Five Things to Use Your VPN For

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VPN providers love making big promises to sell their VPNs. They describe their product as the best thing since sliced bread and the single greatest contribution to internet safety since 1992. Behind the hyperbole lies some truth. Here are five good reasons to get a VPN.

What does a VPN do?

VPNs disguise your location from the internet by assigning a unique IP address to your router, creating an encrypted tunnel hiding your browsing habits from your ISP (internet service provider). As well as. Google, Apple and others. Free 30 day trial Express VPN

What Is a VPN, and Why Would I Need One?

VPNs go around regional restrictions, hiding your identity, perhaps a VPNs biggest strength.

A VPN is only one part of improving your security. You need more than just a VPN; you need a virus, ransomware protector and parental control to improve online security.

Circumventing Censorship

The best reason for a VPN is to avoid government censorship. They censor the internet in China, Iran, and Russia. Other countries such as much of the Middle East use less oppressive internet censorship. For example, WhatsApp it banned in the UAE, including Dubai. If you have a VPN installed before flying into the UAE, you will use Viber, Google Hangouts and WhatsApp to call home. 

When China banned Facebook, it blocked all Chinese servers trying to access Facebook’s IP address. To get around that block, you need to first connect to a server outside of China, with an unblocked IP, and then you will get to Facebook. 

It’s a simple solution to a big problem. VPNs enable people in certain countries who want unrestricted access to media, or people who want to play games deemed “bad” (like GTA) by the authorities.

Gamers need a VPN because: Ask any pro-level gamer playing on Public Servers most will say ‘I wouldn’t dream of playing without a VPN’. 

To avoid DDOS/DOS attacks

To re-enter games from which you were banned previously. 
Improve ping and lags
Disguising name of home Router 

Surveillance

A good VPN will also avoid state surveillance, from governments or corporations, even Google. If you want to ensure your ISP can’t see your online activities or that the secret police are keeping tabs on you. VPN gives you some anonymity.

Your IP address is only one way they can track you online. Browser fingerprinting is another effective method. If you sign in to a service like Facebook or Google in your browser, they can track you, too—even with a VPN engaged.
What’s the Difference Between Incognito Mode and a VPN?

If you use private or incognito mode with a VPN if you want to be harder to track while browsing. Combining privacy more and incognito mode will improve your anonymity online. So use both together;

Privacy mode
Switch on VPN
Close all browsers first and restart your machine.

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Torrenting

VPNs will avoid copyright watchdogs, who stand guard over torrenting sites like The Pirate Bay and threaten fines and lawsuits to anybody downloading copyrighted material via peer-to-peer connections. In most North American and European countries, using BitTorrent can lead to some serious legal trouble.

VPN is a must-have for torrenting in most countries. Otherwise, expect some nasty notices on your doormat. If you are using a VPN, you can torrent away—however, if you hit a poison torrent, that is on you.

Streaming

Many streaming sites—Netflix is the prime example, but Hulu and Amazon Prime Video have the same system—limit what you can see depending on your geographic location.

The Netflix library in the United States is many times larger than their European or Asian services. Without a VPN, you will only have access to what’s on offer in your country. VPNs unlock all of Netflix, especially US Netflix. For many Europe, Asia this alone makes a VPN well worthwhile.

Currently, it’s becoming harder and harder to break through the blocks put up by Netflix and other streaming sites. The better ‘paid for’ providers announced in 2022, they will continue to beat Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu VPN blockers for many years to come. 

Public Wi-Fi

VPNs protect you on public WiFi, particularly ones using a so-called man-in-the-middle attack. These attacks will hijack a public Wi-Fi signal and track everything you’re doing online (including airports, shopping centres, hotels, cafes). Why put your life in the hands of a company, a person you have never heard of before, encrypt with VPN, let someone else be the victim. 

Thanks to HTTPS, an encrypted protocol that made communication over any network, not just public ones, a lot more secure. 

Though there are other reasons to use a VPN, these five are probably the most common and significant. Check out our best VPN picks to see which services are best for which task.

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