What is a VPN and How Does It Work?

With time, more and more people are using VPNs. We mostly spend our working hours online. So, privacy and security are of paramount importance. And a VPN is used precisely for that.

VPN stands for a virtual private network. It will provide you with a virtual network that is secure and private for connecting to the internet.

In this article, you get to know about what a VPN is and how it works. We recommend you keep reading before you install a VPN on your device.

What is a VPN?

VPNs or Virtual Private Networks encrypt your data and hide your online activities from third parties and cybercriminals. Using a VPN can improve your online freedom, safety, and privacy.

When you visit a website, it connects to the server where the website is located. The website gets access to some amount of data about you and your device. What data it collects depends on the site you are visiting. But a VPN lets you connect to a private server that disintegrated your data to make it more difficult for third parties to know what you are up to.

Secure browsing is the selling point of VPNs. But it is not the only reason to use a VPN. Businesses use it to enable their employees to access the business network remotely. It means your business files are safe. https://thefastvpn.com/ is a multipurpose VPN you can use.

What does the VPN Do?

VPNs can change your IP address. Every device has its own IP address when they are connected to the internet. It tells the location of your device. But if you use a VPN, you can connect to a different private server before connecting to the destined site. Usually, VPN services allow you to choose your preferred falsified location.

When you connect to a new IP address, you are presented with a plethora of possibilities. For example, you can unblock geo-blocked content on Netflix. Since the VPN allows you to connect to a server where the particular content isn’t blocked, you can stream the content seamlessly.

By using a VPN, you can also bypass censorship. A few government agencies around the globe use geo-blocking techniques to lock some content based on your IP address. But with a VPN, you can get around this problem as it will make it appear like you are accessing the content or the site from some other location.

How Does a VPN Work?

Once you choose the right VPN, you can easily connect to it. Download and install the VPN you have chosen and choose the server you would like to connect to and the VPN is going to do the rest.

When you establish a connection, here’s what is going to happen to your data.

1. The VPN on your device will encrypt your traffic before sending it through the VPN server. The data will go through the ISP but since it has been encrypted, they can’t poke around.
2. The VPN server that you connect to will decrypt the data that has been encrypted.
3. Next, the server will send the data to the internet to receive a reply for you.
4. The traffic will again be encrypted by the server before being sent back to you.
5. As it reaches its destination, the VPN on your device will decrypt it so that you can understand and use it.

Whenever you are using your smartphone, laptop, or computer, you know the VPN is running in the background. But you can access the internet like you usually do. You won’t notice any difference.

How does the VPN Tunnel Work?

In simple words, encryption means changing a regular text to something indecipherable. The text is then decrypted by a decryptor to make sure it is readable. The decryption key is only available to your device and the VPN provider. If someone else tries to pry on you, they will only see some messy characters.

The encryption strength varies from one provider to the other. So, choose one that provides the strongest level of encryption to its users.

Why Should You Use a VPN?

The benefits of using a VPN are aplenty. We will explain in detail.

1. Online Anonymity: A VPN can prevent your identity from being traced without much hassle as it can change the IP address. It will reroute the traffic through an external server. This means anyone prying on you can trace back to the VPN server’s IP address. Hence, you can browse the internet anonymously.
2. Protection Against Hackers: When you use a VPN, reading and intercepting data can become almost impossible as it encrypts the data traffic. This can keep you protected from cybercriminals. The security a VPN provides makes it difficult for them to look through your data.
3. Secure Browsing on Public Wi-Fi Networks: When you are sitting in a coffee shop, you might connect to its Wi-Fi to quickly browse through your emails. But accessing a public Wi-Fi network can be a little risky. Anyone who is accessing the same network can tap into your data and get all information, such as your credit card details or email login password. To prevent this, you can use a VPN. It will make sure that hackers can access only encrypted details.
4. Bypass Geographical Restrictions: It is not only the countries that impose restrictions on sites or contents you have access to. Some online portals can also apply geographical restrictions on their content due to licensing issues. But if you are on a holiday and want to watch some content that isn’t available in the location, connect to a VPN. It will connect you to a server from the country where the content is available, and you can access it without any issue.

Bottom Line

A VPN can secure the data and network to provide you with the privacy and security you are looking for. But you have to make sure you are choosing the right VPN for the purpose.

We recommend using TheFastVPN, a premium and trusted VPN provider. It is available for all devices. With FastVPN, you can download and stream files with complete peace of mind. It lets you choose from more than 1000 servers located in 50 countries. The VPN ensures a fast and secure browsing experience.