What Is A VPN & How Does It Work? A Full Guide to Virtual Private Network

What is a VPN?

VPNs have grown from being a niche networking concept to a significant industry.

Chances are you've seen advertisements for VPN services making you anonymous or enabling you to view free videos on podcasts, YouTube, and even during the Super Bowl. 

Don't miss a single word of this post as we will break down all you need to know about VPN!

What is VPN?

What Is A VPN?

“What does VPN stand for?” is indeed the most frequently asked question.

VPN stands for virtual private network, which creates a virtual link between your computer and a distant server owned by a VPN service provider.

Additionally, a VPN builds a point-to-point tunnel across the internet that encrypts your private information, masks your IP address, and enables you to get around firewalls and website blockages. 

This guarantees the privacy, security, and protection of your online experiences.

Virtual private network VPN meaning

A VPN connection is:

• Virtual since there are no actual wires used in the connecting process.

• Private since no one else can view your browser history or data over this connection.

• Networked since several devices—your PC and the VPN server—work together to keep a connection established.

When Was the VPN Invented?

Microsoft created the VPN virtual private network in 1996 to allow remote workers to safely access the company's internal network. 

After the approach boosted corporate productivity, other businesses started using it.

As such, remote work supported by corporate VPNs is becoming a commonplace aspect of the global business setting.

The history of private virtual network

When developers discovered that the World Wide Web is the greatest network on the globe, they recognized that regular people might use this secure "tunnel" to easily connect to it.

Nowadays, VPN networks are the mainstay of consumer internet privacy.

Different Types of VPN

Although there are many different kinds of VPNs, the 4 primary types are personal, site-to-site, mobile, and remote access VPNs.

Personal VPN

A personal virtual private network is what most consumer-grade VPNs fall under.

After connecting you to a VPN server, it serves as a go-between for your device and the websites you wish to visit.

What is a personal VPN?

Unlike a remote access VPN, a personal VPN doesn't grant you access to a private network,

Through the use of an encrypted connection, it allows you to browse the public internet instead.

Remote access VPN

With a remote access VPN, you may connect to a private network—like the office network of your business—over the Internet.

Remote access VPN

One unreliable channel for communication is the internet. 

When data is sent to and from a private network, VPN encryption is employed to protect it.

Site-to-site VPN

A site-to-site VPN connects two networks on different sites, but a remote access VPN allows a single user to connect to a network and utilize its services.

Site-to-site VPN

A site-to-site VPN  may be used to link a company's two east and west coast offices into a single network, for instance.

It can be implemented using many technologies, such as L3VPN, IPsec, and Dynamic MultiPoint VPN (DMVPN).

Mobile VPN

In case the user is unlikely to maintain a consistent connection on the same network during the session, a mobile VPN is a preferable choice over a remote access VPN.

Mobile VPN meaning

Further, when a user uses a mobile virtual private network, the VPN connection endures even if they change WiFi or cellular networks, experience connectivity issues, or turn off their device for an extended period.

So that’s the main types of VPNs. Look at the table below to see the differences between them:

Different types of VPN

How Does A VPN Work?

A VPN works by using a private service to route a device's internet connection instead of the user's usual internet service provider (ISP). 

Because the VPN hides the user's IP address, it serves as an intermediary between them and the internet.

Whe users use VPN, their device may browse the internet while hiding their personal information, location, and other data over a private, encrypted tunnel.

How do VPNs work?

Via the VPN, all network traffic is routed over a secure connection. 

This implies that instead of coming from the user's computer, any data sent to the internet is routed through the VPN. 

Why Use A VPN?

There are several benefits of VPN for anybody looking for a more free, secure, and safe internet experience.

The following are some typical reasons for using a VPN:

The benefits of using VPN

Secure your data

Particularly over a public network, sensitive data (such as work emails and payment details) is easily trackable and exploitable.

Anybody with network access might be able to view your personal information.

To avoid that, a VPN connection encrypts your data, making it unreadable to anybody lacking an encryption key. 

It makes your browsing activities invisible to other people.

Work from home

As long as they can connect to the internet, remote employees can use a VPN to access business resources from any location. 

This gives them greater flexibility while guaranteeing that corporate information is safe and secure—even while using a public Wi-Fi network.

A VPN benefits remote employee

Access or watch local content

What does a VPN do? It can help you access or watch local content easily. 

Certain types of content might not be available to you as many websites and services limit their media content based on your region.

With the use of a VPN, you may make your local server appear to be situated somewhere else, like another nation, by hiding or spoofing its location.

VPN allows you to watch local content

Bypass censorship and surveillance

Government limitations, censorship, or monitoring may prevent specific areas from accessing particular websites or services. 

Luckily, these individuals can see websites that are restricted, get over firewalls, and browse the internet without restriction thanks to location spoofing.

Beat price discrimination

A VPN helps you avoid price discrimination

There are two ways that price discrimination might affect you, one of which is by your position.

Certain businesses set up their websites so that users in places with greater cost of living see a higher cost of items (like airline tickets). 

Another is that your ISP may sell the vendor your information if you are a frequent buyer of the products, and the vendor may raise your price as they know you will purchase it.

Avoid ISP and third-party tracking

Through the unique IP address of your device, ISPs can record and monitor your surfing history for selling to third-party advertisers or leave you open to security compromise. 

VPNs help you avoid third-party tracking

With a VPN, you may hide your IP address, stop ISP tracking, and protect your private information by directing traffic to a distant VPN server rather than to your ISP's servers.

How to Choose the Best VPN?

For safe and dependable VPN use, a VPN service is necessary, but how do you pick one? 

When choosing the best privacy VPNs, there are several things to consider:

Things to consider before buying a VPN

Price

One of the most crucial elements is the VPN's price.

It is advisable to avoid free VPN services since they won't bring you speed, privacy, and security. 

These providers may also have erratic VPN connections and expose clients' IP addresses as they often don't make investments in their server network.

Thus, attempt to choose a VPN service provider you can rely on rather than just going with the cheapest one.

Features

Consider the features of a VPN service

Remember what matters to you, and make sure the VPN you select can fulfill your needs. 

For example, although some VPNs prevent BitTorrent usage, others do.

Data allowance

Certain VPNs, particularly those with free or basic services, have usage restrictions. 

Therefore, you may need to consider a premium tier if you plan to watch a movie or listen to music. 

Data allowance is worth considering

Reputation

Read both user and expert evaluations to have a solid understanding of the VPN's performance. 

Ensure that the VPN you're looking at is legitimate because a lot of fake ones have appeared since the net neutrality controversy gained attention.

Locations

Check the locations of the VPN service

Presuming to be in a different nation is possible using a VPN, but only if the VPN host has a server there. 

Hence, make sure your host has a variety of locations available as well.

Servers

More servers mean better surfing performance since there will be less traffic on each server. 

Additionally, your VPN connection may be quicker and more dependable the closer you are to a server.

VPN servers

Privacy policy

Your personal information or records of your online activities won't be kept or disclosed by a trustworthy VPN. 

Even while VPN businesses utilize some of the data they collect to help their customers perform better, you should check the VPN policy to be sure your personal information isn't being tracked and misused.

Make sure you read the privacy policy

Best VPN Services

Indeed, VPNs may be used for personal as well as business purposes, and there are many different kinds on the market. 

No matter where you reside, the best VPN is an essential tool for remaining secure online.

The following are our top 3 choices for the best virtual private network:

Wonder what is the best VPN for PC? What is the best security VPN? What is the best VPN to use on laptop?

Check out our article on the best VPN service for a comprehensive list of the top 10 VPNs accessible nowadays and their best uses!

How to Set Up a VPN?

Despite the fact that the process differs with different service providers, installing a VPN is often rather easy. 

In general, you'll have to complete the following steps: 

Steps to install a VPN

Step 1: Choose a VPN provider

Often, this is the most difficult step in the process. Just consider the aforementioned factors to make the optimal choice. 

Note that you should ask these questions:

• How much money do I have?

• What monthly data usage do I have?

• Which regions of the world must I access?

• Is this a reliable service?

There are many VPN services available

Step 2: Install the VPN client

Different steps are taken by each VPN service. 

Certain devices may request that you upgrade your router or modify the settings. In contrast, installing browser add-ons will be necessary for certain others. 

So research and adhere to your provider's instructions.

Step 3: Browse safely

Browse the Internet safely with a VPN

There are no further steps required after setting up your VPN. While running in the background on your device, it safeguards all of your traffic.

Everything is going via your VPN securely, even if you're using a public Wi-Fi network that isn't very secure. 

You can now unwind knowing that no one is accessing your info. 

Step 4: Change location settings as desired

One of a VPN's greatest features is location masking. 

Let's say you want to access a US-based video streaming service from Europe. 

Usually, a warning stating that the video is unavailable appears when you attempt to view something. 

Change the locations to anywhere you want

Fortunately, you may easily switch your location by using the VPN program.

All of your traffic will go through an American server if you just set your location to the USA. 

It looks like you're at the right location as the streaming provider to watch your video.