VPN’s seem to be all the rage these days. Whether you have heard about them on the news, seen them advertised on the internet or been heard about people using them for illegal downloads, everyone thinks they either need one or are missing out on something if they don’t have one. But what exactly are VPN’s.

In the sense we are talking about, the general user needs or wants a VPN to mask their identity; that is to hide who and what places they are going to on the internet.

VPN’s are not illegal, and there is nothing wrong or suspicious with using the a VPN. With so many vulnerabilities on the internet, different people and agencies spying on you and how internet and LAN (Local Area Networks) work, there are many very good reasons to use a VPN to protect your privacy.

What is a VPN

V.P.N. stands for Virtual Private Network by means in which you the subscriber can connect to another network and use that network resources, in this case internets connection, to make it appear you are on their internet connection as apposed to yours.

When connecting to a VPN your connection manager establishes a connection in a way which provides security, making it not only very hard for outside eyes to see who you are, but where you are going on the internet and what you are accessing.

VPN’s are not 100% effective in hiding your identity, but do a very good job.

Most good VPN service providers cost somewhere between $5 and $10 per month and if someone offers you a VPN service for free I would be very reluctant to use, there would most likely be a ulterior motive behind it.

What can I use a VPN for

As stated above a VPN is a great way to hide your identity, but that’s not the only reason you would want to use one. Lets look at a couple of examples.

Hotels and Open Networks

I do a lot of travelling and many times I stay in hotels and stop at internet cafes which have free or paid wireless internet access.

There is a good chance any time you connect to one of these hot spots you wont be the only person using it, there could sometimes be up 100’s of other users in the same hotel connected to the same Local Area Network as you.

Unlike in your home where you are the only user and only person using your wifi, any of the the users connected to the same hotspot in the hotel as you, could be running software on their computer to spy or watch what you are doing.

Using A VPN in this circumstance can provide anonymity and security so other users can see and watch what you are doing.

Access Restricted Services

Disclaimer: I am not telling you to access anything illegal. Just because a service to restricted though doesn’t make it illegal to use. Many services are perfectly legal to use, but companies restrict them based on location etc.

Sometimes you might want to access a site or service which might be restricted to you because of where you live or your current networks security rules.

A VPN can make it appear you are not in a certain location to access services provided elsewhere.