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The Ultimate Guide on How to Use a VPN

The internet is jam-packed with advice on how you should protect your private information.

Most of this advice works great if you understand VPN use. That being said, there are still a few questions unanswered on how to use a VPN?

A VPN can be used for various purposes, but it’s good to understand how to use it efficiently to get the desired results.

Here’s an in-depth guide on how you can use and set up a VPN.

What is a VPN?

As per HBR, 89% of all cyberattacks involve financial or spying motives. A VPN is a way to protect you from these cyber-attacks and build a strong wall between your device’s connection and the VPN server online. 

It creates a safe, encrypted, private tunnel to protect your data from hackers, governments, and internet service providers. For example, if you’re in Canada and government officials are trying to spy on you, a good VPN connection will change your Canada IP address and secure your identity.

A virtual private network creates a safe, encrypted online connection. People use it for different purposes, from streaming geo-blocked content to protecting data in public networks; a good VPN connection can help you in every situation.

You can securely send and receive data across the internet. This type of safe connection is worth an investment since we all live and breathe on data and content in today’s time. Adding an extra layer of security can protect you from snoopers. 

Why Use a VPN?

The Ultimate Guide on How to Use a VPN

For the most part, VPNs can be used for different locations and different reasons.

Business organizations use it to protect their data in the cloud; people use it for data protection, hiding their identity on the internet, and accessing geo-restricted content. Remote employees use it for securing the home network. It’s quite likely that hackers can monitor your traffic and see your browsing activities if you don’t have a VPN connection.

The reason being attackers don’t care where your device system is.

They just want your information and data wherever possible to rack up as much information. A VPN works best since it can hide your identity no matter where you are.

Here are some valid reasons why you should use a VPN:

  • Secured public wifi
  • Privacy from your government and ISPs
  • Accessing geo-restricted content safely
  • Maintain your anonymity while accessing any content
  • Save on e-shopping while hiding your identity
  • Secure data transfer with the strong encryption 

3 Steps To Use a VPN

If you’re using a VPN for the very first time, it can get a little tricky to learn all the technicalities. But here’s the deal: follow the basics first.  

  • Step1

The first step is to select a good  VPN service. You can check out the best VPNs that align with your needs. 

It’s best to find an independent provider at this stage. The reason being, there are always vendors who can provide free services that are ad-free. Also, always check the security experience of the vendor, the reviews, its privacy policy, and how many servers it can support at a given time.

  • Step 2

The next step is to get your VPN credentials right. Of course, it should be on your device. You can do this by downloading your VPN app and signing up for an account.

 Your VPN provider will give you all the instructions in a manual.

 Here’s what you should keep in mind:

  1. Open your device network setting and add it to a connection. A VPN should be an option on the connection type.
  2. Now you can add the server address of your VPN provider and your VPN username (your vendor will provide this ).
  3. Maintain a password and set up your VPN. Click “connect” to complete the setup. 
  • Step 3 

Well, that’s not all. Remember, you do have to reconnect your VPN when you’re in public.

So always turn it on when you’re using public wi-fi.

One important note: If your VPN provider is based in Canada and you live in Florida, your location will show that you are connecting from Canada. This may affect your localized web searches. 

For example: If you search for “pizza delivery,” you’ll get shops that deliver pizza in Canada, not in Florida. It’s good to check this beforehand and see a VPN with a connect button to reconnect it from your location.

And after a moment or two, you’ll connect to the fastest server available at the time.

Also, If you want to change your location in a particular country and want to stream services, then choose a specific server. This means your ISP will give you a list of countries.

Pick the ones that are best for streaming services. You can use the server browser, map, or however that particular VPN organizes its options to select the right server for you.

Conclusion

As per VPNmentor, 63% of businesses do not have an operable incident response plan. This does mean so many organizations are still unaware of how to handle the aftermaths of a security breach. Organizations can implement VPN policies to make sure everyone is on the same track.

And people can contact their vendors for more in-depth knowledge of how their VPN connection works?