Why You Need VPN – Virtual Private Network

You have been hearing about VPN but you had not really given it a thought. Now you want to know what exactly VPN is and why you need a VPN.

In this brisk article, I have brought you what VPN is and following it are the reasons why you need a VPN, buttressed as real advantages of VPN.

Also here in this article are other necessary things you need to know about VPN like how a VPN works, the types of VPN, the disadvantages of VPN and finally how you can get started using a recommended VPN. Now let us get down with the discourse.

What is a VPN?

VPN is an abbreviation for Virtual Private Network. From its words (virtual and private), one can easily understand that VPN is a technology that allows users to create a secure yet hidden or private internet connection.

VPN simply encrypts an internet connection from a device ensuring that sensitive data is not revealed about the user(s).

There are major uses of VPN and they include:

  • In the corporate world, VPN is used to access corporate applications and resources among remote users and branch offices. Data is passed across the network securely.
  • It is also used by individuals to hide their personal information over the internet. Such information could be a location. Thus VPN breaks the limitations associated with a user’s location.
  • You can use a VPN to access your home or office network when you are traveling.

Why You Need A VPN

Do you really need a VPN? Well, I think that is a question you will be able to answer after reading this aspect of the article.

So these are the reasons behind using a VPN:

1. Security Purpose: Data transferred over the internet through a VPN is secured and encrypted. This encryption can only be read on your own computer. By this hackers will hardly break your security.

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2. Internet Anonymity: VPN totally hides your identity from the internet. It changes or hides your IP address and web proxies and keeps you completely anonymous over the internet.

3. Bypass Internet Regional Restrictions: With a VPN you will be able to access websites or internet services not meant for your region.

4. Change your IP Address: With a VPN, you will be able to change your IP address to any country of your choice.

5. Securely Share Files: You can shares files over the internet securely using a VPN.

6. Remote Access to File: It is a huge advantage to corporate companies since they can access their company’s resources or files from the comfort of their homes VPN.

7. With a VPN you will be able to stream videos on Netflix and Hulu. These websites sometimes block VPN users, but there are VPNs they do not block.

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8. With a VPN you could prevent yourself from being logged while ‘torrenting’.
Now with all these before you, I think it is your decision to make whether or not to use a VPN.

How does it work?’

Another question that could strike a match of interest in us is how VPN works. Well, that is what is contained in this part of the article.

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From what you already know (I believe) that VPN keeps your data or information secure from hackers or hidden from your Internet Service Provider, ISP, VPN has three fundamental features that keep you secured and safe:

  • Authentication of connection
  • Encryption
  • Tunneling
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VPN sets up an authenticated connection between your computer (Client) and the network server (VPN Provider). The VPN provider has a Remote Access Server (RAS). The RAS is actually what your computer connects to when using VPN.

Your computer then provides the necessary credentials needed for connection and the RAS authenticates it using one of the many authentication methods.

With VPN client software, your computer establishes and maintains a connection to the VPN. Data packets sent across the VPN is placed inside one another and this process is called encapsulation.

The encapsulated data packet is then encoded in such a fashion that it can only be read by your VPN client and server; this coding of a data packet is called encryption.

The encrypted data packets are then sent privately over the internet through a VPN and this process is called Tunneling.

What are the types?

There are basically two types of VPN

  1. Remote Access VPN
  2. Site-to-Site VPN

In Remote Access VPN users are allowed to connect to a private network and remotely access its services and resources. This type of VPN is useful in homes and offices.

In Corporate offices, it connects various devices outside the offices. An employee may use a VPN to connect to his company’s private network and access some needed files. This type of VPN is used by individuals to bypass regional restrictions on the internet.

Site-to-Site VPN also known as Router-to-Router VPN is mostly used by corporate companies and various organizations to connect to various branches in different geographical locations over the internet.

Practically speaking, site-to-site VPN creates a virtual bridge between different offices dispersed in various locations. In this type of VPN, a router serves as a VPN Client while another router serves the purpose of a VPN Server.

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Disadvantages of Using VPN

VPN comes with its peculiar limitations or disadvantages. So you must be sure of the odds you will face if you using a VPN.

  • A VPN can decrease your internet connection speed.
  • Not every website on the internet tolerates the use of VPNs on their site. So by using a VPN, you are risking being blocked from the services of such a website.
  • Since many ills have been perpetrated through the use of VPN, some countries have banned the use of VPN. So if you are in such country, make sure you are ready to face the law.
  • Editing VPN codes is technical. An attempt to do so by unprofessional can revert the primary purpose of the VPN: data over the VPN may no longer be secure.

There are a few recommendations I will like to make regarding the VPN services you can use. Yes, you can get many free VPNs out there but I hope you really want to be using a VPN and not the other way round?

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Some VPN cause more harm than good. So be sure of what you want to use (if at all I have convinced you to use a VPN).

I hope to have given you much of what I know about VPN. Did you get the information you wanted?

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