{"id":328665,"date":"2021-08-20T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-20T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-is-a-vpn-and-why-would-i-need-one\/"},"modified":"2021-08-20T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-08-20T12:00:00","slug":"what-is-a-vpn-and-why-would-i-need-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-a-vpn-and-why-would-i-need-one\/","title":{"rendered":"#What Is a VPN, and Why Would I Need One?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2f4b83e4f4b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2f4b83e4f4b\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-a-vpn-and-why-would-i-need-one\/#What_Is_a_VPN_and_How_Does_It_Help_Me\" >What Is a VPN and How Does It Help Me?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-a-vpn-and-why-would-i-need-one\/#How_Do_You_Get_a_VPN_and_Which_One_Should_You_Choose\" >How Do You Get a VPN, and Which One Should You Choose?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-a-vpn-and-why-would-i-need-one\/#How_Does_a_VPN_Work\" >How Does a VPN Work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-a-vpn-and-why-would-i-need-one\/#Other_Example_Uses_for_VPNs\" >Other Example Uses for VPNs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-a-vpn-and-why-would-i-need-one\/#Using_a_Corporate_VPN_in_Windows\" >Using a Corporate VPN in Windows<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-a-vpn-and-why-would-i-need-one\/#Our_VPN_Recommendations\" >Our VPN Recommendations<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#What Is a VPN, and Why Would I Need One?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage wp-image-747606 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/vpn-in-use-on-a-laptop-computer.jpeg?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/vpn-in-use-on-a-laptop-computer.jpeg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/vpn-in-use-on-a-laptop-computer.jpeg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"VPN in use on a laptop computer\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/vpn-virtual-perivate-network-internet-conncetion-1182800701\" data-credittext=\"Wright Studio\/Shutterstock.com\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/vpn-virtual-perivate-network-internet-conncetion-1182800701\">Wright Studio\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, allows you to create a secure connection to another network over the Internet. VPNs can be used to access\u00a0region-restricted websites, shield your browsing activity from prying eyes on public Wi-Fi, and more.<\/p>\n<p>These days VPNs are really popular, but not for the reasons they were originally created. They originally were just a way to connect business networks together securely over the internet or allow you to access a business network from home.<\/p>\n<p>VPNs essentially forward all your network traffic to the network, which is where the benefits \u2014 like accessing local network resources remotely and bypassing Internet censorship \u2014 all come from. Most operating systems have integrated VPN support.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_a_VPN_and_How_Does_It_Help_Me\"><\/span>What Is a VPN and How Does It Help Me?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In very simple terms, a VPN connects your PC, smartphone, or tablet to another computer (called a server) somewhere on the internet, and allows you to browse the internet using that computer\u2019s internet connection. So if that server is in a different country, it will <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ear as if you are coming from that country, and you can potentially access things that you couldn\u2019t normally.<\/p>\n<p>So how does this help you? Good question! You can use a VPN to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bypass geographic restrictions on websites or streaming audio and video.<\/li>\n<li>Watch streaming <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> like Netflix and Hulu.<\/li>\n<li>Protect yourself from snooping on untrustworthy Wi-Fi hotspots.<\/li>\n<li>Gain at least some anonymity online by hiding your true location.<\/li>\n<li>Protect yourself from being logged while torrenting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Many people these days are using a 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\u2019s hardly the only use anymore.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_You_Get_a_VPN_and_Which_One_Should_You_Choose\"><\/span>How Do You Get a VPN, and Which One Should You Choose?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>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 \u2014 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\u2019t seem to access from their country.<\/p>\n<p>The easiest thing to do is simply head to one of these sites, sign up, and download the VPN client for your Windows PC, Mac, Android, iPhone, or iPad. It\u2019s as easy as that.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uxnzmft.com\/?offer=3monthsfree&amp;a_fid=howtogeek&amp;data1=content&amp;data2=133680\">ExpressVPN<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This VPN server has the best combination of ease-of-use, really fast servers, and supports streaming media and torrenting, all for a cheap price.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dpbolvw.net\/click-3607085-14014041?sid=CT133680\">TunnelBear<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 This VPN is really easy to use, is great for using at the coffee shop, and has a (limited) free tier. It\u2019s not good for torrenting or streaming media though.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/strongvpn.com\/?tr_aid=5aa96bb914566&amp;data1=content&amp;data2=133680\">StrongVPN<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 not quite as easy to use as the others, but you can definitely use them for torrenting and streaming media.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All of them have free trials, so you can easily get your money back if you change your mind.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Does_a_VPN_Work\"><\/span>How Does a VPN Work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When you connect your computer (or another device, such as a smartphone or tablet) to a VPN, the computer acts as if it\u2019s on the same local network as the VPN. All your network traffic is sent over a secure connection to the VPN. Because your computer behaves as if it\u2019s on the network, this allows you to securely access local network resources even when you\u2019re on the other side of the world. You\u2019ll also be able to use the Internet as if you were present at the VPN\u2019s location, which has some benefits if you\u2019re using public Wi-Fi or want to access geo-blocked websites.<\/p>\n<p>When you browse the web while connected to a VPN, your computer contacts the website through the encrypted VPN connection. The VPN forwards the request for you and forwards the response from the website back through the secure connection. If you\u2019re using a USA-based VPN to access Netflix, Netflix will see your connection as coming from within the USA.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_Example_Uses_for_VPNs\"><\/span>Other Example Uses for VPNs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>VPNs are a fairly simple tool, but they can be used to do a wide variety of things:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Access a Business Network While <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Travel<\/a>ing<\/strong>: VPNs are frequently used by business travelers to access their business\u2019 network, including all its local network resources, while on the road. The local resources don\u2019t have to be exposed directly to the Internet, which increases security.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Access Your Home Network While Traveling<\/strong>: You can also set up your own VPN to access your own network while traveling. This will allow you to access a Windows Remote Desktop over the Internet, use local file shares, and play <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s over the Internet as if you were on the same LAN (local area network).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hide Your Browsing Activity From Your Local Network and ISP<\/strong>: If you\u2019re using a public Wi-Fi connection, your browsing activity on non-HTTPS websites is visible to everyone nearby, if they know how to look. If you want to hide your browsing activity for a bit more privacy, you can connect to a VPN. The local network will only see a single, secure VPN connection. All the other traffic will travel over the VPN connection. While this can be used to bypass connection-monitoring by your Internet service provider, bear in mind that VPN providers may opt to log the traffic on their ends.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Access Geo-Blocked Websites<\/strong>: Whether you\u2019re an American trying to access your Netflix account while traveling out of the country or you wish you could use American media sites like Netflix, Pandora, and Hulu, you\u2019ll be able to access these region-restricted services if you connect to a VPN located in the USA.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bypass Internet Censorship<\/strong>: Many Chinese people use VPNs to get around the Great Firewall of China and gain access to the entire Internet. (However, the Great Firewall has apparently started interfering with VPNs recently.)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Downloading Files<\/strong>: Yes, let\u2019s be honest \u2014 many people use VPN connections to download files via BitTorrent. This can actually be useful even if you\u2019re downloading completely legal torrents \u2014 if your ISP is throttling BitTorrent and making it extremely slow, you can use BitTorrent on a VPN to get faster speeds. The same is true for other types of traffic your ISP might interfere with (unless they interfere with VPN traffic itself.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Using_a_Corporate_VPN_in_Windows\"><\/span>Using a Corporate VPN in Windows<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Connecting to a VPN is fairly simple. In Windows, press the Windows key, type VPN, and click the<em> Set up a virtual private network (VPN) connection <\/em>option. (If you use Windows, you\u2019ll have to click the Settings category after searching.) Use the wizard to enter the address and login credentials of the VPN service you want to use. You can then connect to and disconnect from VPNs using the network icon in the system tray \u2014 the same one where you manage the Wi-Fi networks you\u2019re connected to.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" style=\"padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;\" title=\"image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/image96.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"VPN settings on a Windows computer\" width=\"628\" height=\"457\" border=\"0\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Our_VPN_Recommendations\"><\/span>Our VPN Recommendations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re just getting started with VPNs and want the best VPN for using on public Wi-Fi hotspots or accessing region-restricted websites, there are a few good, simple options. We like <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uxnzmft.com\/?offer=3monthsfree&amp;a_aid=howtogeek&amp;data1=content&amp;data2=133680\">ExpressVPN<\/a>\u00a0because they have\u00a0great speeds and a lot more functionality than average including clients for almost any device\u2014you can even get a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uxnzmft.com\/?offer=3monthsfree&amp;a_aid=howtogeek&amp;data1=content&amp;data2=133680\">router pre-installed with their VPN client<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" alignnone wp-image-715206 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Chrome-extention.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"ExpressVPN's website and widget\" width=\"650\" height=\"427\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>There are other VPN products on the market, of course\u2014we also like <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/strongvpn.com\/?tr_aid=5aa96bb914566&amp;data1=content&amp;data2=133680\">StrongVPN<\/a> for all the configuration options it provides\u2014and for limited use, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dpbolvw.net\/click-3607085-14014041?sid=CT133680\">TunnelBear<\/a>\u00a0has a free option limited to 500MB \u2014 which is great if you just need a client briefly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Choose the Best VPN Service for Your Needs<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You may also be interested in setting up a VPN on your own server, which you can do with Tomato, OpenWRT, or on Linux. Of course, this won\u2019t allow you to access geo-blocked websites \u2014 unless you\u2019re traveling outside the country and accessing your own network remotely.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/133680\/htg-explains-what-is-a-vpn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#What Is a VPN, and Why Would I Need One?&#8221; Wright Studio\/Shutterstock.com A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, allows you to create a secure connection to another network over the Internet. VPNs can be used to access\u00a0region-restricted websites, shield your browsing activity from prying eyes on public Wi-Fi, and more. These days VPNs are really&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":328666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/vpn-in-use-on-a-laptop-computer.jpeg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-328665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/328665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=328665"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/328665\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/328666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=328665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=328665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=328665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}