Why We Need a VPN?

 

Photo by Privecstasy on Unsplash

 

You’ve probably heard of a VPN before. It’s even possible you’ve used one before. But do you know what it does? A VPN means Virtual Private Network. Basically that means it gives you privacy online. A VPN allows you to create a safe, encrypted connection over a less secure network over the Internet. VPNs can be used to access region-restricted websites, shield your browsing activity from prying eyes on public Wi-Fi, and more. Typically a VPN uses tunneling protocols to encrypt data at the sending end and decrypt it at the receiving end. Additionally to provide more security, the originating and receiving network addresses are also encrypted.

 

These days VPNs are really popular, but the reasons are not which the VPNs were originally created. They were originally used to provide remote corporate employees, freelance workers and business travelers with access to software applications hosted on proprietary networks. The user must be authorized to use the VPN service and provide one or more authentication factors, to gain access to a restricted resource through a VPN.

 

What Is a VPN?

 

VPN is essentially a tunnel that allows your information to access internet securely, providing you with a safe way to access a private network or the public internet. In simple that means a VPN connects your PC, smartphone, or tablet to a remote computer (called a server) which is connected to the internet from some where else, and allows to use that computer’s internet connection to browse the internet. So if the server is located in a different, it appears that you are there. Sometimes you are possible to access resources on internet that are restricted to your country or region. Another major function is it also masks your IP address, that means generally you are unrecognizable to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and the rest of the internet.

 

Types of VPNs

 

Based on the options used when deploying a VPN by network administrators, there are different types of VPNs,

 

Remote access VPN

Remote access VPN clients connect to a VPN gateway server on the organization’s network. The gateway requires the device to authenticate its identity before granting access to internal network resources such as file servers, printers and intranets. This type of VPN usually relies on either IP Security (IPsec) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to secure the connection.

 

Site-to-site VPN

In site-to-site VPN uses a gateway device to connect an entire network in one location to a network in another location. End-node devices in the remote location do not need VPN clients because the gateway handles the connection.

 

Mobile VPN

In a mobile VPN, a VPN server still sits at the edge of the company network, enabling secure tunneled access by authenticated, authorized VPN clients.

 

Hardware VPN

Hardware VPNs have a number of advantages over the software-based VPN. In addition to enhanced security, hardware VPNs can provide load balancing to handle large client loads. Administration is managed through a Web browser interface. A hardware VPN is more expensive than a software VPN. Because of the cost, hardware VPNs are a more realistic option for large businesses than for small businesses or branch offices.

 

VPN appliance

A VPN appliance, also known as a VPN gateway appliance, is a network device equipped with enhanced security features. Also known as an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) VPN appliance, it is in effect a router that provides protection, authorization, authentication and encryption for VPNs.

 

How Does It Help you?

 

So how does this help you? Generally, you can use a VPN to:

• Bypass geographic restrictions on websites or streaming audio and video.
• Watch streaming media like Netflix and Hulu.
• Protect yourself from snooping on untrustworthy Wi-Fi hotspots.
• Gain at least some anonymity online by hiding your true location.
• Protect yourself from being logged while torrenting.

The vast majority of people these days are using VPN for torrenting or bypassing geographic restrictions to watch content in a different country. They are still very useful for protecting yourself while working at a coffee shop, but that’s hardly the primary use anymore.

 

How Do You Get a VPN?

 

Depending on your needs, you can either use a VPN from your workplace, create a VPN server yourself, or sometimes host one out of your house — but realistically the vast majority of people are just looking for something to protect them while torrenting or help them watch some media online that they can’t seem to access from their country.