If you have reached this article, it is because you still do not know what VPN is, which something I can understand is. But don’t worry, because I’m here to give you a cable. In this article I am going to explain what VPN is, and how it will completely change the way you surf the internet!
What does VPN mean?
They are the initials of Virtual Private Network or, in Spanish, Virtual Private Network. What is the VPN definition of Wikipedia for? «It is a network technology that allows the computer on the network to send and receive data on shared or public networks as if it were a private network with all the functionality, security and management policies of a private network. This is done by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection using dedicated connections, encryption, or a combination of both.
I have not understood what VPN is. Thanks Wikipedia.
Very complicated? I explain it to you in a simpler way so that you understand well what a VPN connection is.
Basically, this technology creates a virtual encryption tunnel, which connects your device from which you connect to the internet, with the web page you want to access. In this way, all the information that navigates through that tunnel will be completely encrypted and will not leave a trace of your activity on the network. So you will be safe from being spied on, in addition to opening up a huge range of possibilities on the net.
What is VPN I am mentioning for?
In addition to increasing your privacy and security on the network, this technology also offers you a series of advantages that improve your internet connection, which I will explain below.
Mask your IP
When you connect to a server that is VPN that is active, your IP address is masked with the IP of the server you choose. In this way, the websites you visit through the server will not be able to identify your real IP, which guarantees you total anonymity, free from annoying ads or cookies.
And how do you mask your IP? Easy, it will depend on the server you choose. In the software, you will see a list of servers hosted in different countries. Just choose the one you want or need, and connect to it. Ready! Your IP has been masked with a generic IP of the chosen server, which is also on the white list of IP addresses of the country of your server.
Protect your sensitive data
As I mentioned before, using this technology your data will navigate through a virtual encryption tunnel, which will protect your data from leaks, spies or worse, hackers. It is something absolutely necessary, especially if you do telework, or if you access online banking, for example. You should know that what the VPN that protects you for is, your sensitive data is at risk of being tracked and stolen.
Your data will be encrypted by very high security protocols, such as OpenVPN, which will guarantee you high protection against DNS leaks or hacking attempts. Thanks to this, you can connect to public networks without fear of being attacked.
Skip censorship and content geo-restrictions
As you know, due to the issue of broadcasting rights, each country has the broadcasting rights of series, movies and TV programs distributed in a different way. That is why, for example, from Spain you cannot access the Netflix USA catalog, since much of the content of the American catalog that Netflix has, is not in the hands of its Spanish subsidiary. The same happens if you try to watch Movistar + from abroad, or if you are looking for a way to see the Olympic Games live and without censorship.
Censorship on the internet is common, in countries like China, its population cannot access pages like Facebook or Twitter, in addition to thousands of other blocked websites. But fortunately, this is one of the strengths that the VPN serves.
As I have told you before, the servers are hosted in different countries. Therefore, if you want to access Netflix USA, for example, you will not be able to do so if your IP is not American. So, in order to access you must connect to an American server and voila, you can enjoy the American catalog from your country house in Albacete. Now you begin to understand what the VPN is for and how it can improve your internet experience, right? Just accessing Netflix USA from abroad is worth it.
The same happens with censorship, in China thousands of users use this technology to emulate their location in another country and thus be able to access the pages blocked by the Chinese government.
Increased internet speed
I don’t know if you knew this, but your internet provider records how much bandwidth you usually spend, and they are not very happy to see that you spend more than they would like, so they decide to put limitations on your connection speed.
Using a Virtual Private Network you prevent your internet provider from seeing anything you do on the network, preventing its control algorithms from setting a limit on your connection speed.
Torrents and P2P
Although it is generally not recommended to download torrents illegally, many people do it for various reasons, and that is why in some countries P2P-type downloads are blocked for users. But another of the uses for the VPN is that you make sure that no one knows what you are downloading, or from where you are downloading. Boom. That simple and also, without restrictions on your bandwidth, as I mentioned before.
So do I need one?
I think so. It is increasingly common for homes around the world to have their connection protected with virtual private networks, it will soon be a custom as it has happened with subscriptions to digital content platforms. You give privacy and open many doors to your activity on the network that your internet provider does not guarantee.
What is the best VPN for you?
Now that you know how important it is to use a Virtual Private Network, it’s time to move on to the most complicated thing: choosing which the one that best suits you is. As you may have seen, there are many options on the market, and not all of them are equally good. When choosing a provider, I personally take into account the following considerations:
Great variety of countries
It is important to me that they have the maximum number of countries available on their server list. The more countries, the more versatility it has.
Great connection speed
Let’s be clear: Not all of them offer the same connection speed for different reasons. Either they don’t have servers that fast, or their servers may not all be as fast. So it is important to check that the speed they offer you is as high as possible.
Netflix and Torrents
Not all unblock Netflix nor do all allow tormenting, so another important point when choosing is that it allows you to download torrents and access foreign Netflix catalogs.
Better security protocols
Security is very important to me, so I try to research what protocols each company uses. Protocols like L2TP / IPsec or OpenVPN are strong defenses against leaks and DDoS attacks.
Good value for money
All security has a cost, but there are some offers that help make paying not so painful. Each company has its subscription plans, annual, monthly or semi-annual, and I have compiled those that have offers, promotions or discounts.
My particular choice: Fastest VPN
Having followed the criteria mentioned above, I came across this company which is so far the best I have tried. And trust me, I have tried many. I consider it to be the best in terms of both prices and services, and they have a 30-day money-back guarantee, without questions, which I can also confirm that it works perfectly. What are you waiting to take a look at it?
Now that you have understood how VPN works, which is the important thing, let’s see which options meet the mentioned criteria.
Top 5 companies that are currently meeting my criteria
Here is an updated list of the different virtual private networks that meet the criteria that I have taught you before. They are all good, but of course Fastest VPN is the most successful of all. I leave it up to you to choose which one is best for you, take a look at my reviews on each of them if you are interested in reading more in depth.
Are they all paid? Why not use a free one?
This type of technology requires many servers and developers to control that everything is in order. This implies that you have to pay salaries and licenses, so it is normal that they obtain an economic benefit for their services.
What is the use of the VPN that are advertised as free, is that they really are not. Although they do not charge you money to use them, what they do is store your browsing data to later sell it to third parties, such as advertising companies or worse, hackers. And that is contradicted by the main function that is best VPN router for streaming. So if you want to use them, go ahead, but I have already warned you.
And remember that Fastest VPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test their services for a month and request a refund before the end of the period. It is worth a try!