VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. VPN has its advantages and disadvantages. Indeed, using a VPN has many benefits. You have two choices: you can use a free VPN or buy one.
Nonetheless, if you use a free VPN, you certainly pay for it either way or in any form. Free VPN service providers may use your device resources or steal your private information, but that’s not true in every case.
Moreover, buying a VPN gives you some advanced features and improved security. In this guide, we will discuss the advantages of using a VPN.
Advantages of Using a VPN
Encryption
When you use a VPN, your data travels through an encrypted tunnel so that no intruder can steal your data using an MITM (Man-in-the-middle) attack. Technically, it is interesting that a VPN works on port number 1723.
Most cyber threat actors target people from countries like the USA & UK. Hence, most cyber security-conscious people use a VPN to stay protected from cyber attacks.
Coming to the main point, The more robust encryption you have, the safer you are, and the more robust encryption, the harder it is to break. Different VPN service providers use different encryption algorithms; some include 64-bit AES, DES, RSA, etc.
Bandwidth Throttling
ISPs are playing a big game with us; they promise to provide specific GB/TB of data. However, we usually do not get constant streaming speed, leading to buffering problems.
You must be aware that; to balance network jams, ISPs do bandwidth throttling because ISPs manage their bandwidth dynamically and juggle bandwidth among internet users. Indeed, you must have observed this during streaming Movies/TV shows, playing games, etc.
Also, ISPs dynamically impose bandwidth restrictions. To overcome this problem, you have your tool, i.e., VPN; by using a VPN, you can get rid of bandwidth throttling and enjoy buffering free streaming.
Geo-Restrictions
In some countries, Governments impose geo-restrictions for streaming certain kinds of content. For example, suppose you stay in the USA and visit the UK for your office assignment and want to stream your favorite content in the UK, but you find that channel blocked by the UK government.
Here, a VPN comes into the role; a good VPN can bypass the geo-restrictions and stream your favorite content. Many readers have reported that they could access services like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Now TV, etc., using a VPN without any problem.
Buy Online at Less Price
E-commerce companies like Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Etsy, etc., sell products online. You might have noticed that prices for some products differ from country to country. You need to buy some virtual products; if you get a better deal from another country, change the IP address using a VPN and place the order.
Bypass Firewall
Many ISPs install and configure firewalls to monitor traffic activities. They can track your browsing activities, behavior, sites, download content, etc. Nowadays, Firewall has additional options of IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) and IDS (Intrusion Detection System).
I need not describe IPS and IDS as the names are self-explanatory. IPS and IDS analyze each data packet and take information from it. Generally, Firewall administrators write rules to restrict or allow IP addresses from a specific country.
VPN helps you overcome this problem because, as discussed earlier, VPN encrypts all incoming and outgoing traffic, and the Firewall cannot understand the encrypted traffic.
Use Wi-Fi Securely
You may need to use public Wi-Fi, especially at public places like airports, Railway Station, Metro Station, Malls, etc. However, using public or any Wi-Fi is not safe for your privacy.
Because when you connect to the Wi-Fi, you become part of that network and become more prone to cyber-attack. Attackers may use tools like Ettercap, Kismet, Fiddler, Wireshark, etc., to sniff your data packets.
VPN gives you security when accessing the internet through a public Wi-Fi network. Eventually, using a VPN while accessing public Wi-Fi is a good habit.
Some of the popular VPNs are IPVanish VPN, ExpressVPN, and PrivateInterneAccess VPN.
