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Everyone has probably seen commercials from all kinds of different VPN providers, whether through a sponsored YouTube segment or TV commercials. vpn stands for ‘Virtual private network‘ and the technology allows you to surf the internet anonymously and securely. But what else can you do with it, how exactly does it work, and why are more and more people using it?

How does a VPN connection work?

As soon as you press the ‘connect’ button in your chosen VPN program, a lot happens in a few seconds. Ultimately, you are connected to a virtual network that, from that moment until you disable the VPN, routes the network traffic from your computer or smartphone through an encrypted tunnel. From that moment on, the website you visit or app you use thinks you are a different person in a different location, because your IP address has changed. This means that no one, not even your internet provider, has access to your search history.

Image: Towfiqu Barbhuiya

Paid or free?

Many people think that using a VPN will drastically reduce your internet speed, but as long as you choose a good provider, that is not the case. You can connect to any server in any country, and the closer the country, the faster the connection. By the way, I strongly advise against using free VPN services, because they make money from selling your data. Almost all paid providers do not log your data (no-log principle), have more and faster servers, and offer a wide range of options.

Skills

If you’ve ever been on holiday abroad, you’ve probably noticed that you couldn’t watch NPO programs, even if you had a Plus subscription. And if you’ve ever tried to stream Belgian programs at home, you know that it doesn’t work either. This geoblocks can easily be circumvented with a VPN, where you only need to connect to a server in the country where you want to view the blocked content. With the right VPN provider, you can even watch Netflix in other countries with your own accounts!

Some VPNs even have apps for your television. – Image: Petter Lagson

Connecting to a VPN is also extremely useful when you’re connected to a public network, such as at airports, at a restaurant, on vacation, or at work. No one will be able to read or steal your passwords, personal information or banking details this way. Using a virtual private network is simply the easiest way to protect your online privacy on just about any device.

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