Choosing A VPN Service
VPN stands for virtual private network and is commonly used by organizations to provide remote access to a secure organizational network. For instance, you are working from home and you need to access files in your computer at the office or connect to applications that are available only via your office network. If your office has VPN installed and your laptop or home computer is configured to connect to it, you can get what you need from the office without having to worry about the security of the data transported over the Internet.
For ordinary users, however, they would know VPN as a means to hide their email address so that they can surf the Internet anonymously or bypass web site access restrictions such as firewalls. An example would be a user on VPN being able to avail of Internet television when this would be normally blocked on his computer.
You can find many providers online offering VPN services at different rates. It depends on how the service will be used. If you need it just to browse web site content (no downloading or streaming), you can get it cheaply (as low as $5 per month) or even for free!
But to be able to do more than browsing Internet content and be anonymous at the same time, you will need a premium VPN account. This is easily available, since most providers try to make the set up process as painless as possible for you – easy to follow instructions, no software to install, no IP numbers to configure into web applications, etc. Depending on the provider, the subscription may include a choice of server locations (to be able to visit sites that would normally block your IP address), strong encryption (the data you entered will be encrypted when transmitted over the Internet and make it difficult for hackers to get) and dedicated IP address (you have your own IP address, instead of having a different one every time you log on to the VPN).
That said, before subscribing to a VPN service, decide how you are going to use it: Is it simply for browsing web site content? Download torrents? Watch Internet television? Each provider has its own terms and conditions for service and some will include restrictions against “illegal” activities such as P2P file sharing of intellectual property. It is best to look for and read the fine print before committing to anything.
Another tip is to look for providers who offer a trial period for prospective subscribers. This indicates that the provider has confidence in their product, and you will be able to judge if the service works for you.
Here are a couple of things to check: Internet speed and quality of technical support. You will want to know how reliable the Internet speed is, and how fast or slow it is (depends on what you want to do). You will also want a technical support team that doesn’t take weeks to respond to your questions or help requests, and who actually know what to do when problems or issues arise.
Read the customer testimonials on the website, but do go to online forums as well. There are many discussions on VPN service providers and you may find that the provider you are considering isn’t a good deal after all.
Anonymous surfing and email security tools can be a great way to improve your chances against threats online. Stuart Fisk is an experienced network analyst who helps individuals minimize risk by using VPN services at work or at home. For additional information about this and other related topics search the internet and you can find a large amount at connectinprivate.com.