Despite what you might think, VPNs aren’t new, as they’ve been around for a long time and are mostly used by businesses. However, it is now that they have started to be used by the general public, thus increasing their popularity.
Their wide variety of features is what made them famous, and in this article we are going to tell you what a VPN is, what they are for, and which are the best ones that currently exist on the market.
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What is a VPN?
With the acronym VPN is what is called virtual private network or virtual private networka tool that allows you to browse the Internet safely by hiding your IP address, that numerical label that identifies a device on the Internet or on a local network.
At hide your IP, all documents and data that you send or receive via the Internet will not be accessible to third parties who attempt to intercept them. Therefore, VPNs keep you safe by giving you the ability to browse the web with privacy and preventing you from suffering cyberattacks.
VPNs work in a very specific way to be able to offer you secure browsing, and it is as follows: any device you want to access the Internet with must communicate with a router which in turn allows it to connect to the Internet. provider, such as Orange, Vodafone or Jazztel, among others, which connects you to the various web services. But with a VPN connection, that changes. Instead of contacting your internet service provider directly, you do so through a Tunnel or VPN serveryour internet service provider therefore thinks that your IP address is that of the VPN server and that you are browsing from the location of said server and not from your device.
What does a VPN do and what is it used for?
VPNs can change your IP address and thus hide your virtual location by making it look like you are in another part of the world. But VPNs also do two other things: encrypt your data and protect your device.
By encrypting your data, you can minimize your online footprint and prevent, for example, your internet service provider from selling your browsing history. On the other hand, VPNs also protect your devices from different internet risks such as malicious links, malware in downloaded files, hackers or annoying ads.
By offering all these services, VPNs can be very useful in different situations:
- when you log in public Wi-Fi networks: Connecting to a public Wi-Fi network is very useful for accessing the Internet without spending data when we are away from home, but they are very insecure and make us vulnerable to even the most basic cyberattacks. With a VPN, you can also protect your connection in these situations, as you will be invisible to hackers while private browsing.
- When you want to access content from another country or blocked content: the place where you are limits you a lot when it comes to accessing all that the Internet has to offer. When you are in your country, there are many foreign websites and content that you cannot access. The same thing happens when you travel because there will be many places in your own country that you cannot access due to your location. A VPN helps you access any website and content wherever you are, which is also very useful if there is censored content in your country and you want to access it by locating your IP in another country.
- When you want get better prices: companies use your IP address and cookies to adapt the prices of their products and services to the market in which you are located. This often happens with airline tickets, the price of which fluctuates a lot depending on the country in which you buy them. A VPN helps you bypass these marketing practices and save you money.
Types of VPNs
There are three main types of VPNs.
remote access vpn
These are the ones commonly used by companies or universities when an employee or student needs to access one of their services outside of the facilities. Normally, businesses and educational institutions require that an internal IP address is needed to access their services to create a more secure environment. With a VPN, you will be able to locate your IP address in your office or school even if you are actually in another location.
Personal VPN
Most VPNs are of this type and are the ones that anyone uses from their home to surf the Internet and get all the benefits we mentioned earlier. Unlike dial-up VPN, which is intended to connect to a proprietary restricted network (like the one at work), it connects to the servers of VPN providers.
point to point vpn
They are also widely used by businesses, but this time to allow their employees from different offices to securely access each other’s network. This way, all offices are connected and can share resources and information without compromising their security.
The best VPN providers on the market
to exist Free VPNsbut unlike the paid ones, they will have limitations, security issues, slow down your browsing, and show ads.
SurfShark
Its prices are very competitive and it has a wide range of features and functionality.
Northern VPN
This VPN provider has the advantage of giving you excellent search speed and can unblock many video services. Moreover, it has a simple design, so it is easy to use. Another point in its favor is that in case it stops working, your internet connection will stop to ensure your privacy.
ExpressVPN
It is one of those that allows you to have a higher browsing speed thanks to the fact that it has its own patented protocol.
CyberGhost
It is one of the best access streaming platforms. Its speed is fast and its bandwidth is unlimited.
PureVPN
It is a very fast VPN and offers servers in up to 140 countries. Pure VPN, moreover, is beyond the reach of those said “14 eyes”an alliance of Western countries that exchange sensitive information and work together to obtain all kinds of data.
