6 Interesting Uses of a VPN

Virtual private networks hide your identity online and protect you from trackers. They are great for improving your privacy online, but there are many other interesting things you can do with a VPN apart from security. A VPN can protect you on public Wi-Fi, improve your internet speeds, and encrypt your router’s traffic. Let’s take a look.

What is a VPN

A virtual private network creates a protected network connection and improves your online security. On public networks, VPNs encrypt your data and hide your IP address. Advertisers and other third parties keep a close eye on your browsing habits every time you visit websites and access their content. A VPN gives you more privacy through encryption. Your online identity stays safe from prying eyes and your internet service provider. It hides your IP address and establishes a secure connection between the rest of the internet and your device.

Here is how it works. The virtual private network provider has multiple servers in multiple locations around the world. When you are on a VPN connection, all your internet traffic travels to one of the servers. Your data travels through an encrypted tunnel, securing your data from man-in-the-middle attacks and snoopers. That is how a VPN works technically, you can get a clear picture through NordVPN review. What can you do with a VPN?

What You Can Do With a VPN

Besides keeping you secure on the internet, VPNs provide many other benefits that may improve your network experience. Here are six ways you can use VPN, some of which you may have never heard of:

Protecting Your Privacy Rights

One of the simple and essential functions of a VPN is protecting your privacy rights. All individuals have the right to access the free internet and communicate without instantly giving up their right to privacy online. When you use a VPN, you get some control over your data, in terms of who gets to log it, see it, and monetize it.

Securing Public Wi-Fi

Connecting to public Wi-Fi is not one of the safest things to do, but with a VPN, you can keep yourself secure. A popular misconception people have is they do not need to take safety precautions when on public Wi-Fi. A great percentage of people regularly use public hotspots, but only a fraction of them secure their network activity with a VPN on public Wi-Fi.

If a public Wi-Fi connection is not encrypted or has been put up by a hacker. Your browsing activity is vulnerable to exposure. A VPN keeps you safe by keeping your internet connection encrypted, reducing the risk of potential malware attacks and or having your entails stolen on public Wi-Fi.

Access Restricted Sites While Travelling

If you have traveled abroad and wish to access services or websites you used while at home, but they are geo-restricted and not accessible from where you are, get a VPN. With a VPN, you can securely stream your favorite sports or TV shows from your country.

VPNs are also good for remote working or learning, as you can move to a different location and access work or university networks in restricted areas. A VPN allows you to access websites and files, secure public network browsing traffic, and protect you from potential malware and third-party invasions.

Bypass Price Discrimination During Online Shopping

Imagine getting off a flight, and directly going to get a cappuccino at a cafe. When at the counter you realize you paid one dollar more than the locals for the same cappuccino because they are locals. Sounds unfair, right? This happens online all the time.

Multiple online services show different prices for the same kind of items based on the white location the person is browsing from. For example, the price of a holiday deal could cost more for a Swedish IP address and lower for a German IP address.

Your IP address makes this possible as it reveals your location, allowing businesses to decide the search results you will get and the kind of prices they will show you. So, if you are planning on getting a monthly subscription plan on your favorite music platform or buying a book online, do not just yet. Clear your browser cookies to make websites forget you visited them, then launch a VPN and select a country. Switch between various locations to get the best shopping deals.

Bypass Targeted Bandwidth Throttling

If your online activity requires a lot of internet bandwidth, such as streaming services or gaming. Your ISP may apply several tactics to throttle your bandwidth. Bandwidth throttling is when your ISP tries to reduce traffic congestion by regulating network traffic, which in turn affects your internet speeds directly. A VPN helps you avoid slow connection speeds and bandwidth throttling.

ISPs tend to restrict users who use large amounts of data by deliberately slowing them down to offer everyone else the same speeds. When you use a VPN, your ISP cannot track your online activity. On the other hand, if your ISP restricts its entire network in your area, your internet speeds will slow down no matter what you do. But if they are targeting you specifically because of your high data usage for streaming or gaming, a VPN will help. Even if your total data consumption is still visible to the ISP, you can enjoy your demanding online activities without serious bandwidth restrictions.

Fast and Secure File Downloads Through P2P VPN Servers

Peer-to-peer file sharing is a technology that allows the sharing of digital media on a network, such as videos, software, music, books, or large datasets. Most ISPs are not a fan of users who engage in peer-to-peer file-sharing, which often leads to limited bandwidth, slow connections, or access to restricted websites for file-sharing. Your IP is visible to all users on the same network, which could be a serious security threat, and a path for cybercriminals to pop in. To protect your data while on a peer-to-peer file-sharing network, use a VPN which hides your IP and encrypts your traffic so that no one can intercept it. Your ISP will also not be able to slow down your speeds since they will not know what you are doing.