What a VPN is for: An Easy-to-Understand Guide for Beginners
by Vít Nováček, updated November 9, 2022
A VPN has more options and features than hiding your IP address and encrypting data transmitted over the internet.
A VPN is also a way to securely connect remotely to a network, even when you are away from it. For example, this is used by companies when their employees work remotely. With a VPN, their data and all access become protected. However, this article is not about that use.
In this article, you will learn about other uses of VPNs and what potential VPN services hold for everyday users who want more than privacy when searching. Every VPN provider may offer only some of the uses listed below. However, you can find them all in our VPN provider overview.
Privacy and Security VPN
The primary use of a VPN is as a tool for gaining anonymity by hiding your IP address behind the server’s address through which you established the connection. In addition to this, all transmitted data becomes encrypted with a secure cipher. Thus, no one can read what you search for or other sensitive data, such as data entered on websites.
VPN encryption also makes it safe to use unencrypted Wi-Fi networks. In addition, the security of VPN connections offered by quality providers is of a high standard, as proven by audits by independent experts.
Most VPN services offer ad blocking and malware blocking; some even provide tracker blocking. Trackers are used to track users across the internet and devices by advertising agencies to offer tailored ads. Malware blocks the VPN server you connect through. And it does this by blocking unsafe sites. This way, you will not be exposed to malicious code.
The DNS (Domain Name System) service converts web addresses to their numerical form and is also safe with a VPN. However, because of this, DNS also contains sensitive information about the sites you visit that could be misused.
When connecting via a VPN, your DNS query will go through the VPN tunnel and queries the VPN provider’s servers. You get maximum privacy by eliminating other servers accessing the internet that may store data about your searches. The servers of authenticated VPN providers strictly do not store any logs of your searches, so even VPN providers cannot find out what you search for.
Most providers also offer the ability to connect to the internet through multiple servers. This helps to make it even harder to trace connections, even in the normal way. However, using multiple servers slows down the connection.
A kill switch option can prevent data from being transferred outside the secure connection. Using a kill switch will prevent any connection if it does not go through the VPN servers, for example, in the event of a connection failure. You can thus be sure that none of your searches will become transmitted through an insecure connection.
You can protect devices not supporting VPN connections by connecting the router to a VPN service. These devices include smart home (IoT) devices such as smart doorbells, voice assistants and many more. The disadvantage is the inability to take advantage of a classic app’s benefits and frequent connection slowdowns.
Internet Disruption
Another benefit of using a VPN is bypassing locally restricted content and government or employer censorship, for example. You can also use this for routine internet searches such as YouTube or streaming services like Netflix, HBO, and others.
When you use a VPN for Netflix, you can also watch shows not intended for your country of residence. Again, many providers offer this option thanks to the wide range of servers in many countries that provide VPNs. You simply connect through the server where the content is available. You can also unblock content and access location-restricted shows on your smart TV, for which most VPN providers also offer apps.
You can also use a VPN if you are abroad and want to access sites that are only accessible to your home country. A VPN will allow you to view them in the same way as if you were at home.
Using a VPN for Kodi is a way to protect yourself from the potential dangers of unauthorized extensions you may be using. With a VPN, you mask your IP address and anonymize the activities and content you are viewing through Kodi.
The same is true with a VPN for torrenting, which is anonymous and more secure thanks to the secure connection, not only from legal action but also from malware.
Price discrimination based on location or tracking your shopping habits is impossible with a VPN. Unfortunately, some companies take advantage of these unfair practices and offer different prices for different areas or users. However, if you use a VPN, they cannot price discriminate against you so that you will be shopping at uniform prices.
