What is a VPN and How Does it Work?

You might have heard the word VPN when browsing the web. But what is a VPN, and how does it work?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and it is used for many different purposes, however initially it was made so remote office users could access corporate applications and other resources securely. But today it is used for many different applications, mainly for accessing the internet securely, accessing region-restricted content and torrenting.

But how does a VPN work?

VPN is basically forwards all your network traffic through a different network. To put it in simple terms, by using a VPN one basically connects to a server that is located in a different location, and then uses the internet through that server, so while using the internet it seems like you are using the internet from that country (in which the server is located) and not from the country you are based in. This way you can get some privacy and be confident that your location stays hidden. Since it seems to the website that you're accessing it from a different country, you can also bypass geographical restrictions on websites like Netflix.

However it is important to know that using a VPN doesn't keep you safe from being tracked completely, especially if you don't choose your VPN service provider wisely. The server that you connect to, can definitely be tracked and it can log your actions and collect data of your usage (for targeted ads) and much more.

Though one is not completely safe from prying eyes by using a VPN, somewhat privacy can be achieved.

One down-side of using a VPN is that your ping increases significantly! Due to the long route of the data being sent and received, your ping increases (the time it takes for your computer to send and receive data to the end server [website's server] ). This also depends highly on your and the VPN server's internet speed, so in order to have a fast connection you will need to have a good speed on the VPN server's end and on your end as well.

So, Should You Use a VPN?If you're looking to get completely anonymous on the internet then VPN is not your best option as you aren't completely invisible, for that we recommend using the TOR browser (Find out more about it here).

However if you're looking to get a VPN just for making sure your location is not being tracked or in order to bypass region restricted content, then definitely VPNs are for you, however it is crucial for you to choose your VPN service wisely.