In this article we will discuss what a VPN is, its types, and VPN functions. We’ll also show you VPN alternatives. Come on, read until the end!
Understanding about VPN
VPN is a network that provides a secure connection to the public internet. A VPN hides your personal information, encrypts internet traffic, and allows you to access content that is only accessible in certain regions.
In privacy and security, a VPN also allows you to access much more content on the internet. You can change virtual locations with a VPN and open websites that are normally only accessible in certain areas, generally abroad.
VPN Types
There are different types of VPNs you can use, and each has its own purpose. For the most common, several types of VPN are personal, remote access, mobile, and site-to-site. Want to know more? Let’s see the explanation below.
1. Personal VPN
This type of VPN is also called a consumer or commercial VPN. Personal VPN connects users to the public internet with an encrypted connection via a VPN server. The main purpose of a personal VPN is to protect online privacy and bypass geo-blocking (geographical restrictions).
Because it is used for commercial purposes, setting up a personal VPN is of course easy on various devices, such as PCs, laptops, game consoles, and mobile devices. Some examples of personal VPN services are NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark.
2. Remote Access VPN
Remote access VPN is a type of VPN that allows users to connect to a private or local network. This type is generally used by employees to be able to connect securely to the office network and access company data and files.
This type of VPN is perfect for remote workers and employees who are WFH (working from home). They can access work files as if they were in the office. Encryption is also critical for protecting sensitive company-owned data when using public Wi-Fi hotspots.
3. Mobile VPN
Similar to remote access VPN, mobile VPN is generally used by employees to connect remotely to their company’s business network.
The main difference is, the mobile VPN will stay connected even if the user changes his internet connection or is not connected to the internet. So, mobile VPN is recommended for users who have high mobility or who have unstable connections.
4. Site-to-Site VPN
This type of VPN joins two networks in different locations. For example, if a company has 2 offices in Europe and Asia, a site-to-site VPN can combine the two companies’ private networks.
Many global companies use a combination of site-to-site VPN and remote access VPN. Site-to-site VPN combines all of the company’s private networks around the world, while remote access VPN allows employees to access all of these networks at one time.
VPN function
So, you’ve learned what a VPN is and how it works. But, how much do you really need to use a VPN?
For those of you who prioritize privacy, security, and freedom when opening websites, a VPN can actually be a very appropriate tool. Here’s what a VPN does and why you need one.
1. Maintain Privacy
The job of a VPN is to encrypt network traffic and route internet connections through remote servers. A VPN allows you to hide online data such as IP address, location, search and browsing history, and download activity.
Thus, ISPs, websites that are opened, and other outside parties will not be able to read the online data if you use a VPN.
2. Increase Security
It cannot be denied that the internet is indeed full of security threats targeting websites and users. VPN encryption and masking IP addresses can increase security in each user’s online activities.
If you browse the internet using an untrusted connection, such as public Wi-Fi, you are at high risk of becoming a victim of a cyberattack. With a VPN, your internet connection will be encrypted and your IP address will be hidden from insecure networks and such.
For remote workers, a VPN is not only important for accessing company files, but also keeping company confidential data secure. Apart from that, a VPN also maintains the security of the data so that it is not read or stolen by malicious outsiders.
3. Provide Internet Freedom
VPN can change the virtual location of their users, so you can open content that is not available in your region or country.
Examples are TV shows on Netflix that may only be available in certain locations, or social media websites that are blocked in your country. By changing the location through a VPN, you can also access content that is blocked by region.
VPN connections can also bypass ISP data and bandwidth restrictions, because some ISPs limit bandwidth for online services that require a lot of resources, such as streaming websites or peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. VPN can bypass so you can maximize your internet connection at any time.
Some online stores and ticket sales websites also display different prices for their customers based on their location or shopping habits. Well, a VPN can prevent this, and help you get the best prices when shopping online.
VPN alternative
A VPN is one of many tools that can be used to protect your privacy, security and freedom on the internet. However, if you don’t want to use a VPN, you can also try another alternative, which works quite similarly.
1. Proxies
Proxies are intermediary servers for devices and websites. The proxy sends a website request on behalf of the device, then returns the results. Proxies can mask your IP address, but they don’t provide any features and are not as user-friendly as a VPN.
2. Tor
Tor is an open-source anonymous web browser. The way it works is by encrypting internet traffic in a multi-layer manner and randomly routing it through a global network of servers, so that your identity is almost 100% anonymous.
This tool is easy to use and available on a variety of popular operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.
However, Tor has one big drawback: it’s slow. This is due to the complexity of the mechanisms used to protect user privacy. Another drawback is that while a VPN protects at the system level, Tor only protects at the application level.
3. SmartDNS
SmartDNS is like a proxy server, but it doesn’t mask your IP address. SmartDNS uses DNS servers to unblock region-restricted content. Remember, SmartDNS can only be used with certain websites that are supported by the service provider.
The advantage of SmartDNS is that this system can unblock content without slowing down the connection. Unfortunately, SmartDNS is not designed as a privacy and security solution, so this tool does not hide your IP address and does not provide encrypted connections.
4. Lanterns
Lantern is a tool to trick content censorship systems on peer-to-peer websites. With Lantern, users can bypass internet restrictions through a network of trusted users. Although effective for unblocking censored websites, Lantern is not a privacy browser like Tor because it collects some user data.
Conclusion
Ok, that is about Understanding VPN.
Through this tutorial, you already know that a VPN is a network that provides a secure connection to the public internet. A VPN hides your personal information, encrypts internet traffic, and allows you to access content that is only accessible in certain regions.
The way a VPN works is by routing all website requests from the device to the VPN server through an encrypted tunnel and sending them to the target server. After processing, the results will be sent back to the device using the same process.
So, it can be concluded that a VPN is a tool that is quite important and easy to use if you prioritize privacy, security and freedom when opening websites. We hope this article has helped you decide whether you need a VPN.
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