VPNs are used to conceal your online identity by hiding your IP address and making you appear from a different location. But, then there are other ways to do this, right? So, why would you invest in a VPN subscription? Or, more specifically, what are the situations when VPN is necessary?
When Should You Use A VPN Service
Situation No # 1: When Using A Public Wi-Fi, You Need A VPN
Why is a VPN necessary when using public Wi-Fi at an airport or even at a cafe nearby?
Let’s say the person sitting behind you is a hacker or if one is on the same Wi-Fi network as yours. The WPA2 password that an average coffee shop or airport uses will not be able to protect you from a skilled hacker.
Now, imagine while at a cafe, you are logged into your internet banking account with all your precious credit card, debit card and other bank account details and not to mention the hacker is on the same network. Sounds scary, isn’t it?
That’s where VPN comes to your rescue and provides you with strong security, encrypting your online browsing activities with AES 256-bit military-grade encryption.
Situation No # 2: VPN Can Be Your Weapon Against Bandwidth Throttling
A VPN helps you when your internet speed has hit rock bottom, thanks to internet throttling.
You have waited all week to binge-watch your favourite series on Netflix, and after a couple of minutes, buffering hits you in the face. You wonder “I had paid the bill just a week back and haven’t been using the internet that much, then what’s with speed?” You are probably a target of internet throttling.
A VPN conceals your web activity. With a VPN, everything would look gibberish to your ISP, and it will become difficult for them to choose whether or not to throttle your speed. Want to check if the VPN has made your internet fast, run a speed test.
Situation No # 3: Pack A VPN With Your Backpack On Your Next Travel
Why use a VPN while on vacation?
This depends on where in the world you are traveling. Several countries put geo-restrictions on several streaming services. It could be that the country you are traveling doesn’t permit streaming Amazon Prime videos or refrains from streaming Netflix (US) shows.
You can always use a VPN for streaming channels like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO and various others.
Situation No # 4: Even At Home Save Your Browsing History From Being Revealed By Third Parties
Do I need a VPN at home? Do I need that kind of security?
Let’s answer this question with some more questions? Do you frequently shop online and are bombarded with ads for eternity? Are you scared that the websites you visit might bring you in the bad light of your employer? Are you afraid that your ISP might sell all your critical browsing data to a bidder who’s ready to pay for it?
If your answer is “yes”, you need a VPN, hands down! A VPN cleans your online browsing footprints making it nearly impossible for any third parties to snoop into it.
Which Are The Best VPN Services?
The market’s flooded with VPN services but based on the various features, pricing and several other factors, these are some of the best VPN services on whom you can put your faith and money on.
In our opinion, one of the best VPNs You can use is Systweak VPN which helps you enhance your online security and privacy. With this, you can easily stream geo-restricted content. Here are some of the remarkable features of this VPN –
- Easy setup
- Strong military-grade AES-256 encryption
- No logs policy: no record of your online activity is kept
- Kill Switch: should your connection drop, the VPN blocks your device and saves your private data
- Presence of global servers
Want to know more? Here’s a detailed review of Systweak VPN
Also Read: How To Set Up VPN On Windows 10
I Have A Proxy, Do I Need A VPN Now?
Yeah! That’s a ubiquitous question that comes to mind – why use a VPN when I can choose a proxy instead. Both would connect me to a remote server, right? We aren’t against a proxy, but from a security perspective, a VPN should be your first choice. To make things even clear, let’s differentiate between the two
| S.N. | VPN | Proxy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | VPN encrypts your traffic | Proxy doesn’t encrypt your traffic |
| 2 | Higher connection establishment rates | Proxy servers can drop more frequently |
| 3 | VPNs can be slower for the simple reason they encrypt your data | Proxies could be a little faster |
| 4 | They work on the operating system level, and all your traffic is rerouted | Work on application level and only reroute traffic of a specific browser or app |
| 5 | Can be used when your online activity includes banking or filling some critical data since a VPN hides data from hackers, ISP tracking, surveillance, etc | Since proxies don’t encrypt data, they shouldn’t be used when your online session includes handling sensitive information |
Stay Safe – Use A VPN
Now that you know the situations when a VPN can be your best pal and protector, it won’t cost a fortune to invest in a VPN service like the ones we have mentioned above. If you liked the blog and thought it would benefit someone like you, do share it with them. For more content on online security and other tech-treats, keep reading Systweak Blogs.