How To Safely Proceed With VPN Setup to Protect Your Internet Privacy
If you’re reading this, you’re obviously interested in setting up a VPN to protect your Internet privacy and safety. Still, many misunderstand exactly what a VPN is, how it works, and the right way to go about setting it up.
In the following article, we’ll touch on all of these points and help you get started with the many benefits that a VPN can provide.
First, let’s go over the basics: What is a VPN?
What is a VPN?
VPN stands for virtual private network.
With any Internet connection — even public connections — you can create your own private network if you use a VPN. Essentially, the tool masks your IP address (Internet protocol address). You can think of your IP address as the street address for your computer.
If you do something “wrong,” “suspicious,” or “suspect” while trying to mask your true identity on the Internet, someone can simply use your IP address to find out who you really are. And even if you’re not doing anything bad or suspicious on the Internet, bad actors can use your IP address to steal your financial information, personal information, or entire identity.
In essence, you don’t want anyone to be able to find your IP address easily, and this is where a VPN comes in. It encrypts your actual IP address and makes it looks like your computer is stationed far away from where you really are — in an entirely different country if you want, or even on a different continent.
What should you use a VPN for?
Some people use VPNs all the time. As soon as they turn on their computer, they turn on their virtual private network, and it looks as though everything they’re doing from their home is actually being done somewhere else far away.
Keep in mind that this can be annoying, however. With a VPN on, sites you frequent will not recognize you, and you’ll have to sign in over and over again — possibly doing those annoying two-step verifications with your phone, etc. Therefore, some people only choose to use their VPN when they’re doing certain activities online.
Still others will use VPNs to make it appear as if their computer is located in a different part of the world so that they can access different information. Believe it or not, Internet content varies depending on where you live. If you want to watch a Netflix show in French, for example, you can locate your VPN in France and do so quite easily.
How to set up your VPN
VPN services allow you to create virtual private networks across your devices, so set-up is going to be different depending on which devices you own.
To begin, check here for instructions on downloading our VPN software and setting it up on your device. The process generally involves downloading an app, but there can be many other steps involved as well, so read the instructions closely.
Having a VPN will change the way you use the Internet and give you peace of mind like you’ve never known before.
