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A VPN, you’ve probably heard of it. But what is a vpn exactly and what can you do with this? I explain that in this article.
What is a VPN?
A VPN (Virtual private network) is software for your laptop or telephone, for example, that ensures a secure connection between your device and the internet. A VPN sends your data via a secure connection to an external transmitter, from this transmitter your data goes back to the internet. This means you have safe internet and you are also anonymous.
If you normally go on the internet, you can be traced online with your IP address, which is actually a personal code of your own internet connection. If you go online via a VPN, your IP address will change (due to the connection to that external private server) and you will be less easy to find online.
Why a VPN?
A VPN is useful for many different purposes and protects you in different ways, I have listed the most important reasons:
1. Safety
Security is a reason for many people to use a VPN. You send without a VPN personal information on the internet unsecured, if you are on a not commanded internet page that information (such as automatically saved passwords) can easily be tapped.
Using a VPN can also be useful on the go, especially if you plan to use a public WiFi network. You never know whether such a network is 100% safe. It could be that hackers are reading along and obtaining valuable information such as your bank details. It is therefore highly recommended to use a VPN if you plan to connect your phone to a public network.
2. Anonymity
A VPN makes you anonymous everywhere on the internet. Your IP address can no longer be traced, so no one knows your real location. It is also useful so that you can download things anonymously. With a VPN, advertising networks do not receive a profile from you. Normally, a lot of information is collected about you and sold on to governments and advertisers. So if you want to surf the internet safely without leaving a trace, a VPN is definitely recommended.
READ ALSO: A free VPN: pay for it in the end?
3. Censorship
This does not really apply to us in the Netherlands, but in countries such as China, Turkey and other countries, things are censored on the internet. They then block access to various services such as WhatsApp, Google, YouTube and much more. It is therefore useful to use a VPN in these types of countries. You can also change your geographical location with a VPN, so you can pretend that you are in another country where this is possible. So are you going on holiday to a country where there is a lot of censorship? Then it is useful to use a VPN.
4. Watch movies and series
In the Netherlands we of course have quite a lot of streaming services such as Videoland, Netflix, Disney+ and more. Yet the offering on Netflix Netherlands is not as large (and perhaps more diverse) as the offering in the United States and other countries. Also, some things on foreign sites cannot be seen in the Netherlands, so you can see some things on the ABC site must you are in the United States.
With certain VPN services (read carefully whether your VPN also offers this) you can watch films and series on, for example, the American Netflix or view other sites. As we already knew, a VPN can change your geographical location. Are you looking for a specific film or series and do you want to see if it is on Netflix in another country? There are useful sites such as Unogs.com for.
In brief
In short: a VPN is useful software that you can do a lot with, both on the road and from home. It protects you against hackers and burglaries on the internet and it also lets you watch films and series that we cannot watch in the Netherlands. Ideal, right?