Imagine you are sitting in an airport lounge and using the public Wi-Fi provided by the airport. You may be sending and receiving critical company data, conducting online transactions or perhaps even sexting. Would you want strangers to view all this information? Read more details below
NO! Right?
Well, unless you intend to buy VPN for encrypting the data that is incoming and outgoing, in your system you are doing just that. You might as well get up and reveal your passwords and private information to every dubious guy with a hood, with head down on the laptop.
What does a VPN do?
A VPN hides your original location by replacing it with another one from around the world, assigns you an IP from that location and thus secures your information by letting it pass through a secure private network rather than the public one. However, there happen to be many other uses to a VPN. Currently, VPNs are being used to circumvent government censorships, access blocked content, hide browsing activity and of course, to protect privacy when using a public network.
Not all VPNs are the SAME!
However, not all VPNs work the same or have the same strengths and competencies. What you find working best in one VPN may not be present in another one, and if you come across a VPN that is the best in all areas, it may turn out to be out of the budget.
What to look for in a VPN?
Still, there are a few key features to look for, when you are gauging VPNs before making the purchase decision. For instance, the following:
- Encryption – should be up to 256 bit
- Split tunneling option
- Number of servers
- Number of locations on offer
- Server switching option
- Flexible Pricing options
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- No logging policy
- Supported Platforms
- Compatibility while running with Torrent sites, gaming, Netflix and Linux
Privacy Matters the most!
Another important consideration should be whether or not the VPN service is based offshore such as Panama or any other country where data privacy laws do not require data to be provided to the foreign agencies or governments. Because, otherwise the service’ “No logs policy” might not be as effective.
Accessing Premium content!
A hugely popular use for VPNs nowadays is, to access premium content that may not be available due to either geo restrictions or copyright. Therefore, any VPN that lets users unblock platforms hosting such content, without compromising the identity, whilst ensuring excellent speeds and a good experience, sells like hot cakes.
Why Streaming services are geographically based?
The thing is, the content creators on streaming services only get paid for their content as per the number of viewers in the particular region whose rights they hold. For instance, Paramount pictures may hold the rights for a particular show or movie for the Latin America region but not Europe, while the Europe rights to distribute the same might belong to Disney as per the agreement.
The Use of VPN for Netflix:
Since the dawn of Netflix, many other companies have jumped in the streaming business and become all the rage in the current era. Even the legacy companies such as Showtime and HBO – traditionally cable service providers, have become entrants in the emerging market. However, Netflix has the beginner’s advantage and happens to be the prime source for online entertainment and therefore it is really pertinent to see whether the VPN service you chose is working with Netflix or not. And therein lies the problem.
Ever since Netflix ensued geographical bans, only a very few VPNs have been up to the task for working around it and letting users access the banned content. There happen to be quite a few countries that have the entire Netflix catalogs available to choose from, others deprived from the same luxury, thus the need for a Netflix VPN arising.
The Cat and Mouse Game between Netflix and VPNs!
Netflix actively bans connections coming from the same IP addresses, hence blacklisting the VPN’s DNS proxy servers that are used to unblock the Netflix content. However, the best VPNs play along and are able to add ever new servers to get around that. Hence, there is an ongoing struggle between both parties and the users need to follow through which servers are working at any given time.
You need Good Money to have the Good VPNs!
Some of the top tier VPNs in terms of service quality, overall performance and features charge the top dollar and do not come so cheap. Usually, these are the ones that can get you to bypass any restrictions that might be in place, by successfully top notch protocols. But that shouldn’t be the case. There are ones who can do this arduous task at a nominal enough price. The key is to look for the ones offering trial periods or 7 day money back guarantees. Normally, if it can crack Netflix, it will do so when you are on trial too. The key is to switch between servers to see which ones let you do that.
In any case, when the time comes for you to select a VPN, do so wisely. Keep in mind, the specific purpose for whom you require it. Whether it’s Torrenting, Gaming, Streaming or simply the online security needs. While the basic service provided by all VPNs remains the same, different VPNs tend to focus on different areas in which they perform best.
