VPN stands for Virtual Private Network.
It is quite clear from the full form but the purpose of this article is to provide you with the complete picture of what basically a VPN is. Once you get done with this article, your perception of VPNs will be cleared. Now the question arises, what does “Private Network” mean here?
The term private network refers to a network that links or connects the computers of an organization like an office. People in an organization are able to reach each other through this network. The server remains private within the organization and only the people belonging to a certain organization can communicate with each other through it. No third party can access any kind of information shared through this network. It is a personal and secure network.
However, Virtual Private Network means that the network is shared on the internet between people which again, cannot be accessed by people of third parties. This can be made easier to understand by citing an example of an application like youtube. Let us remind the days when youtube was banned in Pakistan and it was so hard to access it without any private server. That is the time when a VPN is used. It is installed to get access of those blocked apps which you are unable to access in your country. VPN allows you to connect to youtube by accessing its data without providing any information about the service provider. This is because the service provider gets the illusion that the VPN is being accessed whereas, actually, youtube is being accessed.
Short Summary Points on ‘VPNs FOR BEGINNERS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
1. VPN Stands for “Virtual Private Network”
2. The term ‘private network’ refers to a network that links or connects the computers of an organization like an office.
3. However, VPN means that the network is shared on the internet between people but cannot be accessed by third parties.
4. VPN Helps you access the blocked sites in your country.
5. It hides your actual IP address so no one can locate you.
6. You can share your data freely on the internet without worrying about any intruder.
7. VPN allows you to surf the internet safely.
8. You can even use the public Wi-Fi without worrying.
9. The one thing that is promised by every VPN is your Privacy.
In short, a VPN allows you to gain the following benefits by its usage.
- Your access the information on the internet privately.
- You get access to the blocked websites and are able to reach out the censored information on the internet.
- You easily get through the web sites of other countries like the days when YouTube was banned in Pakistan.
- You easily download the games, apps, and movies of your choice. Even the torrent is enabled.
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Commercial VPN VS Corporate VPN
Table of Contents
Just like any other thing, VPNs also have types that are categorized into two:
1. Commercial VPN.
2. Corporate VPN.
It is understandable by the name but for further knowledge, the following is a brief description of each type mentioned above.
Commercial VPN
It is a type of VPN designed for the usage of the normal public. Its use is commercial. People are allowed to install it and access the blocked websites through the help of this type of VPN. It has made the searches easy and protective now, as the accessed information is safe.
Corporate VPN
This type of VPN is made for the usage of networking within an organization when the employees need to access through places other than the office. This enables easy and effective communication. The data of the organization is safe and the employees can easily access their data.
How to Use A VPN?
The usage of a VPN is quite easy and does not require any long procedures. There is no complex way to get access to some blocked websites through a VPN. All it takes is a simple installation. You can then connect to the application or the web address you wish to access. The data shared remains between you and the VPN servers. This happens because when you access any website, the VPN connects you to the server by its own VPN provider through an encrypted connection which is known as ‘VPN tunnel’. Hence, the data is secured between the user and the server.
This all can never happen without the help of ISP i.e. Internet Service Provider. The ISP holds great importance because it is the linker between your VPN and the user. You cannot avoid IPS but, this is not to worry about, because it does not forward any kind of information of the ISP. This is because it just connects to the VPN and is unknown to the data that is accessed with the help of a VPN.
There are many useful advantages if you use a VPN. It saves you in a number of ways and makes web surfing easy for you. The following ways explain our motives.
Safe Internet Surfing:
Once you use a VPN in your device, your web browsing becomes safe. The safety is enabled because your internet service provider is not directly linked with the web address you are accessing. It just connects you to the VPN which creates automatic privacy for you and the data you access is safe. The internet service provider now does not know whatever you look for, it just knows that you are linking to a VPN.
Public Wi-fi is Safe to Use!
Since you are not caught for the web address you are accessing, the wifi you use is unknown too. So, public wifis can be easily used and they won’t even be able to know whatever you are searching for. Just, for example, consider a free wifi network available with any name. But in actuality, this is a trick set by a hacker to access your data. In such cases, your data remains safe as your searches are encrypted with a VPN.
Privacy is Promised!
Now that you will not be able to catch through your internet service provider, which actually has no interest in your searches, VPN does that job for you. The internet searching is private with your VPN and it promises to keep the servers you have access to, safe and encrypted with itself.
Let us now move forward and look at a disadvantage which is very obvious while using a VPN. As a VPN user, many people complain of a slow internet connection. The slow website is just a myth. There is the logic behind the purpose. A mystery solved below.
Slow Access to Website:
Basically, when you enter a web address, your internet service provider forwards the address to VPN and the VPN further looks for the data you ask for. This encryption and decryption take a longer time as compared to simple searches through the internet. The data is first sent to VPN in an encrypted form which is decrypted by VPN and the process of searching for the data takes place. If you still don’t understand the logic, then a simple language to clear this out is that the more the data travels, the more time is required. Hence, the slow access to your enquired web link.
This is not a stamp on paper though. There are other factors as well which affect the speed of your data if you use a VPN. It depends upon the available bandwidth, server processing power and of course, the load on that particular website. It is observed that when a lot of people use the same application, it creates an obstruction in the efficiency of the website. Therefore, if a larger number of people look for the same website as yours, the data will definitely be sent late to you.
Solution!
But let’s not leave you worried about the slow rate because everyone wishes for the fastest connection. There is a way out to get rid of this problem as well.
If you wish for fast access to the data you are asking for, you must use the VPN which is geographically located nearest to you. Not only this, but you should also try to access the website which is nearest to you. By achieving both of the mentioned solutions, you will be able to access the data real quick.
Now that you have known the advantages and disadvantages of using a VPN, you must also know how to get into its world? Let us see what is important to get you started with using a VPN service.
Choosing the One For You
When you enter a school which is a new place for you, you find many types of people and each one of them tries to get you along with themselves. Many try to help you in your work so that you stay with them Similar is the case when you think of getting a VPN service in your gadget.
1. Read The Reviews:
Therefore, you are advised to see all the reviews deeply according to their features and the price they offer. Read the reviews dropped by people in the comment section to know the service as a user. Do not hurry in making the decision. Take your time to choose the one that suits you.
2. Privacy Policies:
Other than this, there are many cautions you should take before you purchase any VPN. Don’t miss out on their privacy policies. That is because most of them promise that the data is not going to be known to them while that is untrue. They have all the access to your data and they can even use it for manipulation but again, they always tell that your data is safe and in order to get access to the blocked services, you have to trust them. Here is the part where they are bounded. They cannot leak your data because if they do so, the VPN providers can go to jail and honestly, no VPN provider would want their business to get down by opening up someone’s privacy. Also, if you are accessing privacy-friendly VPN in a country whose laws require the log details then no matter what, the VPN will carry the logs with itself. Therefore, you should be sure when using the VPN service that you can get through the laws of the country.
3. Are You Anonymous?
No! You are not anonymous to the VPN you are using. This is just a wrong perception that if you use a VPN, you can anonymously access to any website you like and nobody would know about it. A VPN provider exactly knows who you are and whatever you search for.
4. Payment Policies:
Most of the VPN providers have simple payment methods i.e. monthly. But, many also give a service of paying anonymously which is made possible by paying through bit coins. This also symbolizes that the particular VPN takes the privacy matters seriously. Paying anonymously is not easy but if the correct steps are followed, you can stay anonymous with your real name and address etc (which is very hard to promise). However, they are still known to your IP address and this can’t be hid anyway.
Is VPN Legal To Use?
Now, the main question arises, is VPN legal?
Well, the answer is quite simple. Some countries respect the privacy of users; therefore, they have legalized the use of VPN services. People are open to use VPN services for their private researches. However, in many countries of the world, VPN is banned because they do not like access to blocked links.
Some Benefits of VPN
VPN provides many benefits to its users and those who are newbie really enjoy these features.
· Encryption:
The VPN provider makes the usage safe by providing encryption to the user. The link you enter for stays between the user and VPN and not the ISP. The data is protected by a VPN using encryption.
· Security of IP Address:
If you get a VPN provider and if it works properly then the IP address of your device is safe for use. The website you access can’t know the IP address you are using and this helps in making the search easier and safer. But if the IP address is still detected somehow, then this is known as IP leak. In this case, you are required to search for the ip leak sites and get the solution.
· Usage Through Mobile Phone:
A VPN can be used through a mobile phones easily because it is made android and iOS friendly. But again, it is less safe while using from mobile than by using from laptop or computer because mostly, the websites get access to the contacts, GPS, and other media folders too. This makes the search less safe because the phone has a lot more than just an IP address.
· Torrent-ing:
Since your searches are safe because VPN acts as a shield between the data you ask for and the web link you access, you can easily use torrent.
There is a myth that a VPN can be used to anonymously track any web site. This is totally a misperception. Firstly, you can never use a VPN anonymously, as discussed previously. Secondly, a VPN may hide your IP address but it cannot hide your identity so you cannot use it for tracking purposes.
Conclusion:
The person who was completely unknown to VPN may now no more be unknown with it after reading this guide. All the basics have been given for a person who craves for a private searching engine. You are highly suggested to look for the list of best VPNs used by people around the globe and take a view of the reviews mentioned by people. Before getting into this thing, you should be confirmed about every service it provides and the features it enables you to use.
Using a VPN makes you safe from the eyes of the government, they now won’t know about the searches you make. The weblinks which are blocked in your country and regions can be accessed easily but again, make sure that your country allows the usage of VPNs and you do not get into any trouble later if your linkage with the certain VPN is revealed. Reading the above guide carefully will definitely remove all the doubts in your minds that were related to the usage of a VPN. Also, many misconceptions must have been gone too.
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you)