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What is a Virtual Private Network (VPN)?

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There’s no doubt that the rise of the internet has many advantages. It has allowed you to discover, access, and share information anywhere you are and in just a matter of seconds. Today, you can also do a lot of activities using the internet, such as paying bills, ordering food, streaming music and videos, and buying home essentials.

But, the internet is also teeming with malware, hackers, scammers, and thieves that can track your online behavior and easily mine and steal your data. They can get ahold of personal information, such as your name, photos, contact details, and bank or credit card information, which they can use for illegal purposes or sell off to other people at a high price. The next thing you know, your credit cards are charged with questionable or unauthorized purchases, or worse, all your money is emptied from your bank accounts. Hackers may also hold your files and information hostage. They will ask you to you pay them a certain amount within a given deadline, and if you refuse their demands, they can destroy all your data.

Fortunately, you can protect yourself and your data from these online threats by using a virtual private network or a VPN.

What is a VPN and What Does it Do?

A VPN is a system that you can use to increase security and protect your identity while you access the web. It is a network that keeps your browsing activities private, whether you’re at home, at work, or even when using public Wi-Fi.

A VPN lends you a temporary IP address and conceals your real IP address from all the websites you visit. When you connect your device to a VPN, it creates a secure and encrypted tunnel, which helps you stay anonymous and hidden from cyber-attackers. However, as with everything, you should analyze the pros and cons of using a VPN.

What are the Advantages of Using a VPN?

By now, we all know the advantages of using a VPN but we listed the pros of using a VPN below, just in case you would like to cover them again;

Enhances Security

If your device is not connected to a VPN, the real IP address that you are using makes a lot of things about you exposed to internet traffic. Connecting to a VPN masks your IP address and hides your digital footprint, enabling you to download or share files safely and anonymously. Your online privacy is no longer at risk with a VPN, and this can help lessen your fears of having cyber-criminals monitoring, accessing, and stealing sensitive information.

Secures Business Communication

A VPN subscription protects valuable corporate data, especially when employees share business-related files outside the office. If your company uses a VPN, you can retrieve and share files or communicate with partners, clients, and other employees, whether you’re in a coffee shop or on the other side of the globe. You don’t need to worry about hackers eavesdropping, spying, or accessing your company’s data.

Bypasses Geo-Restricted Sites

Geo-restrictions prevent you from connecting to websites that restrict internet access based on your geographical location. When you use your real IP address, and the website recognizes that it is not from the allowed geographical area, it can deny access to its webpage. If your smartphone, tablet, or laptop is connected to a VPN, your real IP address is temporarily replaced with another one, allowing access to any website regardless of your location. This is helpful if you’re traveling to a censorship-heavy country, and you need to access restricted websites, whether for business or personal use.

What are the Disadvantages of Using a VPN?

As mentioned, earlier, everything has a good and bad side. Unfortunately, this also applies to the use of a VPN, which is not always beneficial. Here are some cons of using a VPN;

Reduces Internet Speed

Sometimes, data encryption slows down the internet speed. Speed reduction is typically affected by the distance of your device to the VPN services, the kind of protocol used, and the power or level of encryption. The reduction of speed, however, is barely noticeable and maybe even prevented if you have a powerful CPU and internet bandwidth.

Dropped Connection

Your device may be disconnected from the VPN, and in effect, exposes your real IP address. When this happens, anonymity is lost and makes your data vulnerable. Some VPN providers have a kill switch feature, which automatically disconnects your device from the internet when the VPN connection drops.

Legality in Some Areas

The use of a VPN is allowed in many countries. However, there are also locations where VPN use is considered illegal. It is recommended not to use a VPN if it is not allowed in your area to avoid any legal consequences.

Do you want to feel safer and more secure while browsing the internet or sending emails? There are many VPN providers in the market. Most of them offer similar features, while others also provide distinct services that set them apart from their competition. All you need is to determine what you need and how much their services will cost you. You can check out this list of VPN providers to help you decide the best one for you.

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  1. I am total beginner and have questions. Please do answer them. Thanks!
    Questions:
    Should I use a free VPN?
    How do I choose a VPN?
    Does a VPN hide your IP?
    Is it illegal to have a VPN?
    Should I use VPN all the time?

    Reply
    • Hi Viti,

      Should you use a free VPN? Yes, if it meets your needs and is safe enough, then go for it!

      If you would like to know how to pick a VPN, we recommend reading our top 21 best VPN article, easy picking!

      A VPN does hide your IP and give you a new one!

      In some countries like China, having a VPN is illegal!

      If you want to be safe, yes! Always have your VPN active!

      Kind regards
      CheckWithReviews

      Reply
      • Should I use a free VPN?
        I wouldn’t use one but if you are strapped for cash then you can try one. I guess it depends on which one. Can you tell us which one are you planning on using?

        Reply
        • Hi Aaron,

          We would like to advice Hotspot Shield, TunnelBear, ProtonVPN, Windscribe or Speedify.
          You will also find these VPNs in our Software category, in which we collect reviews about software tools like VPNs and more.

          If you want to find out more about VPN, have a look at our articles about VPN here; https://checkwithreviews.com/blog/software/vpn/

          Kind regards,
          CheckWithReviews

          Reply
          • Hey, thanks guys. I tried ProtonVPN and they are pretty awesome for a free option although it has some expected limitations. They seem very secure.

        • They are. ProtonVPN is probably the best free VPN out there at the moment. You can’t use them for torrenting and are limited to a few servers but those servers work great.

          Reply
    • Should I use a free VPN?
      Normally I would say no to that, but I’ve found a great free VPN that is quite good. Mind you, it won’t work with Netflix or for torrent sites but other than that it’s really great. It has a bunch of free to use servers that have decent speeds most of the time. If you upgrade to the paying option then you get access to a lot more servers. Well worth it I think.

      Reply
      • Ralph, you forgot to mention the free VPN. Is it TunnelBear perhaps?

        Reply
        • Yeah, sorry about that :). The VPN is Proton VPN and from what I saw it works pretty great if you’re not looking for anything too fancy. It won’t work for torrent so there’s that but it does work well if you need to look like you’re from the US, Japan, Netherlands.

          Reply
    • How do I choose a VPN?
      It depends on what you need it for and your budget. The best ones are ExpressVPN and NordVPN. They have the most servers, best speeds, works well with Netflix.

      Does a VPN hide your IP?
      Yes. That’s exactly what it does.

      Is it illegal to have a VPN?
      Unfortunately, in some countries, it is illegal to have a VPN. North Korea, Oman or China are just 3 of the countries that do everything they can to restrict VPNs. But in most countries around the world, using a VPN is perfectly legal.

      Should I use VPN all the time?
      Not necessarily. It depends on what you’re doing. You should have it on when/if you torrent anything, want to watch Netflix from the US or UK or if you want to stay anonymous online.

      Reply
  2. Hey, do you have a post about the best VPNs? Maybe a comparison between them. I have started researching this to find the better ones and then I plan on testing them for a few months to see which one works best for Netflix, browsing, etc.

    Reply
    • Hi Gareth,

      We are working on an article about this, please check our VPN category for more about the best VPNs.

      Kind regards,
      CheckWithReviews

      Reply
  3. The Parrot mini drones are perfect for beginners. Not as great for more advanced users, but for newbies these are awesome. If you’re new to the whole flying a drone thing then get yourself a Parrot mini drone and learn the ropes. It’s very user friendly and it will steer very easily.

    Reply
  4. From what I can tell, ExpressVPN is the best VPN out there. I mean, they have it all plus the best speed, the most secure connection, kill switch and they work with anything and everything no matter the country. Their only “downside” is the price. That’s it. If they would offer a more decent price then they would be killing it. As it stands, I’d rather go with Nord that has a very competitive pricing while being one of the best ones out there.

    Reply
    • Hi Nigel,

      Thank you for commenting on our article about VPN, we appreciate it!

      As for what to pick, both VPNs are awesome!

      Kind regards,
      CheckWithReviews

      Reply
      • Ok, thanks for taking the time to leave a reply. I will go with Nord then just because of the lower price tag. My current budget will thank me :))

        Reply
    • I think they are already killing it. They’re just targeting a different audience: one that affords to pay their prices. And they are offering a service that is up to par. I am using them right now and they can’t be compared to any other VPN out there. I’ve tested NordVPN, Surfshark, PIA, CyberGhost and none is as good or as complete as Express.

      Reply
      • I’m going to let you in on a little known secret: NordVPN can break geo-restrictions from pretty much any country. If you live in China and want to unlock Netflix US, you can do so. The same thing from Russia, UK, Italy and so on. Let’s see ExpressVPN do that (hint: it can’t). It may be able to do other things but for Netflix, Nord is definitely the best one.

        Reply
  5. I want to get a VPN so I can watch Netflix in different countries because there are certain shows and movies that are only available in the US for example. I was thinking about ExpressVPN? Has anyone used them?

    Reply
    • Hi Chris,

      Yes, ExpressVPN is great for Netflix, just make sure you unblock throttling, allowing throttle-free access to Netflix streaming. If you are having trouble with your connection, then just contact them and ExpressVPN will help you out!

      Have fun watching Netflix with ExpressVPN.

      Kind regards,
      CheckWithReviews

      Reply
    • ExpressVPN is one of the best on the market. Netflix will work like a charm with them but they are a bit on the expensive side of things. There’s also NordVPN and SurfShark that are much more inexpensive. I recommend NordVPN, with a bigger plan so you can really feel the difference in pricing.

      Reply
      • Yeah, I agree with Surfshark being a great option (and an inexpensive one at that). NordVPN is also a great choice but Surfshark is probably the cheapest that offers a great service. Never had any issues with them and I’m 6 months in. Netflix, any US (or other countries) site/newspaper works nicely. The speed is good, especially when browsing Netflix from an US server. I usually don’t get this kind of speed when I am using other VPNs like PIA (private internet access). You can get 2 years of service with Surfshark for a measly $50 which is a real steal if you ask me.

        Reply
    • Yes, I’m using them right now and they’re awesome. Netflix doesn’t stand a chance no matter your location. ExpressVPN is the best VPN no matter what you need it for.

      Reply
    • ExpressVPN is pretty good but expensive. I would go with either NordVPN or Surfshark which are both less expensive and just as good for Netflix unblocking.

      Reply
  6. With a lot of transactions being done online in the context of this pandemic I have decided to invest in a VPN service. I knew what a VPN service could be of use since before but I only felt the need now after I heard a friend of mine’s email getting hacked. She wasn’t even sure what sites might have caused that mess! I absolutely do not want that to happen to me.

    Reply
    • Hi Jessica J.

      Smart to of you to get a VPN, quite important now with more and more businesses moving to online selling.
      Stay safe while buying online!!

      Kind regards,
      CheckWithReviews

      Reply
  7. I’ve recently started using a VPN and I did notice the reduction in internet speed but it isn’t as bad as in other cases I’ve heard about. I guess it depends on the VPN service.

    Reply
    • Hi Samantha,

      Let us know what Adam’s advice was and don’t forget to share your first drone purchase here.

      Thank you in advance.

      Kind regards,
      CheckWithReviews

      Reply
  8. I have been interested in getting a VPN for a while now but I’m not sure which one to get. I’ve been reading online on reviews on which provider is best for my needs. I’m not a heavy internet user but I would want to go with a service with reliability and security. I do not mind paying a higher price than usual as long as the service I want gets delivered. Would you guys happen to have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

    Reply
  9. My tech savvy children keeps telling me to get a VPN and now I understand why. I didn’t understand what it really meant and I thought it would be just be an unnecessary subscription that would take from the household budget. I am now convinced that I should get one. Lol, this low tech mom has been burned by her own children! Ha ha. Thanks for a great explanation that made someone like me understand it enough.

    Reply
  10. I will be honest I didn’t consider a VPN as important before but ever since I found out how much more secure your data or your online browsing experience would be with it I just had to invest in one. Although I only learned now from your post that some countries do not allow such? I didn’t think that would be considered a legal issue, I’m glad though that I’m able to use one. If you could do a review on reliable VPNs, I would love to read on that.

    Reply

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