Fluency in digital culture means adding a bunch of acronyms to your daily vocabulary. LOL? You know that one. LMK? Simple enough. But there’s one internet acronym more important than any other, especially as more of us WFH—and that’s VPN, or virtual private network.
If you’re already familiar with VPN technology, you probably know VPNs help keep you and your data safely anonymous online. Here’s how it works: you connect to your VPN on the way to connecting to the internet itself, and—through a combination of encryption tools—your VPN masks your computer’s unique identification information. In other words, when you log on without a VPN, you reveal to the web your unique digital identity and location; with a VPN, the public internet instead sees the VPN’s server location and info, keeping your own data secret.
If that was all your VPN did for you, it would still be enough to make the technology a must-have. But, NGL, your VPN can do much more. Here are just a few of the other reasons you need a VPN:
Stream faster
All internet connections, even those advertising the same speeds, aren’t made equally. When you log on to a streaming service to watch your favorite show, that site uses your computer’s IP address to identify you and see where you’re located while streaming. Then, the site chooses how much bandwidth to give you, which will make all the difference to your stream’s quality.
This is called throttling, and it’s often the reason why your episodes keep pausing to buffer, or why the picture suddenly goes grainy, or why you can’t connect to your streaming service at all. Your VPN will help mask your identity to your streaming site’s servers, meaning you’re much more likely to avoid throttling and keep streaming your entertainment in crystal clear quality.
Get better prices on flights, hotels, car rentals, and other travel costs
Just like streaming sites choose which users receive faster connections to their services, air and travel booking sites usually offer users different prices for exactly the same hotel room or plane ticket. These sites identify your location and assign you a price based on that info and other personal data. So, you might have saved big on that last vacation if you had booked with a VPN. Your VPN will keep your personal data private, meaning travel sites will have a harder time gaming the system. Don’t settle for less than the best discount.
Protect your free speech
No one likes anonymous trolls online, but there are some scenarios where anonymity in the comment section is actually essential. When reviewing your last job on a popular employment website, for instance, you might restrain yourself from being overly honest out of fear your previous employer could find your information and take action against you.
Or, even in lighter situations where you simply don’t want your identifying information publicly attached to your user profile, you should have the right to digital anonymity. Your VPN acts as a cloaking device, anonymizing your data so you can post without censoring yourself or worrying about retribution.
Connect to your home, away from home
You like your home network for a reason: it’s yours, and you’ve taken steps to make it safe. When you log on to public Wi-Fi, though, or even a network that isn’t yours, you’re taking a risk with your data. Using your VPN will secure your connection while on public Wi-Fi. Further, you can set up a VPN on your home router, which will then allow you to connect to your home network when you’re away from home (within a reasonable distance, of course). This way, you can browse safely in public or at a neighbor’s home.
Cut down on spam phone calls
Your VPN can even help eliminate those annoying calls from marketers or scammers. Typically, these shadowy figures get your phone number and contact information through collecting or buying your data after you’ve been browsing the internet without protection. Your VPN, since it masks your identity and makes sure you don’t leave a data trail online, will leave those telemarketers out of luck. No data left behind, no spam calls or emails.
Topics Innovations
