A virtual private network (VPN) does more than help access Netflix catalogs abroad or stop websites from tracking your browsing history. At its core, a VPN redirects your device‘s internet connection through an encrypted tunnel to hide your IP address. This simple rerouting opens up many possibilities to change how you interact online.
You likely perform various sensitive tasks that either require a VPN for safety or could significantly benefit from one. Yet many people aren‘t using a VPN as their daily driver.
In this guide, I‘ll highlight 10 common online activities where having a VPN protection will improve your experience:
1. Online Gaming
Playing multiplayer video games depends entirely on a fast, stable connection to central game servers. The further these servers are from your location, the higher your ping (latency). High ping makes games nearly unplayable.
A VPN can optimize the route to gaming servers to reduce and stabilize ping. By funneling your connection through a nearby VPN server, there are fewer network hops. This minimizes delay caused by a long distance traveled. The difference could lower your ping by 20-150+ ms!
The boost isn‘t just for connections overseas. Even if you game on local servers, a VPN evens out ping spikes and jitter caused by a poor residential internet provider. The result is smoother, lag-free gaming.
2. File Sharing & Torrenting
Whether downloading Linux ISOs or the latest episode of your favorite TV series, torrenting and peer-to-peer sharing expose your IP address to the public internet. This allows anyone to see your location and track the files you distribute or leech.
A VPN masks your IP to provide complete anonymity while torrenting. This hides you from snooping ISPs, government agencies, copyright trolls in search of illegal sharers, and even cyber criminals looking for easy targets.
While hiding IP is essential, VPN encryption provides another vital layer of protection on public P2P networks prone to MITM attacks.
3. Streaming & Downloading Large Files
Have you ever experienced a blazing fast internet connection suddenly crawl when trying to download files over a certain size? This intentional slowing, or bandwidth throttling, is an unsavory practice of ISPs punishing users for heavy bandwidth usage.
By analyzing traffic patterns, ISPs can identify and throttle connections used for bandwidth-heavy streaming, downloading large files, and even torrenting. They assume it‘s for illegitimate purposes.
A VPN prevents this by hiding exactly what kind of traffic is passing through your connection. ISPs see only encrypted data flowing to a VPN server. Without visibility, they cannot discriminate based on your online activities.
4. Public Wi-Fi Networks
The idea of connecting to shady public Wi-Fi at the local coffee shop may already make you cringe. Well, unprotected public hotspots have countless security flaws for lurkers to spy on your internet activity.
Using packet sniffing tools, bad actors can intercept data passed over any unencrypted network. This gives them access to see usernames, passwords, messages, and other sensitive information you transmit while connected.
A VPN secures your data by creating an encrypted tunnel before any information leaves your device. Then it gets sent through the VPN tunnel rather than the public Wi-Fi network itself. This makes it impossible for creeps to view.
5. Accessing Restricted Content Abroad
It‘s always a bummer realizing your go-to streaming platforms like Hulu and ESPN don‘t actually work worldwide. Strict licensing results in frustrating geo-blocks when you travel overseas.
By changing your virtual location, a VPN provides an encrypted connection from a server in your home country. This work-around makes geo-restricted sites and services think you‘re local rather than abroad.
Having more server locations in a VPN network expands the number of countries you can mimic to defeat annoying geo-restrictions. No longer will you struggle to keep up with the playoffs or favorite series abroad!
6. Protecting Sensitive Work Over Public Networks
In today‘s work-from-anywhere economy, employees frequently need access business networks from coffee shops, hotels, airports, and other public places with free Wi-Fi. This poses a huge risk for unencrypted sensitive company data.
Mandating all employees connect via VPN when working remotely ensures client files, prototypes, transactions, emails, and other internal material remain protected from prying eyes.
For privacy-centric fields like healthcare, law, and finance, a work VPN is absolutely essential to meet legal compliance shielding confidential data.
7. Evading Censorship & Surveillance
Unfortunately, many oppressive countries implement far-reaching internet censorship and surveillance initiatives limiting free access to information. Politics, news, social platforms, and other sites may be completely blocked.
For citizens of countries like China, Turkey, and Russia, a VPN provides a small window to the open internet by tunneling through blacklisted sites. It also adds a layer of encryption to make government monitoring more difficult.
However, some regimes attempt to detect and block VPN traffic too, making it a cat-and-mouse game.
8. Avoiding Social Media Bans
Have you ever posted something controversial on Twitter or Facebook only to get banned by an overzealous admin? Unjust social media bans seem frequent these days.
Creating anonymous social media accounts accessed exclusively through a VPN helps prevent permanent bans. By masking your IP, platforms cannot connect multiple accounts to the same person or location to carry over restrictions.
9. Saving Money Shopping Online
Many ecommerce stores adjust product pricing based on visitor location and shopping history. This allows showing higher prices to wealthier regions to maximize profits.
Connecting through a VPN lets you view international product variants as if accessing the site from lower income regions. In some cases, popular digital goods and services can be significantly cheaper than your home country!
10. Enhancing Mobile Banking Security
Managing finances from your smartphone is extremely convenient… and extremely risky over public Wi-Fi!
Banking apps and mobile sites often lack VPN integration seen on desktop. So your data can be exposed at the mercy of lurkers on any network you join.
Running a VPN on your mobile device adds encryption security to every app transmitting sensitive information. This includes banking, credit cards, investing, insurance, and tax services.
This list only scratches the surface of online activities made safer through a trusted virtual private network. Any time you access confidential data or connect to an untrusted network, it‘s wise enable your VPN first.
With so many security and access advantages, there are plenty of reasons to make a VPN part of your everyday online routine.
