When it comes to protecting your privacy online, VPN is essential. But there are not too many users are using a VPN. Plus, there is not too much awareness of how a VPN can help one person protect their privacy online. Also, many think that they don’t even need a VPN service. So the question is, do you need a VPN at home? or Do you need it only for work or when on a public network?
What is a VPN?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It gives you online privacy and anonymity by creating a private network from a public internet connection.
To experience it, you need to do a VPN download, install the software, configure some basic settings, and you are done. You can later configure advanced settings if you feel something is off when using the VPN.
Once turned on, the VPN masks your IP address. As a result, your online activities will not be traceable. Plus, you get to enjoy a safe and secure internet browsing experience where you know that no one will know what you are doing online.
A VPN is also a tool that should be used whenever you use public internet at a coffee shop or public places.
How does a VPN Protect Privacy?
When you use a VPN, it encrypts your entire connection and protects you from snoopers, third-party advertisers, and cybercriminals.
Your browser data gets encrypted, which is sent to a secure VPN server and decrypted before passing it to its original destination. The exact process happens when the information is sent back to you.
This way, your ISP or internet service provider won’t be able to monitor you. Nor do you have to worry about your browsing data being sold off to advertisers.
Why Do You Need a VPN Service?
If you are concerned about your online security and privacy, VPN should be your friend. Because when you are not using a VPN, you expose your private information and browsing habits to online trackers and cybercriminals.
Also, if you are using public wifi to log into your online bank account or paying your credit card bill online at a coffee show, you are exposing your private information. And if a hacker is sitting there and monitoring all the public wifi logs, they might get access to your details.
That is where a VPN comes to protect you. Since VPNs encrypt your online data. As a result, the hackers won’t be able to read your data even if they get access to your browsing log.
VPN keeps all your online activities private. Be it browsing data, watching videos online, sending emails, paying bills, or anything.
Also, a VPN hides your IP address. As a result, online snoopers will not get to know who is surfing the internet, downloading files, or doing anything.
Do You Need a VPN at Home?
By now, you know what a VPN is and how it protects you online. But do you need it? Here are a few key points that might help you with your question.
1. Stop Your ISP From Monitoring You
Do you know that your ISP or internet service provider tracks your online activity? Meaning your ISP knows what websites you browse, what files you are downloading, etc. And often, if you download too many files, they might limit your connection.
Although your traffic is encrypted using HTTPS, it doesn’t prevent your ISP from tracking you. So in a way, you give your personal information to your ISP every time you connect to the internet at your home. But when you use a VPN, your ISP will have no clue what websites you are visiting or what files you are downloading.
2. Prevent Network Throttling
Some ISPs love to throttle your connection when you use your internet too much. For instance, if you play online games or download large, there will be high bandwidth consumption. And in such a case, your ISP might limit your internet connection. As a result, you will experience a slow internet connection or no internet.
However, by using a VPN, you will be able to prevent that as your ISP will not get to know what you are doing online. Hence, you can control your network from being throttled by your internet service provider.
3. Better Downloading Experience
If you are someone who downloads large files regularly like games, movies, or software, then your ISP might not be happy with you. As a result, they might restrict your download speed.
But when you use a VPN, your internet service provider will not know how much you are downloading since your bandwidth usage would come from a different source.
4. Unlock Geo Restricted Entertainment
If you stream a lot of content on services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or other ones, you must have a VPN.
You might not know, but when you use Netflix, you don’t get full access to all the content available on its platform. Instead, some contents are geo-restricted and are only meant for a specific location.
But when you use a VPN, you can change your location. As a result, you can browse content meant for users located in other countries. As a result, you will enjoy more content from your Netflix or other video streaming services.
Why You May Not Need a VPN At Home?
1. A VPN may decrease your speed
You might not get the best internet browsing experience when you use a VPN. Since a VPN routes and encrypts your connection. As a result, your internet speed gets slowed down. As a result, your videos may buffer or take too long to load a website. However, most VPN providers offer you fast servers but are ready to accept slow internet connections while using a VPN.
2. Risk Of Being Blocked By Certain Services
Some services don’t like you using a VPN. As a result, they may not allow you to access their services over a VPN connection.
While VPN is a great tool to bypass geo-restrictions, some services and apps that can detect VPN connections and block them; as a result, you won’t be able to accept those services.
3. Your VPN Provider Might Sell Your Information
Selling your browsing data is not a common thing with premium VPNs. But if you are using a free VPN, then there is a risk that your VPN provider might sell your data. As a result, you are not protecting yourself online. Because your VPN provider will still get to know what websites you are visiting and sell your data to third-party advertisers, it is essential to subscribe to a VPN service with a strict no-log policy.
Conclusion
So those were a few reasons why you need a VPN. Plus, are a few reasons why using a VPN might be a bad idea. I hope this has cleared all your doubts related to VPNs. If there is anything else you would want to ask, comment below.
