The advent of the internet has changed our daily lives a lot. Checking social media, online news apps or googling something real fast: We do it all and we are online for quite a few hours every day. Nothing is as personal as our browsing behavior and that is why privacy is so important. We think it’s a creepy thought that someone spies on us in the bathroom. But we often ask a lot less questions about what happens to our data on the Internet. However, there are solutions to protect your privacy as much as possible while surfing the global web. Therefore, we would like to introduce you to the Virtual Private Network, or VPN.
What is it and what are the benefits of such a network? Why should you choose it and which services are available on the market? Read on and learn more about it!
Encrypted connection with a Virtual Private Network
Does the Virtual Private Network not ring a bell? We’ll be happy to explain it to you using an example. Suppose you work from home at regular intervals, then it’s likely that you’re already working with a virtual network. Namely, this virtual network needs to be seen as the connection between your home network and the network of the company you are working for. The Virtual Private Network ensures that all communication between these networks is always encrypted and not visible to “invaders.”
How does this virtual network now make sure your data is closed off from unauthorized people? It uses so-called protocols. The most commonly used protocols are PPTP, L2TP/IPsec and SSL (OpenVPN). The PPTP protocol is commonly known as the least safe one. Therefore, we do not recommend you get started with this one. The fastest protocol is SSL. Please note that this protocol is not supported by every device. Alternatively, you can choose L2TP/IPsec in this case.
For companies active in multiple regions or countries, such a network offers another important advantage besides security. All employees, wherever they are, have access to the same network, making it much easier to share information and files.
If the company you are working for has an internal online messaging service, you can always make use of it. At your home or at any location, this service is always available. Many companies today also have many online applications to organize meetings and video conferences. This applies to the same principle. The virtual network allows you to sign in from wherever you are. Of course, a requirement is that an internet connection is possible from the location where you are located.
While it used to be only companies that used this type of network security, it’s becoming even more important for you as a private person in recent years. At a time when companies, institutions and government want to know more about the citizen or the consumer, the chance of people looking over your shoulder has become much bigger. If you want to prevent others from gaining access to your browsing behavior, you are welcome to choose a Virtual Private Network.
Safe browsing on WIFI
Do you regularly use public WIFI networks? With your personal VPN, you can surf the Internet with ease on the public WIFI network, conveniently from the airport or the train station. Your data is encrypted and absolutely invisible to anyone who has bad intentions.
Today there are plenty of free services for online phoning. We are increasingly aware that providers block these free services. However, if you have your own virtual network, this is not an obstacle to you anymore. You will notice that, thanks to your Virtual Private Network, you can use all of these blocked services without any problems.
A very special advantage of a virtual network is that you can surf as if you were in another country. Because you’re connected to the Internet by the VPN server and if that’s located in China, it seems like you’re browsing a Dutch site from China while you’re in the Netherlands. This makes it very difficult for others to track your surfing behavior wherever you are.
This is an undeniable advantage for people in countries from which a lot of digital content is blocked for a variety of reasons. These people, thanks to their virtual network, are still able to see this blocked content. Read also: Watching ’Uitzending gemist’ in another country with a VPN service.
How to choose a VPN provider?
You are convinced of the usefulness of a Virtual Private Network and now you’d like to have one too? Then there are two options: a free VPN or a VPN with a monthly fee.
There are countless free VPN service providers on the internet. If you use these services, you must take into account all kinds of restrictions. This way you will be able to browse less quickly and there will always be a limit on data usage and number of connections. Want to know more about the pitfalls of using free service providers? Please read this article: Why you should not use a free VPN.
However, if you wish to use a well-equipped VPN in a regular and structured manner, we recommend that you look for a decent, paid VPN service.
There is a lot on the market and it is of course not always easy to compare the different services in a good way. Therefore you will find many websites that help you compare the different providers. This way you are able to make the best choice based on the requirements that are most important to you.
It is not always easy to make a good comparison between the different providers as they often offer other features as well as other factors. For this reason, it is useful to make use of a good comparison site. For example, you can go to our website for a reliable comparison of the most important VPN providers and an overview of the best VPN services of 2017.
One of the most important comparison points is the speed of surfing at the different VPN providers. The quality of the servers is not consistent between the providers. This will reduce your browsing speed with one provider, while you will not even notice that you are browsing on a Virtual Private Network with another provider.
Most VPN providers are foreign companies, so you are always addressed in English by the customer service or technical service. An exception to this is GOOSE VPN. This is a Dutch company which makes it the only provider that offers further assistance in Dutch in the case of questions or problems. Want to know more about GOOSE VPN or are you interested in subscribing? First, check out our GOOSE VPN review.
Of course there are other arguments that play a part in the choice for one or the other VPN provider. To help you with this, GoodVPNservice.com takes care to always have clear and steadfast user info with which you will be able to make a better choice.
Trying a VPN service free for 30 days
If you choose a virtual network, it’s not only important to equip your desktop PC with it. Even all your mobile devices must be set up for this network. Only that way you can be sure that you’re completely protected. A provider that offers apps for the smartphone as well is ExpressVPN. This is one of the best-known VPN providers for optimal VPN security. For more information about ExpressVPN, please refer to our ExpressVPN review.
Important to know is that some providers offer free use of their services for 30 days. This is an ideal opportunity for you to get to know all the possibilities of a paid VPN service and to test the many benefits for one month free of charge.
You now know what a Virtual Private Network is and what you can use it for. In return for a favorable subscription contribution, you can count on a solid service and will always get help when you have any questions or concerns. Also to help you finding a way in the wide range of formulas and offers. These make it easy for you to make the right choice and to choose the subscription that fits your requirements best.
