VPN FAQs: The Beginner’s VPN Guide in 2023 – Confidentiality and privacy on the net: this has been a hot topic for several years. Massive data thefts occur almost daily, with regular scandals.
Fortunately, you are not alone in the web jungle. There are very effective tools to protect your anonymity.These are VPNs. In this beginners guide, we tell you everything about VPNs.
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VPN FAQs: The Beginner’s VPN Guide in 2023
What is a VPN?
VPN is the acronym for Virtual Private Network. There are dozens of providers for this kind of service, some free, others paid.
Their goal is the same: to encrypt your connection and hide your real IP address. Your data is then protected during its transit on the vast canvas of the web.
Be careful though, a VPN is not the ultimate weapon to avoid hacking. It is above all a tool to improve your protection. And like any device, it must be utilized perfectly to be useful!
How does a VPN work?
Now let’s get into the technique. Don’t worry, we’ll stay on the surface, you don’t need to be an engineer to understand how a Virtual Private Network works.
Imagine that you take the highway from point A to point B. Normally, you drive alongside other cars, which are potentially as many possible accidents.
Now imagine that you are making the same journey through a tunnel. Other cars cannot enter it, you are protected from accidents.
This is how VPN works by securing your connection through an encrypted tunnel. Plus it changes your real IP address – your license plate by analogy – when you exit the secure tunnel.
To set up this protection, you will need to take out a subscription with a provider. Amazing VPN deals available for 1-year, 2-year and 5-year plans. Once your credentials have been created, all you need to do is use a smartphone application or PC software to establish the connection to your VPN service.
Why use a VPN?
There are many instances where using aniOS or Android VPNcan be helpful. Most users see it as a shield that helps repel potential hacker attacks. This is especially true when you’re traveling and need to connect to open Wi-Fi networks.
A Virtual Private Network is then able to protect the connection from end to end. Your identifiers and important data are therefore perfectly protected.
Another great thing about VPNs is their ability to hide your real IP address. This is especially useful for accessing geo-blocked content. Classic example: you cannot normally access the US Netflix catalog from France.
Through a Virtual Private Network, you can connect to a server in the United States which will assign you an American IP address. This way, Netflix will open its doors to you thinking that you live in the USA!
Folllow steps to Best Offer on Surfshark VPN
- Subscribe to a VPN likeSurfShark.
- Download and Install the VPN app for your device or you can use in-built VPN app.
- Log into your VPN app with the details provided after subscribing the ExpressVPN.
- Connect to a server in theUS.
Protection and anonymity are the two main assets of VPNs. Each service then offers its own advantages with functions such as Kill Switch, Dual-VPN or even anti-virus. The set is generally very easy to configure .
Who are the best providers?
There are many Virtual Private Network services on the net. Each has its own characteristics, which can make the choice difficult. First and foremost, we strongly advise against opting for a free VPN.
It turned out over the years that these free providers were reselling their users’ data for their own accounts. Moreover, even if they are sometimes honest, these free services do not have the best speeds, nor the most advanced options.
So give preference to paid VPNs, of which here is a list of trusted providers, renowned for their reliability:
- Surfshark
- NordVPN
- CyberGhost
- ExpressVPN
- ProtonVPN
- Hide.me
- PureVPN
- HideMyAss
How do I choose my VPN provider?
Choosing a VPN requires some thought about your needs and uses. The options offered are sometimes numerous. It is therefore advisable to carefully check the characteristics of your future data protection.
The main criteria, common to all services, are as follows:
- Number of servers and locations
- Connection speed
- Number of simultaneously protected devices
- Compatibility with your devices: smartphone under Android or iOS, Mac, Linux, Windows…
- Encryption security level
We recommend that you favor VPNs with many servers spread around the world, with good connection speeds. Indeed, the use of such a service can slow down your Internet connection.
Read Also: 10 Ways to Choose VPN Steps by Steps
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You also need to make sure that your provider’s software is compatible with your hardware, whether you’re using a smartphone or a PC. For example, few protection services work with Linux, or only on the command line.
To this, we must add the additional functions: Kill Switch, Double VPN, antivirus, etc. Also favor VPNs with a “no log” policy which do not record – in theory – any connection data.
VPN Pricing
Finally, let’s look at prices. Generally, a VPN subscription is very affordable, especially if you opt for a long-term plan of 24 or 36 months. Payment is made in one go, with drastic discounts beyond 12 months of commitment.
For example, Surfshark currently offers 2 years of protection for only $2.49/month. The prices of the competition are in the same vein, oscillating between $3 and $5/month. Discover our complete test to learn more about this solution.
In most cases, subscriptions offer a 30-day “satisfied or refunded” period. You can therefore test the service with confidence, and check that everything works perfectly on your devices before making your purchase.
Conclusion
If you want to protect your privacy on the Net, you will have everything to gain by investing in a good VPN like Surfshark. Your data will not only be well protected, but you will also have access to many tools dedicated to digital protection.