What is a VPN: a Short SummaryA VPN creates a secure connection between you and the internet. When you connect to the internet through a VPN, all your data traffic is sent through an encrypted virtual tunnel. This has multiple advantages:
- You’ll be more anonymous on the internet: your real IP address and location will be hidden.
- You’ll be safer on the internet: the encrypted tunnel will keep away hackers and cybercriminals and your device won’t be as vulnerable to attacks.
- You’ll be freer on the internet: by using different IP addresses, you’ll be able to access websites and online services that would otherwise be blocked.
Do you want to start using a VPN? We recommend ExpressVPN. This VPN has a lot of options, offers strong security, and has performed well in our tests. It even managed to take the number one spot!
You can find out how to set up a VPN connection and what a VPN can do for you in the full article below.
More and more people have heard about VPNs or use one already. On the page below you can find out what a VPN is, how it works and what advantages and possibilities a VPN brings you. We’ll also tell you about a couple of excellent VPN providers you might want to try out yourself.
What is a VPN?
Back to the basics. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. Using a VPN is an easy and efficient way to increase your online safety, privacy and freedom.
When you’re using the internet, there is a constant process of your device exchanging data with other parties on the web. A VPN creates a secure tunnel between your device (e.g. smartphone or laptop) and the internet. The VPN allows you to send your data via an encrypted, secure connection to an external server: the VPN server. From there, your data will be sent onward to its destination on the internet.
Rerouting your internet traffic through a VPN server has several advantages. First, it helps you hide your identity online. Second, it secures your data. And third, it allows you to use the internet more freely.
Video Explainer: What is a VPN?
For those who are visually oriented, we made a short video to explain what a VPN is exactly and how it works. This will help you understand how to use a VPN to improve your security online. Enjoy! The article continues below the video.
How Does a VPN Work?
Connecting to a VPN is generally quite simple. After subscribing to a VPN provider, you download and install the VPN software. You then select a server you want to connect to and the VPN will do the rest.
When the connection has been established, the following will happen to your data:
- The VPN software on your computer encrypts your data traffic and sends it to the VPN server through a secure connection. The data also goes through your Internet Service Provider, but they can no longer snoop because of the encryption.
- The encrypted data from your computer is decrypted by the VPN server.
- The VPN server will send your data on to the internet and receive a reply, which is meant for you, the user.
- The traffic is then encrypted again by the VPN-server and is sent back to you.
- The VPN-software on your device will decrypt the data so you can actually understand and use it.
The VPN application runs in the background of your computer, tablet, or smartphone. You can access the internet as you normally would and won’t notice anything different – save for the fact that you’ll be able to get around online restrictions.
What Advantages Does a VPN Offer?
There are many different reasons to use a VPN. The most common reasons are online anonymity, safety and freedom (unblocking restricted or censored material). We’ll explain further:
Advantage 1: Anonymity online
Without a VPN your location and even your identity can be traced without too much hassle, thanks to your IP address. This IP address is unique to your internet connection. It is like an online postal code that tells people who you are and where you are at. It enables people to connect your online behavior to you.
A VPN hides your IP address and location. When you use a VPN, your internet traffic is rerouted through an external server and your online activities can only be traced back to the IP address of the VPN server, but no longer to your IP address and you.
By using a VPN, websites, marketeers, streaming services, governments and cybercriminals can no longer identify you with your IP address, because they only see the IP address of the VPN server you’re connected to. Moreover, they won’t be able to find out your real location, because to others it will look like you are where the VPN server is.
So by using a VPN your online activity will no longer be linked to your own IP address. This way you can browse the internet with more anonymity.
Advantage 2: Protection against hackers and governments
A VPN encrypts your data traffic through strong encryption protocols, which make intercepting and reading your data almost impossible. Why is this important? Well, in this day and age there are a lot of parties that want to listen in or take a look at what you are doing online.
There are many different parties that are interested in your internet traffic, among them are governments and cybercriminals. The security a VPN offers makes it a lot harder for them to look at your data. This increases your online safety.
We have to mention that a VPN isn’t the ultimate solution to all things cybercrime. We always recommend combining a VPN with a good antivirus solution so you cover all your bases.
Advantage 3: Secure browsing on public networks
Using a public Wi-Fi network can be very risky. Other users on the same network (for example hackers) can easily tap into your data and personal information. Since you don’t want others to have access to, for instance, your email login, images/files or credit card information it might be wise to use a VPN connection.
The VPN encrypts all of your data while you use the public Wi-Fi network. A hacker will only see encrypted matter and won’t be able to see or use your personal information.
Advantage 4: Fight online censorship
In a lot of countries (like China, Turkey, Russia, Iran) governments heavily censor the internet. These countries block access to certain internet services and websites. Examples of apps and websites that are often blocked are WhatsApp, Google, Instagram, YouTube, Skype, Spotify and Facebook. Moreover, news websites and journalist platforms are often blocked because they are seen as a threat to the sitting government. In these countries this censorship heavily impacts the freedom of speech of their citizens.
In some western countries there are also online restrictions. For example, many countries block the Pirate Bay website because they do not want their citizens to download illegal materials.
A VPN can help you bypass censorship and restrictions by allowing you to connect to a server in a different country. By doing this you can go online as if you were in that other country. This way you can gain access to websites and services that are not available in your own country.
Advantage 5: Bypass geographical restrictions
It’s not just countries that impose restrictions on the internet. Some online services also restrict access to their content in certain regions. This happens with streaming services that only have broadcasting rights in certain countries and not in others.
If you are on holiday or you moved to a different country, you might be unable to view your usual streams. A VPN will also enable you to connect to the internet via servers in your home country, so you can watch your favorite show or access blocked websites again. It also works the other way around: if you want to gain access to websites or streaming services from a different country (for example to watch a different version of Netflix), you can do so with a VPN.
Advantage 6: Anonymous downloading
Downloading certain Torrents is illegal in some countries and more than ever before downloaders are tracked down and sometimes even prosecuted. Of course, we are not advocating any illegal actions. However, we do understand people want online privacy and anonymity, not just when browsing the internet, but also when uploading and downloading files.
To make sure nobody knows what you are downloading or uploading you can use a VPN. Because of the encrypted traffic and the rerouted IP address you can download anonymously with a VPN.
Advantage 7: Prevent a digital file
Advertising networks such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter are constantly collecting information about you through your online traffic. With this information, they can show you tailored ads but more importantly, they are free to sell this information to a third party. By encrypting your data using a VPN these networks will have a harder time collecting information on you. They will also have less influence on what you see online
Advantage 8: Access to your company’s network
More and more companies are giving people the possibility to work from home, or abroad for instance. Some people connect to the internet via a VPN to access the company network at home. This enables people to work from home safely and efficiently.
To read more about the different reasons why people use a VPN please read our article on the subject: What are the advantages of a VPN?
What Limitations do VPNs Have?
A VPN has a lot to offer when it comes to privacy and security. However, it’s not the end all be all of cybersecurity and privacy. To browse the web safely and anonymously, you’ll need to observe some extra privacy measures, on top of using a VPN connection. For instance, you’ll still have to clear your cookies regularly. Moreover, there are also things a VPN simply can’t do.
Say you’re logged in to your Google account, you can be connected to a VPN on the other side of the world, Google will still be able to create a profile of you as an internet user. After all, they’ll simply correlate your search history with your account information, regardless of whether you change your IP address or not. The same is true for services like Facebook.
There are more ways in which online entities can determine your identity which a VPN doesn’t protect you from. When using Google Maps, for instance, you’re often required to turn on GPS. This means Google Maps can see exactly where you are. There are also more advanced ways that are used to identify internet users, such as browser fingerprinting. This method uses your browser’s and device’s settings to distinguish you from other internet users.
Moreover, a VPN can slow down your internet. Your data has to be sent through the VPN server, which means it can take slightly longer to end up where it needs to be. However, there are several effective ways to increase internet speeds while connected to a VPN.
And then there’s the fact that VPN users are sometimes actively thwarted. VPNs are banned in some countries. There are also websites, apps and services that will deny you access if you use a VPN.
In other words, a VPN does significantly improve your online privacy and safety and is a vital part of your privacy and security precautions. However, it’s important to be aware of the limitations that VPNs have and the additional measures required to compensate for these limitations. Fortunately, we have an article that highlights these measures and helps you to be anonymous online.
Is a VPN Safe?
You may wonder how safe you are with a VPN provider. Your internet traffic is redirected and runs through the servers of the VPN provider. The provider can see everything you do if it would want to. Therefore, it’s important that you have confidence in your VPN service. Most VPN services do not log what you do and won’t store your data.
However, there are VPN services that abuse the data that travels through their servers and sell your data to advertisers, for example. This is especially the case with free VPNs. These are often not safe. Before using a VPN, it is therefore important that you do research in advance. We’ll give you a few recommendations for good and secure VPN services later in this article.
Does a VPN Slow Down Your Internet Connection?
Some people doubt whether they should use a Virtual Private Network because they’ve heard it can slow down your internet connection. It’s true that some VPNs have this effect. After all, a VPN redirects your connection through a remote server. This takes longer, so it could slow down your internet connection. However, this isn’t always the case.
There are many VPNs that do everything in their power to make your internet connection as fast as it can be (and sometimes even faster than you’re used to). If you want to make sure you end up with a fast VPN, check out our research on the fastest VPNs of this moment. All VPNs we recommend there have proven to work perfectly and cause little to no delays. Streaming, gaming, and browsing will go as fast as normal, only with increased freedom, security, and privacy.
If your internet speed is artificially restricted by your ISP or another party, a VPN can actually make your connection faster. The VPN ensures this limit no longer applies to you, so you can use the full potential of your connection.
Is Using a VPN Legal?
Some people wonder whether it’s legal to use a VPN. After all, the service enables you to become a lot more anonymous online, which can be quite useful for hackers and online criminals. If those people can’t be traced online, it’s much harder to punish them for their crimes, after all. Even so, this doesn’t necessarily mean a VPN is illegal.
On the contrary: many official companies and businesses work with VPNs and recommend their use. The European Union, too, supports internet freedom, which a VPN can give you.
Many countries consider the use of a VPN completely legal. Conducting illegal activities while using a VPN, however, remains illegal. Therefore, using a VPN for legal activities, such as browsing, gaming, Netflix, and YouTube, isn’t a problem at all. If you use a VPN to, for example, download illegal files such as unofficial copies of movies and music, however, you’re most likely going against your local laws. While the VPN gives you more anonymity online and makes it a lot harder for officials to trace you down, the downloading in and of itself is still illegal.
There are a couple of countries that do consider the use of a VPN illegal. If you’d like to know more about these countries and the legal and illegal use of VPNs in general, you can read this article. Using a VPN in most of the (Western) world won’t get you into any trouble. On the contrary: we’d recommend it.
Which Different VPN Protocols Are There?
VPN connections use an encrypted connection also called a tunnel. There are several ways (protocols) in which such a VPN connection can be set up. These protocols ensure that your data remains safe and can’t be read by others. The most common VPN-protocols are:
- OpenVPN: OpenVPN is one of the most widely used VPN protocols. It’s an open-source protocol that uses encryption based on the OpenSSL and SSLv3/TLSv1 protocols. Most VPN services support OpenVPN and it’s available for a lot of different platforms (e.g. Windows, Android, Linux, routers). Most consider OpenVPN to be the best choice.
- IPsec/L2TP: this protocol combines IPsec for the encryption of data with L2TP for establishing a secure connection. Most operating systems include IPsec/L2TP, which is a good choice when OpenVPN isn’t available.
- IKEv2/IPsec: IKEv2 is a protocol based on IPSec. This protocol can quickly connect to and switch between networks. This makes it an ideal choice for smartphones because these devices tend to switch between Wi-Fi networks and public Wi-Fi networks regularly. According to some sources, IKEv2 is faster than OpenVPN. Nevertheless, OpenVPN is seen as the better protocol.
- PPTP: PPTP (Point to Point Tunneling Protocol) is one of the first widely used protocols. This protocol contains a few (potential) leaks. For this reason, its use is only advisable if speed is more important to you than safety. This could be the case if you want to bypass restrictions set up by streaming services.
- Softether: Softether, unlike other VPN protocols mentioned so far, is not a stand-alone protocol, but an open-source application that works across different platforms and offers support to VPN protocols such as SSL VPN, L2TP/IPsec, OpenVPN, and Microsoft Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol.
- WireGuard: WireGuard is a relatively new protocol that has been gaining in popularity. It runs on a Linux kernel and is aimed at performing even better than OpenVPN and IPsec. It’s still in development, so you’re better off using OpenVPN for now.
If you’d like to know more about the different VPN protocols and how they work, you can find a complete overview right here.
How to Set Up Your VPN
Setting up your own VPN connection is simpler than it might seem. Your VPN provider will do most of the work for you. First, you will need to find a VPN service that you like. On our site you can find reviews of the different providers as well as some recommendations.
When you find a VPN that fits your needs, you subscribe to their service and download and install the software they provide. Most VPN providers offer software for all types of devices and operating systems. You can download a VPN client for Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, and sometimes Linux. Within this software, you can choose which protocol to use and which VPN server you wish to connect to. In just a few clicks you’ll be connected to a server. Now you can use the internet in a safe and anonymous manner, free from any restrictions or censorship that your geographical location might impose!
Installing a VPN is easy. Below, we’ll tell you how to do this in three steps.
Getting Started with a VPN in 3 Simple Steps
If you want to start using a VPN, but don’t quite know where to begin, you’re in the right place. It’s easy to get started with a VPN and will only take you about 10 minutes. We’ll walk you through three easy steps to get you started:
Step 1. Subscribe to a trustworthy VPN provider
For beginners we highly recommend using SurfShark or NordVPN. We tested these providers extensively and found them to be very suitable for beginners, as they are easy to understand and set up, while also being very fast. Moreover, these two VPNs allow you to secure multiple devices with a single subscription and offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. This way you can try them for a month without being stuck to a long-term subscription. Furthermore, using the links and buttons on our website will get you a discount with these providers.
You can check out our extensive reviews on our review page. We’ve also reviewed other VPN-providers of course. Some other impressive VPNs are PIA, CyberGhost, and ProtonVPN. The latter also happens to offer one of the best free VPN subscriptions.
Many free VPNs are unsafe and work with data or speed limits, but ProtonVPN doesn’t do this. We’ve researched plenty of VPNs to search for free providers that are secure and safe to use. You can read all about these in our article about free VPN providers.
Once you’ve chosen your VPN service, you’ll have to subscribe to them. Create an account and make sure you have your log-in info at hand. You’ll need it in the following steps. As we’ve mentioned earlier, CyberGhost and NordVPN both have a money-back guarantee, so you can always try them out and get a refund if you dislike the service.
Step 2. Download the VPN app
Now that you’ve signed up to your preferred VPN provider, you simply need to download the VPN app of this provider on your Android smartphone, iPhone, tablet, or computer. Visit the website of your VPN provider to find the necessary software. Don’t download from a different source, as these downloads might contain malware. Once you’ve successfully downloaded and installed the software, you’ll be able to log in.
Step 3. Activate the VPN app and start browsing the internet safely and freely
Activate the VPN by pressing the connect button, and the VPN connection will be established. Generally, you won’t even notice it’s activated, since the software runs in the background of your device.
And that’s all there is to it! While the VPN is enabled, you’ll be able to browse the web far more securely, privately, and freely. The illustration below will shortly review the steps you’ll need to take to set up a VPN on your computer:
If you want to learn how to install a VPN on a specific device, such as a smartphone or smart TV, have a look at our “VPN setup” section. The installation may vary, depending on your device and operating system. If you want to know exactly how a VPN works, keep on reading. We’ll explain that and more below.
Three Great VPN Providers for Beginners
If you’d like to start using a VPN, it’s easiest to choose a trustworthy provider and access the internet through their servers. We have tested most major VPN providers of this moment on their usability and quality. Most good VPN providers offer trials so you can check out their service free of charge. If you’d like to get started with a simple yet great VPN, we recommend ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or Surfshark.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs we’ve tested so far. They offer several thousand fast and stable servers, applications for all devices, and a great customer service. This VPN also works with Netflix, so you can unblock all your favorite shows. ExpressVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out before getting a lengthier subscription.
ExpressVPN aims to offer you the best quality, and that comes with a price tag. They aren’t the cheapest VPN provider around, but with our special discount offer, you can get a subscription for $6,67 a month. This subscription allows you to protect five of your devices with ExpressVPN. You can read more about this provider in our full review of ExpressVPN. Click the button below to check out ExpressVPN’s website.
- Very easy to use VPN
- Perfect for anonymous browsing, downloading, and streaming (i.e. Netflix)
- 3000+ servers in 94 countries
NordVPN
A second VPN we’d like to recommend is NordVPN. This good and trustworthy service offers high levels of security. Its software looks sleek while also being easy to use. Its high levels of security cause NordVPN to be slightly slower than ExpressVPN, but it remains a very good option. For the quality they offer, they’re very affordable. Moreover, the applications are user-friendly and well-structured. Read more about this provider in our full NordVPN review.
NordVPN also offers more advanced options. These are great when you’ve gotten used to VPNs and are looking for specific features to help you out. For instance, NordVPN offers dedicated IP addresses and obfuscated servers, which make circumventing geo-restrictions, such as those enforced by Netflix, easier. Similarly, NordVPN also offers double VPN connections for extra privacy and security.
NordVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee. They also have very affordable deals, especially on their long-term subscriptions. If you’re interested, you can check out their discounts by clicking the button below.
- Excellent protection and a large network of servers
- Nice and pleasing application
- No logs
Surfshark
Surfshark has earned a third place in our top 5. The biggest difference between Surfshark and many other VPN-services, such as ExpressVPN, is that Surfshark is much cheaper. The VPN-software that Surfshark offers is very user-friendly. With just a few clicks, you’ll have installed it and be connected to the perfect VPN-server. Then you’ll be able to use the VPN to surf while using a different IP address, so you can watch one of the many different local Netflix libraries, for example. You might want to watch one of the countless movies and series on the American Netflix. With Surfshark, it’s easy.
Aside from their standard VPN service, Surfshark offers plenty of additional features. If you’d like an overview of all the extra options this provider offers, you can have a look at our full review right here. To give you a short summary: Surfshark is a fantastic VPN for every beginning VPN user but is also suitable for the more experienced user who wants to have a wide array of possibilities at their disposal. Would you like to try out Surfshark? Click the button in the box below to visit their website.
- Very user-friendly and works with Netflix and torrents
- 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked!
- Cheap with many extra options
Extra advice: if you’d like to protect all your online devices with a VPN in one go, you could try to set up a VPN connection on your router. Installing this can be a challenge. We advise you to use DD-WRT router software. If you need help installing a VPN on your router, you can consult our article on this topic.
What VPN providers are there?
Above we have shown you three good VPN providers but there are hundreds of companies that offer commercial VPNs. Just type in VPN in the App Store or Play Store, and you’ll see a dizzying amount of VPN apps, that are often free to download. And then there are also quite a few companies that offer business VPN packages.
We like to help and have tested many VPN providers already. You can find more information about testing and the results in our VPN review section.
Below you’ll find a selection of VPN providers to give you an impression of the amount of services out there. We also state under which jurisdiction each VPN provider falls and whether the VPN provider is located in a 5, 9 or 14 eyes country; the governments of these countries exchange information.
The jurisdiction may have implications for the privacy of VPN users, as each country has different privacy laws. In practice, there are therefore differences in which user data VPN providers store. With privacy in mind, you ideally want to use a VPN that doesn’t log or track anything about your internet activities.
VPN providers for consumers
| VPN Provider | Jurisdiction (country) | Jurisdiction (14 eyes) |
|---|---|---|
| AirVPN | Italy | 14 eyes |
| AtlasVPN | United States | 5 eyes |
| Avast Secureline VPN | Czech Republic | No |
| BitdefenderVPN | Romenia | No |
| BolehVPN | Italy | 14 eyes |
| CactusVPN | Canada | 5 eyes |
| CyberGhost | Romania | No |
| Encrypt.me | United States | 5 eyes |
| ExpressVPN | British Virgin Islands | No |
| FastestVPN | Cayman Islands | No |
| FrootVPN | Seychelles | No |
| F-Secure FREEDOM VPN | Finland | No |
| GooseVPN | the Netherlands | 9 eyes |
| Hide.me | Malaysia | No |
| HMA VPN | United Kingdom | 5 eyes |
| Hola VPN | Israel | No |
| Hotspot Shield | United States | 5 eyes |
| IPVanish | United States | 5 eyes |
| Ironsocket | Hong Kong | No |
| Ivacy | Hong Kong | No |
| IVPN | Gibraltar | No |
| LeVPN | Hong Kong | No |
| Mullvad | Sweden | 14 eyes |
| NordVPN | Panama | No |
| OperaVPN | Norway | 9 eyes |
| Perfect Privacy | Switzerland | No |
| PrivadoVPN | Switzerland | No |
| Private Internet Access | United States | 5 eyes |
| PrivateVPN | Sweden | 14 eyes |
| ProtonVPN | Switzerland | No |
| PureVPN | Hong Kong | No |
| RusVPN | Dominica | No |
| SaferVPN | Israel | No |
| StrongVPN | United States | 5 eyes |
| SurfEasy | Canada | 5 eyes |
| Surfshark | British Virgin Islands | No |
| Torguard | United States | 5 eyes |
| Tunnelbear | Canada | 5 eyes |
| UrbanVPN | United States | 5 eyes |
| VeePN | Panama | No |
| VPN.ac | Romania | No |
| VPN Secure | Australia | 5 eyes |
| VyprVPN | Switzerland | No |
| Windscribe | Canada | 5 eyes |
| Zenmate | Germany | 14 eyes |
| ZoogVPN | Greece | No |
This is just a small selection of the available VPN providers. There are some really good VPNs on the market, a lot of mediocre VPNs and many more bad, misleading or even dangerous VPNs.
At VPNOverview.com we analyze developments in the VPN industry, read independent audit reports and monitor lawsuits involving VPN providers.
Unfortunately, quite a few VPN providers have fallen off their pedestal over the years, for example because lawsuits showed that they secretly kept logs of users (Hide My Ass, PureVPN and IPVanish). In addition, there are also some VPNs that are linked to questionable governments.
Choosing a reliable VPN is therefore a must; after all, you redirect all your internet traffic via this party. That is why you must be able to rely 100% on the good intentions and integrity of the VPN provider you choose.
VPN providers for the business market
In addition to VPNs for consumers, there are also VPN solutions for businesses. Large companies and governments can use these VPN solutions to allow employees and other authorized people to access the network remotely.
Below is a small selection of business VPN providers:
- Perimeter81
- NordVPN Teams
- Cisco AnyConnect
- FortiClient
- Pulse Connect Secure
- Citrix
- GlobalProtect
- Sentry
- Zscaler
- Netmotion
- Twingate
Why is Online Security Important?
Maybe you’re wondering if the use of a VPN is really necessary. Well, a VPN offers more anonymity, safety and freedom online.
An increasing part of our lives takes place online. We do our banking, keep in touch with friends, check our medical records and work online. It’s important that all this information about you doesn’t just end up on the street. After all, you don’t just leave your bank invoices lying around. If you do not secure your internet connection, you run the risk that hackers, governments, your internet provider, websites, your employer and others will find out more about you than you would like. A VPN shields your data from all these groups.
Most people will know that the things you share online, for instance on Facebook or Instagram, can follow you around for the rest of your life. In the same way, almost everything you do online can have a lasting effect. What if a hacker can see where you do your finances online? Or what if your employer knows how you spend your time on social media during work hours?
A VPN might not offer complete guaranties that you’ll never be hacked, someone who really wants to know what you do online will find a way. However, a VPN will considerably lessen the chance that anyone can see your personal data, browser history and other online activities.
What is a VPN – Summary
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a secure connection between you and the internet. It provides its users with more online privacy, security, and freedom. There are several ways to set up a VPN connection, but most private users do so by subscribing to a VPN service.
These are the main reasons people might want to use a VPN:
- You’ll be more anonymous online.
- You’ll be safer online and your data will be better protected.
- You will be able to circumvent censorship and geographical blocks.
There are a number of major providers that’ll give you access to servers all around the world for just a couple of dollars a month. These providers constantly make sure that their security and the speed of their servers is in order. After extensive testing, we have identified the best VPN providers for you. In fact, if you don’t want to spend any money, you can also build your own VPN.
If you have a burning question about VPNs, we might be able to help you out. Simply click one of the queries below to see the answer. Do you have a question that isn’t answered in this list? Feel free to place a comment underneath this article, and we’ll help you out as soon as we can!
There is a large price difference between the various VPN providers. This makes it difficult to give a a clear answer to this question. That said, looking ath the better VPN providers, most VPNs will cost between $2 and $7 per month if you subscribe for a longer period of time. If you choose to take out a subscription for a shorter period of time, you have more control over the cancellation, but you often pay around $12 per month for the more well-known VPN providers.
There are also free VPNs. You don’t pay for these obviously, but limits on data or speed may apply. There is also a large number of free VPN providers who abuse your data or resell it to others. Always read reviews of VPNs to see if they are suitable for you.
There are many free VPNs to be found on the internet. However, not all of those VPNs can be trusted. Some free apps don’t secure your connection very well, while others might even install malware onto your device. Unfortunately, even good free VPNs often have speed or data limits. We have tested free VPNs to see which ones can be trusted. Take a look at out best free VPNs article.
If you want to start using a VPN, you’ll first need a VPN account. Choose a trustworthy VPN service and get a subscription with them. Install the software on your device and turn the VPN application on. In most cases, you’ll only have to click the big power button that’s shown in the app or on the dashboard to initiate the VPN connection.
A VPN is a secure connection between you and the internet. This connection is sent through an external VPN server, meaning your IP address, location, and data traffic remain hidden. Moreover, you’ll often be able to choose from different server locations, allowing you to access the web as if you were in a different country. This way, a VPN provides you with increased online privacy, safety, and freedom, which comes with all sorts of new possibilities.
A VPN creates an encrypted VPN tunnel between your device and the internet. All your online traffic is sent through this tunnel, meaning no one on the outside will be able to see what you’re doing online. The VPN also alters your IP address by changing it into the IP address of the VPN server you’re using. Therefore, your location will no longer be visible to everyone on the internet. The encrypted VPN tunnel is able to keep your data secure because it uses high-level encryption protocols.
A good VPN will allow you to watch Netflix movies and series that would normally only be available in different countries. The American version of Netflix, for example, has a bigger library than the versions in many other countries, including Spain, The Netherlands, and the UK. With the right American server provided by the right VPN, for example ExpressVPN, you’ll be able to access thousands of series and movies on Netflix.
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I live in USA and have a friend who lives in China. She has a VPN and profile on Facebook. Would I need a VPN for her to receive a message there ?
No, you don’t. If your friend uses a VPN to access Facebook, she’ll be able to use it the same way you would without a VPN. If you send her a message on the right account, she should be able to read it as long as she has access to that account.
NetBlock is an Android App that uses a VPN, would you know which VPN this App uses and is it secure?
Apps like NetBlock don’t use any branded VPNs to work. Instead, they use settings of your Android’s built-in VPN client. On newer versions of Android, you can set up a VPN profile manually (name it, choose a protocol, and enter server addresses). Apps like NetBlock simply configure this local Android VPN client and provide a handy user interface to block the apps. The traffic within the tunnel will be encrypted, but Android’s native VPN only supports PPTP, L2TP/IPsec, and solo IPsec, so it’s not the safest. Moreover, the destination itself is not in the tunnel, so you pretty much can’t count on these apps for protection. They use Android VPN to function but they are not VPNs themselves. On top of that, you won’t be able to use a regular VPN on top of this app.
NetBlock doesn’t inspire much confidence, to be honest. Based on this short research, I would recommend going with something like NetGuard instead. It offers better features and doesn’t throw a ton of ads at its users (NetBlock does, apparently).
Fantastic article my question: currently I don’t have VPN installed, I’m using ADSL connection on my Router but want to install VPN and also change to VDSL to increase download speeds.
I assume the VPN software will operate effectively on either.
Yes, it will. It should work like a charm. ADSL and VDSL are basically the same type of connection as far as VPNs are concerned, so you’ll just get faster speeds!
This is an excellent resource and features a brilliantly simple explainer video. However, the article contains one important error. It states that OpenVPN doesn’t work on macOS. That’s not correct. The OpenVPN client is available for macOS from the OpenVPN website and the OpenVPN client is available for iOS on the App Store.
Thank you for taking the time to point this out, rogerdodger! We rectified the error and updated our article.
Recently and most unusually I tried to make contact with European sites…..all not available. Days later, I attempted again to contact the European sites……all available. Struggling to understand this development, I happened to notice that my VPN was off. Exploring further I noticed that when I turned on the VPN, the internet thru my provider was not connected. How can that be….I have to connect to my wifi and my provider for the VPN to be turned on initially? Is is possible that the internet is available via only one at a time…..my provider….or my VPN? It makes some sense that the VPN would protect me by routing everything thru it only. Tried US, Canadian and Mexican sites with VPN on….all available. European sites not available via VPN but are via my provider with VPN off. Is this normal, does any of this make sense?
Did you use the correct VPN server locations? Your VPN will usually allow you to choose from a list of locations. If you want to reach European websites, your best bet is to use a European server, for example one in Germany. If you’re trying to reach a website in Mexico, a Mexican server will be able to help you out. All these different servers are available with just one subscription – at least for the VPNs mentioned in this article. You can change from one server to another with a simple click. Hopefully, this information will help you access different websites with your VPN. Good luck!
I use Avast but it continually blocks my connection. It’s possible that I’ve set it up incorrectly, but it’s annoying when you click on a link and can’t access it. I then have to manually turn the VPN off to get through.
Some VPNs seem to do that, which turns out to be a problem for some VPN users. A solution might be to use the VPN’s “whitelister” or “split-tunneling” function. This allows you to select which sites or apps you want to open through the VPN, and which ones you want to open with your regular connection.
Hi David, I recently purchased a VPN for gaming specifically to reduce ping as I heard it can do that when routing me through the USA where the server is, however it makes the ping slightly worse! Do you have any advice for using a VPN for this purpose
Although it’s true that a VPN might not reduce your speed or ping, it will also not increase your speed or ping unless there’s some kind of throttling in place. A lot of sites state that a VPN will increase your connection speed and ping, while the opposite is usually true. In most cases, if your internet speed and ping aren’t throttled by your ISP, a VPN will not increase your connection speed or ping. You can, however, use a VPN to access content in a game that’s ordinarily geo-restricted.
Where do they get the new IP addresses? I’ve heard that when you give the VPN companies your IP address that they will use it for their other clients is this true? If it is, doesn’t this defeat the entire purpose of having a VPN?
Genuine VPN providers usually work with data centers all over the world to make sure they get new IP addresses. Most of them don’t use the connection of their users. However, there are some malicious VPNs that do use their users’ devices as endpoints for their connections, such as Hola VPN. We would advise you to stay as far away from these types of VPN providers.
Hi David. Many thanks for a great, well researched and informative review. The software side of vpn makes sense, but do you have any thoughts on vpn hardware that could be used between the wall and the router for home WiFi? The reason I ask is mainly because we don’t have a smart TV, and use add-ons like chromecast. Then presumably all laptops, phones and tablets using WiFi from that router would be covered? My additional dilemma is that my network signal at the office is extremely poor and annoying, so am considering a mobile router on another network, and wondered if this could perhaps be incorporated with a vpn?
Many thanks,
Nigel
If you install a VPN on your WiFi router, then all devices connected to that router should be connected via VPN. This may improve the security (because everything is connected to the VPN), but also gives you less control over the connection on each individual device. It depends on your preferences what the best call to make is in this case. About the mobile router, it depends on the router itself whether it supports VPN or not. You could check out our ‘Installing a VPN on your router‘ article, maybe that will answer some of your questions.
what should it look like when I hover over the wifi?
mine shows :
ARRIS4285
Internet access
Unidentified network
Internet access
Is this normal?
Hi – I have a couple of questions here because this is all new to me. Is it best to use the VPN on all devices or just some? Should it be used all the time or some of the time – I have heard mixed feedback on this. And, I was told that when banking online it’s not a good idea, not sure why. thank you for a very thorough article.
Hello Bea,
I’ll do my best to answer your questions to the best of my ability. When you sign up for a VPN, you generally get to connect multiple devices with a single subscription. If you use a VPN for safety and privacy purposes, I’d just use it on all your internet-connected devices and all the time. It’s a comforting thought that all your internet traffic is secured and private as standard by having your VPN connections enabled. If you use a VPN for unblocking purposes, you might only have to use the VPN on the device you want to access content with though. And you can generally safely use a VPN when banking online, I don’t know why people have told you otherwise. I’m happy to hear the article was able to help you!
Nice website – do you have a little more detail of exactly what happens after the packets are decrypted at the VPN server? Like between the VPN server and the final website on the internet.
Thank you!
After the packet is decrypted it should act like any non-encrypted packet. The traffic between the VPN-server and the server it’s communicating with should be similar to that of a device without a VPN to the same server. The difference being that the server the VPN server is communicating with sees the VPN server as the point of origin, and not your device.
If you are connected to work via VPN, but use your home browser to go online can your work track what your doing on your home browser?
If all the internet traffic goes through your work VPN, then, in theory, it is possible. However, in most cases, workplaces will not have this kind of monitoring active. On top of that, they’re probably not allowed to track your activity on a non-work computer.
I guess I’m sort of a geek as I don’t understand your following statement:
“When you use a VPN, your online actions can only be traced back to the VPN server, but no longer to you (unless, of course, you’re logged into a certain website such as YouTube or Google). Many VPN providers won’t disclose or even monitor what you do via their servers. You’ve thus become much more anonymous on the internet, since you can’t be identified or traced through your IP address.”
I say this because YouTube and Google are two websites that I would most prefer to be anonymous with and protected from. I also don’t understand how I can have a VPN on my smartphone or computer and NOT be protected – in other words how can I log into either one of these websites DIRECTLY and not being going thru my VPN? Thank you, Brad
If you use Google and YouTube while using a VPN you should be anonymous, unless you log in. That’s the gist of it. When you log in, your IP doesn’t matter as much anymore, they can just link your activity to your account instead of your IP-address.
If the pc is connected to VPN by software, does the data traffic on the hdd connected(usb) to the router also pass through VPN, or need a separate VPN setting for the router?
If the HDD is connected to the PC, it should pass through the VPN of the PC, no extra steps required. If it is connected to the router, you have to set up the VPN on your router if you want its data to be protected.
I downloaded NordVPN on my Apple iPad. I found I couldn’t open my App Store with the VPN on. It said “the server cannot be found”. When I disconnected the VPN I was able to open my App Store?
Hmm, this is a problem we haven’t encountered ourselves. It’s best to contact NordVPN’s customer support in this case. They should be able to help you fix this.
So is it totally impossible to trace the origin of an email that was sent via VPN or are there means to trace the author? If possible any suggested programs
Emails are a bit of a different story because you have to log in to an email service provider in order to send one. We’re working on an article about sending email anonymously, but the easiest step to send an anonymous email is by using a burner email account and a secure email service provider such as ProtonMail. Also, be sure not to use any of your personal information when making the email or sending one. For extra IP address privacy, you can use a VPN when making and logging into your burner email.
My question is when a VPN asks whether it can make changes to your device do you say yes or no?
Usually yes is the right answer. A VPN needs to modify your network settings so it can set up the tunnel properly. However, we don’t know which VPN you’re using and there are a lot of malicious VPNs out there. If you’re using a well known VPN such as Surfshark, NordVPN, ExpressVPN or others it should be fine to allow them to make changes.
When I am connected to my VPN, it says I am connected through Dallas. I sometimes get stopped when logging onto various websites I’ve used successfully before the VPN; I am asked for authentification and often am told my IP address is in the Washington DC area. Is my VPN running correctly? Does this just mean the VPN server is in Dallas and the website sees me as in DC rather than my real location?
The extra step to authenticate yourself when using a VPN is common. We sometimes get these as well, though this usually lasts only a little while and depends on the VPN-server. With regards to the Dallas/DC question. Websites use different ways of seeing where you’re coming from. This can be IP (which is referenced to a certain database). It could be that the site you’re trying to visit is using an outdated IP address databse. Looking up someone’s location purely based on IP address is not flawless, so it could be a problem with the site. If you want to check the location of your VPN’s IP, you could use our IP address tool.
When using a VPN, can someone tell what time zone I’m in? For example, if send an email from New York but my VPN is connected through a server in London, does the time stamp on the email show New York time or London time?
A VPN doesn’t change the timezone settings on your computer, nor does it change the timezone settings in your email provider. If you have your time set to New York time, then the timestamp should read the New York time. Though if someone else has their email set to a different time zone, they will ee the time they received your email according to their time zone. A VPN doesn’t influence your timezone settings or that of the person you’re mailing.
I have a VPN, but if I go to another country like China who doesn’t let most IP addresses from around the world through, and I email somebody in the United States, do they have to have a VPN to email me back?
You use a VPN to unblock a site such as Gmail. As long as you gain access to a site, you can use it to send and receive emails. The other person doesn’t have to have a VPN in order to send or receive any of your emails. For example: if you are in China and I am in the US, I can just send you emails and these will be sent to your inbox. You can’t access them in China without a VPN, but they are delivered to your inbox. You only need VPN to gain access to your email provider in order to open your inbox and read and send emails. So in short: no, the person sending you emails doesn’t need a VPN in order to send or receive your emails.
Very informative, Thanks!
I use a point-to-point VPN client (Pulse Secure), installed on the laptop to connect to the company network – I have no other option for work from home. I want to upgrade the old router with something I can install a VPN on.
Should I expect problems running the point-to-point tunnel through a VPN on the router?
Assuming you want to install a VPN different from Pulse Secure on your router, this could cause some problems. Your laptop will be using a double VPN, which doesn’t always work well, especially when using different providers. Chances are that this double VPN connection will keep your laptop from getting access to the internet at all. The best thing would be to run your laptop’s internet through the old router when you’re using Plus Secure, and use the new router for private use, where all your data traffic will be protected by the private VPN you use.
As you listed, there are unlimited benefits of VPNs. Most of the business VPN providers offer discounts as well. My question is, despite of so many benefits, why is it banned in many countries?
Some governments across the world limit internet freedom and want to block certain parts of the internet, such as social media platforms and news websites. These governments could turn to a VPN ban as well, in an attempt to further control the information available inside the country’s borders. You can read more about the legality of VPNs across the world right here.
Thank you so much. I got the point.
If I have a VPN on my I phone will my other devices also be protected or do I need to connect the iPad, PC, and Roku separately? And if so how do I do that.
IF you have the VPN installed on your phone, only your phone’s connection is protected via VPN. If you want to protect your other devices, you should install it on those devices seperately. Usually you can just download a VPN app on iPad and PC. So for example, if you have ExpressVPN, you can download ExpressVPN’s software on your PC and iPad via ExpressVPN’s website. We have guides for installing a VPN on iPad here and on PC here. As far as I know there’s no VPN app for Roku, so you would have to connect it to a router or virtual router that has a VPN on it. We have a guide for setting up a virtual router here.
Thank you for article!
But I missed newcomers. I mean there are a lot of shady free VPNs in the market right now, but recently I found Atlas and it seems to be quite alright. I used it for a couple of days and still do not have any issues. Works good with streaming services. Did you heard about them? They are saying they don’t do any tracking or data collecting. I think it deserves a try, would appreciate if any experts could review Atlas in near future to check whether it’s safe to use?
We’ve recently tested Atlas VPN and will be adding our review to our platform as soon as possible, so keep an eye out for that! In the meantime, we can tell you that, sadly, Atlas does log information, namely your IP address among other data. We’ve also found that it doesn’t work very well with Netflix, so you might not be able to watch that specific service when using Atlas. If you’re looking for free VPNs that don’t collect your data and still work well, you can always have a look at our top 5 free VPNs.
I actually wanted to know more technical details, like does the VPN software overwrite the customer network settings? Does it define additional interfaces? Why don’t some of them have an exception for local addresses? I’m using e.g. pihole, a local DNS server that prevents connections on a DNS basis, depending on blacklists. If the VPN software overwrites my settings, I can’t use my local DNS to protect myself against malicious web sites. Thanks
Thank you for your interesting questions! Whether a VPN allows you to set up custom DNS, depends on the provider. One VPN that does allow this, and will therefore make it possible to work with both your local DNS server and the safety of the VPN, is ExpressVPN. If you want to do this, you’ll have to follow the step-by-step guide they’ve provided on their website to manually configure these settings.
Good afternoon
I would like to know information about everything that is necessary to implement a VPN network in the company
We have some information about security for businesses on this page. When it comes to VPNs that work well for corporate networks, there are many options. Both NordVPN and VyperVPN offer business accounts, and aside from that, there are specialised corporate VPNs such as Perimeter81 that you could choose. If you wish to set up a VPN on your router, so everyone in the office can use it, you can check out this article. We are constantly working to update our content and add new information to the business section of our website, so make sure to keep an eye on that, as well!
If I understand correctly, my communication with the VPN server is encrypted. But the communication is decrypted by the VPN server before being sent to the target website, minus of course my IP address. That means that the communication can’t be directly attributed to my machine. However, anyone intercepting the decrypted communication might be able to deduce who I am and what some of the information is, I think. Is correcting the vulnerability of decrypted communication from user machine to website the role of the https protocol?
Do I understand correctly?
This is quite right. A VPN protects you by hiding your IP address and encrypting your data between your computer and the VPN server. However, if you, for example, log in on a website that doesn’t use a secure HTTPS connection, your login details could still be vulnerable. A VPN secures your internet connection and make it anonymous, but that stops when you willingly send personal information, such as login details or an email address onto the internet. This is why it’s so hard to stay completely anonymous online while using platforms such as email and social media. However, if you use a VPN, make sure the websites you visit are valid, and don’t give out personal information on any page that doesn’t use HTTPS, you should at least be secure and safe from many prying eyes.
How useful is VPN if you are traveling to Ethiopia?
We would definitely advise you to use a VPN. Ethiopia is known to block internet access as well as access to specific apps (WhatsApp, Telegram) at times. Therefore, a VPN might be useful when travelling to Ethiopia. It might help you unblock certain web pages and social media. Even if there isn’t any (relevant) internet censorship at the time of your trip, a VPN will still help you protect your online identity and privacy.
I connect to my employer through a VPN using my Windstream internet service. I constantly get dropped. (Message says connection was disrupted.) Any troubleshooting ideas? I can’t figure out if it’s the provider (they seem to constantly have issues in my area) or my employer. Any guidance is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Firstly, we’d advise you to check whether this problem is caused by your internet connection. Does the internet work properly when you aren’t connected to the VPN? If so, you’ve already ruled out your internet service. Secondly, try to browse the internet through the VPN, without trying to reach any job-related pages or documents. If this works, the problem isn’t with the VPN provider, but with your employer. If it doesn’t, the VPN itself isn’t working. Depending on your situation (which VPN you’re using, how you and your employer arranged the VPN connection) we’d advise you to either contact the VPN’s support team directly or talk to your employer so they can help you. Good luck!
Can I use email (gmail) anonymously with a VPN?
Using a VPN while emailing won’t make you anonymous. After all, you’ll be logging into your Gmail-account, which is likely connected to your name and other personal information. However, a VPN can still be useful during emailing. Some countries won’t give you access to Gmail. Using a VPN in those countries will allow you to log in to Gmail, even when your access should be blocked. If you want to email anonymously, it’s best to create a new, anonymous email address that can’t be traced back to you. A good email provider to use for this purpose is ProtonMail.
Hi, nice share, how do you think for this vpn product: VPNGO, is it also working in China?
We have not (yet) tested out VPNGO for ourselves. Seeing as it’s a VPN that comes with a free version, we expect there to be quite a few limitations. Looking at their privacy policy, it appears they make their money from (third party) advertisements, which is something to be wary of. Their official website also doesn’t appear to work for us. If you’re looking for a good VPN to use in China, we’ve got an article written about exactly that topic. NordVPN, for example, is quite cheap and has obfuscated servers that can help you get around China’s firewall.
My husband has jst left to work in China can he set up a vpn acc whilst there? Sorry, a not v tech savvy wife ?
Sadly, it’s going to be quite hard for your husband to set up a VPN account once he’s already in China. The Chinese government blocks most VPN websites, making it almost impossible to get a VPN if you don’t already have a VPN account to get around those restrictions. If he already has a VPN, however, he can likely use that to easily get around any censorship. IF you want some more information about online restrictions in China, you can read this article. Hopefully this helps!
I would like to improve my overall streaming speed.
Just curious, will a VPN improve my streaming speed? Or would I have to buy a wifi booster? Also how do I connect a VPN to my current router? Would I need special equipment?
A VPN could potentially increase your internet speed, if this speed is being throttled by your ISP or purposefully restricted in another way. If this isn’t the case, however, a VPN will not increase your speed and could even slow it down somewhat. But don’t worry: if you pick a good, fast VPN (for example ExpressVPN), the chances of your streaming speed dropping dramatically are slim. To connect a VPN to your router, you’ll need DD-WRT. You can read all about this here: Installing a VPN on Your Router – a Simple Guide for DD-WRT.
why isnt there a mention of pure? you guys should check out their halloween deal, its as good as those mentioned above
We actually have a detailed review of PureVPN up on our website already. This provider does indeed have a nice Halloween deal offer, which makes the service very cheap.
What about using the VPN provided by Lts say Bitdefender or Webroot, Does it do the same job as explained above.
Yes, the VPNs by Bitdefender and Webroot both work in the same way as explained in this article. Each VPN has its own strengths and weaknesses, even though they all try to do the same thing, namely making your internet experience safer, more anonymous and more free. This means that some VPNs could be better for you to use than others. In order to help you figure out the difference, we review VPNs on our platform. You can have a look at the different reviews we’ve done so far on this page.
Is there a VPN that works in Morocco?
Yes, there is. Many decent VPN providers will work in Morocco and allow you to unblock services and websites. You’ll find a list of the very best ones right here. If you want a VPN that specifically has servers in Morocco as well, we recommend CyberGhost.
My brother got a vpn and was kind of making fun out of me that I didn’t know what it was and why it was needed, I thought that I should read about this matter a bit more so that next time I reply something with expertise and take him by surprise. This was the first website that I stumbled upon and it had great explanations (many thank you’s to the author)! Thanks, for the insights they were great, I might get a vpn myself (or just use my brothers Surfshark account)!
We’re glad we could help! Good luck with your VPN!
thank you did not know what a VPN was. Is the one that windows has built in good for a free one
The built-in VPN that Windows offers via PPTP can help you up to a point, but is not as safe and secure as a normal, premium VPN. That’s why we generally advise to use a VPN from a third party, for example ExpressVPN or Surfshark. With these VPNs, you can be absolutely sure that the service you’re getting is decent, secure, and makes you anonymous. If you want to have a look at the free options, you can check out our article on the best free VPNs of this moment.
I’m traveling to China on Monday and have Express VPN. Currently I’m connected in the US but when I’m in China do I stay connected to US or connect to Hong Kong or Japan? I’m not clear as to how that works
You can do either. If you stay connected to a US server when you’re in China, you’ll have access to the same websites and services as you usually would. A server in Hong Kong or Japan could give you a quicker connection (since the distance between China and these servers is smaller than that between China and the US), but might not give you the same access. However, the most important thing to realise is that China can clamp down hard on VPN connections. If your VPN doesn’t seem to work while you’re there, you can try using different servers and different VPN protocols. Also make sure your ExpressVPN software is updated before you go, so you have the latest technologies to help you. Good luck!
Thanks, informative but still I’m not that savvy. Will ask nerdy friend for more explanation !!
Wow what a great lesson this has been.
Thank you
I am using ExpressVPN.
When I connect uploading and downloading is showing on the app.
Does it upload my personal image and videos too?
No, these mentions of uploading and downloading simply mean that ExpressVPN is sending your data onto the internet through a secure connection and receiving data it can show you. This is how you get a functioning and safe internet connection. Unless you choose to upload a personal picture of video of yourself onto the internet, ExpressVPN won’t touch any of that information, so you don’t need to worry.
Great article, thanks. I do have something I don’t understand. If I install vpn app on iPhone or iPad that are accessing internet through cell data, is this vpn protected or only when they are hooked up to wifi?
The VPN will protect both your iPhone and iPad no matter how you go online. It works both when you’re using cell data and when you’re using Wi-Fi, as long as you’ve got the VPN switched on.
Can the IT dept of your employer track your location through their provided VPN
If you are using a VPN connection set up by your employer or the IT department, they could be able to see your real IP address even when you’re using that VPN. With that information, they will also know your location. However, if you’re using a VPN provided by another company (such as NordVPN or another external provider), your employer will (very likely) be unable to see this information.