for VPNs:
This means that any single internet service provider has the ability to track the websites that its subscribers visit, the TV shows they watch, the apps they use, their energy usage habits, their current and historical location, their search queries, and the content of their emails. […] They use this data to create advertising categories, including categories that reveal sensitive data such as race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, financial status, health status, and political beliefs.
This is where VPNs come to the rescue. These applications help maintain privacy even from those who have privileged access to your data. However, like any other tool, it’s essential to understand the limitations of a VPN. After all, you can’t expect a Kevlar vest to save you from falling out of a plane or for a parachute to stop a bullet.
When you run a VPN, your traffic is routed through an encrypted tunnel to a server operated by the VPN company. This means your internet service provider won’t be able to see your web traffic. Even network operators won’t be able to spy on your activities.
Because your traffic appears to come from a VPN server, your actual IP address is effectively hidden. This makes it difficult to track you as you move across the web, and since IP addresses are geographically distributed, it conceals your actual location. This can be helpful if you want to spoof your location. Connecting to a VPN server in London makes it appear as if you are using the internet from the UK.
What a VPN will not do is fully anonymize your traffic. Therefore, you will also need to use the free Tor network. Instead of routing your data through just one intermediary (like a VPN server), Tor routes your data through several different volunteer devices. This makes it significantly harder for anyone attempting to trace your activities to see what you are doing, but note that this will slow down your web traffic.
Additionally, websites can track your movements through cookies, browser fingerprints, internet trackers, and other crafty tools. Installing an ad blocker and using all the privacy tools available in most modern browsers can make it harder for ads to follow your movements across the web.
Finally, just because you have a VPN doesn’t mean you can forget the security basics. While some VPN services claim to block malware, we recommend independent antivirus software for your computer, as these tools are designed to protect your computer from malware. You can protect yourself from password breaches by using a password manager because recycled passwords are a major failure point. With a password manager, you can have massive and random passwords for every site. While securing your passwords, enable two-factor authentication wherever possible.
How to
Choosing a VPN
When we test and review VPNs, we consider a few key metrics. First, a VPN service should allow you to connect at least five devices simultaneously. The best services easily exceed this requirement, and some impose no limit on simultaneous connections. Another essential requirement is that the VPN service should allow traffic over BitTorrent or P2P protocols on its servers – if you plan to use either of these technologies. Almost all VPNs allow them on some of their servers, but you don’t want to run into issues with the company you are paying a monthly fee to.
Regarding fees, the average cost we have seen in the VPNs reviewed by PCMag is $9.90 for a monthly subscription. A VPN does not necessarily have to charge a higher monthly fee, but it should offer something substantial, such as an excellent interface or numerous server locations to enhance the deal.
You can usually obtain a discount if you purchase long-term contracts. The average price for an annual VPN subscription is $66.28 based on thirteen products. However, we recommend avoiding long commitments until you are sure you are satisfied with the service. Start with a short-term subscription or, better yet, a free trial to test the VPN at home.
It is also helpful to know the location of the VPN company. This is not always the actual physical location of the company but a legal distinction that explains the jurisdiction the company considers its home for legal purposes. Local laws (or lack thereof) may mean that these companies are not subject to data retention laws, which require them to retain certain information (like your data) that can be obtained by law enforcement.
Many readers are concerned about how VPNs affect internet speed. At PCMag, we conduct extensive speed tests to determine the fastest VPN. However, we do not believe speed should be the primary factor when choosing a VPN. There is so much variability in performance that a service receiving top scores today may be slow tomorrow. We recommend testing the service on your home network to see how it performs, with the understanding that there will always be a performance cost and that it may change daily – even hour to hour.
One of the questions readers often ask is whether they can trust a VPN. After all, VPNs have the same access to traffic that your Internet Service Provider does, and they could potentially exploit it or misuse your privacy by handing over information to hackers or law enforcement. In our reviews, we spend a lot of time trying to answer this question by talking to companies, reviewing their policies, and so forth. Some signs of trustworthy VPNs include a clear and understandable privacy policy, transparency reports, and audits by third parties that examine the implementation of the policy and the infrastructure.
If the location, pricing, or terms of service do not inspire confidence, try another service. In all our VPN reviews, we report on all these issues and highlight anything we think is unclear or problematic.
Should I Pay for a VPN?
Free VPNs worth considering are rare, but they do exist. Some VPN services offer free trials, usually for a limited time. There are other services like TunnelBear VPN that provide free subscriptions but limit the data that free subscribers can use. Proton VPN is our top choice for free VPNs because it imposes no data restrictions on free users.
Unfortunately,
Most VPN networks are not free, but you don’t have to spend a lot to get one. Our list of cheap VPNs is a great place to start if money is tight. TunnelBear has a friendly interface and offers a free subscription.
Getting Started with a VPN
Once you decide to subscribe to a service, the first thing you need to do is get the company’s app, usually from the downloads page on the VPN service’s website. Download the apps for your mobile device as well. If the VPN service you’re considering doesn’t offer an app for your devices, consider looking for another service.
Some companies have one set of apps available in app stores and another set on their website. This seems to be done to comply with restrictions imposed by app store owners. It can be hard to know which will work for you, so read the company’s documentation carefully.
Once the apps are installed, you are usually prompted to enter your login information. In most cases, this is the username and password you created when you signed up for the service. Some companies, like IVPN and Mullvad VPN, use a privacy-protecting login system that may be confusing at first. Be sure to read the instructions carefully. Mullvad VPN uses an account system that only requires your account number for access.
Once logged in, your VPN app usually connects to the nearest VPN server to your current location. This is done to provide better speeds when using a VPN, as performance degrades the further the VPN server is from your actual location. That’s it: your information is now securely routed to the VPN server.
Some readers may hesitate to install another app on their devices. If you have a more hands-on approach, you can skip the app and do it the traditional way. This usually involves changing operating system settings to use a VPN network structure. Most VPN services will have documentation on how to configure your device.
However, we advise against going this route. Manual configuration means you’ll have to keep server information manually on your computer. You also won’t be able to access all the other features that the VPN service you are already paying for provides. Check out our story on how to set up a VPN on Windows 11 for more information if you are seriously considering this route.
How to Choose the Right Server in a VPN
Sometimes, you may not want to connect to the server the VPN app recommends. You might want to spoof your location or take advantage of dedicated servers provided by your VPN. Or perhaps the server recommended by the app is not working or is too slow. Whatever the reason, the best VPNs allow you to quickly and easily switch to another VPN server.
Sometimes, VPN apps present their servers in long lists or dropdowns. The best VPN services include search bars and highlight dedicated servers for specific activities like streaming and using BitTorrent. Many VPN companies feature an interactive map as part of their app. For example, TunnelBear VPN and NordVPN allow you to click on countries to connect to servers there. Proton VPN has a list of available servers, but you can also use an interactive map.
Choosing the server depends entirely on what you want to achieve. For better speeds, you should choose a nearby server. To access geo-restricted content, you’ll need a local server for the content you wish to watch. Some VPN companies have specialized servers for video streaming. These specialized servers are useful because streaming services like Netflix block VPNs. The licensing deals secured by Netflix with studios are problematic, as they provide different content for different regions.
There are
The best VPN services offer advanced security options, such as access to Tor or multi-hop VPNs. Tor, as mentioned above, is a way to better protect your privacy and allows you to access hidden websites on what is called the dark web. Multi-hop VPNs are similar: instead of routing your traffic through just one VPN server, a multi-hop connection routes you through one server and then another. These offerings trade both speed and enhanced privacy. Proton VPN calls its multi-hop connections Secure Core because its multi-hop servers have additional layers of actual security.
Beyond the Basics
The feature set varies from one VPN service to another, so we can only generalize about what you might see when opening the settings of a VPN. However, we encourage you to read the documentation and click on some buttons. The best way to learn a tool is to use it.
Most VPN services include a kill switch, which prevents your computer from sending information if the VPN connection drops. This helps to prevent unencrypted data leaks. If you suddenly find your internet cut off, check to see if the kill switch of your VPN has been activated.
Some VPNs give you the option to specify the VPN protocol. This can be intimidating because they have strange names, and companies rarely provide information about these protocols or what changing the protocol will do. Generally, you can leave this as is.
If you’re interested, the latest VPN protocol is WireGuard. It is open source, considered the latest encryption technology, and may be faster than other protocols. OpenVPN and IKEv2 are also good options. Note that the available protocols may vary depending on the device, so make sure to confirm that the VPN supports everything you wish to connect to using the protocol of your choice.
When Should You Use a VPN?
When to use a VPN depends on what you want to use it for. If you’re trying to access geo-restricted content, you might leave the VPN off until it’s time to stream. If you’re concerned about privacy, you likely want to have the VPN on as much as possible. If you’re mostly worried about dodgy Wi-Fi networks, you might restrict your VPN usage to travel only.
Don’t berate yourself if the VPN causes issues and you need to turn it off. At a minimum, you should use a VPN whenever you’re on a network you don’t control, especially if it’s public Wi-Fi.
VPNs for Android and iPhones are more complex, especially if you’re frequently moving in and out of cellular coverage. Each time you lose and regain your data connection, the VPN has to reconnect, which adds frustrating time. It’s also less likely that nefarious actors can intercept your cellular traffic, although researchers have proven that it can be done. NordVPN has a consistent design across all platforms, including iOS.
Most devices automatically connect to any Wi-Fi network that looks familiar. This is done for your convenience, but it’s very easy to masquerade as a Wi-Fi network. Your phone or laptop may connect to a malicious digital network without you realizing it. This and other strange attacks are, by definition, rare. Nevertheless, understanding all the existing threats is still useful.
Split Tunneling
Automatic is the best of worlds
If you are concerned that VPNs slow down your connections or block important traffic, you should consider a VPN that features split tunneling. The names for this feature vary from company to company, but the essence is that you can specify which applications use the VPN for their traffic and which can send without it. For example, TunnelBear VPN includes an option to exclude any Apple applications to ensure they work properly on a Mac. Frequent video streaming users and gamers may want to explore this option.
Some VPNs have settings that allow your device to communicate with local devices (LAN devices or those on the same network), which can also be helpful. However, remember that even with local traffic and split tunneling, applications that allow you to stream media remotely to other devices – like Chromecast and Apple AirPlay – may not work well with VPNs.
VPNs should work for you
Far from being complex networking tools, modern VPNs are incredibly user-friendly. Most of them are now self-resetting tools, as they should be. The problem is that
Source: https://me.pcmag.com/en/vpn/11444/how-to-set-up-and-use-a-vpn
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