The modern-day age requires us to indulge in privacy in our lives. There are a lot of hackers out there and many activity-tracking agencies. Their main purpose is to spy on you, collect your data, and who knows? Maybe even introduce malware into your system.
To tackle that problem, a lot of the people in the world came forward with solutions like proxies, VPNs, and anti-tracking software, out of which, the most popular one is “VPN”.
VPN or Virtual Private Network is a technology that introduces an additional layer of security to your system. It keeps your activities private and makes it difficult for the Govt., Hackers, and your local ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to trace your online browsing.
Even if you are working on a public WiFi, no one would be able to track you, thus keeping you and your data protected. Generally speaking, a VPN is all about privacy and protection.
- How does a VPN work?
- What’s the point of using a VPN?
- Setting Up a VPN at Home
- How to Set Up a VPN on Windows 10
- How to Set Up a VPN on macOS?
- How to Set Up a VPN on Chrome OS?
- How to Set Up a VPN on Android?
- How to Set Up a VPN on iOS?
How does a VPN work?
So, how does VPN technology work? A virtual private network creates a “tunnel”. That tunnel is the pathway via which data is sent securely, and is fully encrypted. Even some VPNs use authentication tools to deliver that extra value their competitors are not offering.
Nowadays, as the services of staff augmentation are getting much-needed attention, and have an increased demand, people from all over the world are getting hired without the restriction of being physically present there i.e. remote hiring.
In this regard, whenever employees from all over the world get hired, as per the geo-restrictions set by their countries, a lot of the people are not able to access the company’s assets they need for their job. This gives birth to the need of installing a virtual private network via which all of these employees can have unrestricted access to their employer’s assets.
Moreover, the VPN is the most effective for remote devices like Laptops, Mobile Phones, and Tablets. You can optimize them on the same local network with a VPN router and can support several devices at the same time. You can do this by using simple configuration tools to make sure that all of the workers have equal access to the company’s data.
What’s the point of using a VPN?
VPN protects your confidential data anywhere on the internet. Also, it provides:
- Security: Communication with a VPN encrypts your messages, provides authentication codes, and you can give access to the people of your choosing to communicate with you over the internet privately and securely.
- Location: Your actual geographic location is protected and does not get exposed to the public, applications, and other shared networks.
- Access: VPN will give you access to all the blocked websites in your country. It unlocks almost everything ranging from streaming websites to simple blogs.
- Encryption: All of the data and your website traffic will be encrypted. No one can decrypt your transferred files, web traffic, or any other activity you perform over the internet. Thus, delivering you a completely secure atmosphere over the internet.
- Server: You will have access to several servers worldwide, whose main purpose is to give you a streamlined internet experience without having anything traced back to you.
- No-Logs: In addition to all of the above-mentioned goodies, a VPN also does not keep any kinds of logs of what you have done, where have you gone, or what content have you tried to access or transfer. That’s what we call complete anonymity.
Setting Up a VPN at Home
Why the need for VPN router technology? That’s for the protection of your entire family from tracking and hacking. You can set up your VPN through your router and any device when connected to your WiFi at home will get protected under the umbrella of a VPN.
Further, you wouldn’t get the need to configure your devices on an individual basis. The only setback that you’ll face would be a slow internet speed as VPN connects you to servers that are not located near your vicinity. However, one thing that will be ensured is your safety.
To make this happen, you’ll need a router that has built-in VPN software. You can check here for., How to Set a VPN at Home in Router.
Other than that, if you want to integrate your devices with a VPN, irrespective of the fact that you use a macOS, Windows 10, Android, iOS, or Chrome OS. Here’s how you can do it.
How to Set Up a VPN on Windows 10
Firstly, for Windows 10, you’ll need a proper VPN profile by filling out a form containing the details about what kind of VPN service you are using. Follow the steps mentioned below:
- Go to your Windows Setting by clicking on your Windows Icon & selecting the Settings option.
- Locate Network & Internet and select it.
- Go to VPN and click on Add a VPN connection. A form will come up.
- Fill out the form by providing the information below:
- Select “Windows (built-in)” in the VPN provider category.
- Give a name to your VPN type in the Connection Name
- Now, enter the Server Name or Address.
- Select the VPN type (we prefer Automatic to avoid any type of hustle).
- Then select the Type of Sign-in you want (we prefer username and password).
- Add the username and password for extra security, which we recommend as the main purpose of setting up a VPN is to enhance your security.
- Click Save.
- Now we need to connect to our VPN. To do this, go back to Settings.
- Select Network & Settings, and click on VPN.
- There, select your VPN
- Select connect. You will be asked to enter a password, type your password, and you are done.
This is how you set up a VPN on your Windows 10 PC.
How to Set Up a VPN on macOS?
While the majority of the VPNs out there now have an automated system of the setup process, you just need to press a simple button somewhere on the app. However, you can also perform a manual setup:
- Navigate to your System Preferences and click Network.
- Locate the Plus Symbol Button on the bottom left, and choose the VPN option from the drop-down menu.
- Now fill out the information about the VPN Type and Service Name.
- Press the Create
- Now, fill out the:
- Server Address.
- Remote ID.
- Local ID.
- Once you are done filling out the appropriate fields, click on Authentication Settings.
- Now, enter the username + password for the new VPN that you have set.
- Lastly, click on Ok, and Connect.
How to Set Up a VPN on Chrome OS?
The easiest way to set up a VPN in Chrome OS is to head directly into the Chrome Web Store and look for the VPN extension of your desired product. If not, then go to the Google Play Store and download the VPN app from there. You can also go to your subscribed VPN site, and get the application from there.
Why download the application? Once you download that application, you’ll be fully guided by the application itself on how to set it up.
Moreover, Chrome is optimized with native support for OpenVPN along with L2TP/IPsec. If your choice of VPN has these security protocols integrated into them, then you can follow the steps mentioned below:
- Initially go to the lower right corner of your screen and click on the time icon. From there go on Settings.
- Locate the Add Connection option, and afterward, click on OpenVPN/L2TP.
- There you can add all the information required:
- Server’s hostname.
- VPN service provider’s name.
- Type of your Provider.
- Pre-shared key.
- Username & Password.
- Once you have entered all of the information, you can click on Connect.
Business places that use VPNs in their workplace often require certificates that you’ll need to import first. You can integrate VPN in your Chrome OS by doing:
- Go directly to chrome://settings/certificates.
- Now go to the Authorities tab, locate the certificate you require in the list, and click on import.
Afterward, follow the procedure mentioned above to set up the VPN on your Chrome OS.
How to Set Up a VPN on Android?
Setting up a VPN on your Android device is not as difficult as it sounds. Nowadays everything is automated, and that’s why doing something manually always makes us a bit uncomfortable.
You can set up a VPN on your Android phone by:
- Go to the Settings option and click on Network & Internet.
- Select the Advanced option, and press the VPN button (key icon). If you do not see a VPN option, then you can simply search for VPN in your settings and click the Add button.
- Now you’ll have to create a VPN profile on your phone by providing the following information:
- The name of your VPN.
- The type of your VPN.
- The server’s address.
- Click on Save after completion of information.
- After hitting Save, you’ll be redirected to your VPN screen, where you are going to see your newly added VPN.
- Press that newly added VPN and type in your Name & Password.
- Click on Connect.
You can also choose to save your account information i.e. username and password, and keep your VPN always on as per your need or requirement.
One thing that is worth mentioning here is:
- You’ll face some speed issues once you have integrated your VPN into your android phone. That’s because all of the website traffic going through your selected server slows down your internet browsing speed.
- The downloading will fall to the bare minimum.
- Online Games will lag.
- Video streaming will also be a problem.
Other than that, the layer of security that you have added to your android device is completely worth it. To avoid the only problem i.e. the speed issues, you can check out the plans of the Best VPN Services in 2021 here and you can also read completely detailed reviews of VPN giants like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, & Surfshark VPN to get a clear idea of what you’ll be gaining with a VPN.
How to Set Up a VPN on iOS?
As mentioned above, setting up a VPN on iOS is almost the same as on Android. You just need to go to your App Store and download your subscribed VPN’s app from there. Most of the VPN applications integrate on their own without any issues, however, if you want to perform a manual setup, here’s how you can do it.
- Go to the Settings in your iOS.
- Locate and Press General.
- Now scroll and Select VPN.
- Select the Add VPN Configuration, and Type the security protocol of your choice. Your chosen VPN’s app will guide you in that regard, so refer to your app instructions on setting up your VPN on iOS.
- Once you had done all of this, Return to the Add Configuration screen and fill out the following data:
- VPN’s description should be added.
- The server of your choice.
- Remote ID & Local ID.
- Fill out the username and password.
- Finally, you can tap on Done.
That’s how you can set up a VPN on iOS. In order to turn your VPN on/off, you can simply toggle the Status switch on/off.
Verdict
There is no doubt about the fact that a lot of people from all around the world came out and told us about the spying that all of these sensitive organizations have been doing over the years.
People like Snowden came out and exposed the data & privacy breaches of the common public done by the Govt. of the USA. To avoid all of that, the use of VPN has increased so your surfing over the internet remains secure.
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