15 Amazing Uses of a VPN

With the increased cyber threats and surveillance, a virtual private network (VPN) is an essential tool to keep you safe and anonymous online. It will encrypt your traffic and conceal your IP address, making it almost impossible to access your data or track your internet activities. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg of what a VPN can do.

In this article, we will look at other VPN uses besides improving your online security and privacy.

Notable uses of a VPN

Unblock streaming sites

Because of copyright and licensing issues, many streaming services use geo-blocks to restrict their content to specific regions. For example, BBC iPlayer, one of the best streaming sites, is only available in the UK, and you cannot access it if you are outside the region.

However, a VPN will enable you to change your IP address and stream any blocked content. So, for instance, if you are in the US, you can connect to a UK server and unblock BBC iPlayer.

Get the Best Deals on ECommerce Sites

Retailers on eCommerce sites display different prices on items depending on location. This is mainly because of import costs and taxes across countries. For example, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is $1874 (BRL 9875) in Brazil and $1280 (GBP 1049) in the UK, an enormous difference.

So, you can use different VPN server locations to check the prices of items before buying. You will be surprised by the great discounts you will get.

Cheaper Bookings (hotels, Flights, Car Rentals, Etc.)

Prices may fluctuate when looking for specific services because of several reasons. For instance, a Windows user can get different prices from a macOS user. Well, this is maybe because of cookies, purchase or browsing history, IP address, etc. Thankfully, a VPN will enable you to evade these price fluctuations.

Improve Your Internet Speed

Most internet service providers (ISPs) offer consistent data to all users. So, if your speed suddenly slows down when doing data-intensive tasks like streaming, gaming, or torrenting, your ISP might be throttling your bandwidth. However, a VPN will encrypt your traffic, preventing your ISP from seeing what you are doing online. Choose a nearby server to get the best speeds.

Publish Opinions and Comment Anonymously

Most people leave negative reviews if they don’t like something. However, what if this get you harassed or even sued? Also, citizens in oppressive regimes cannot express their political opinions because they risk being incarcerated or worse. The same applies to bloggers and journalists who publish controversial topics.

Fortunately, you can use a VPN to make it difficult to track your identity or location. It will safeguard your traffic and mask your IP address, enabling you to post reviews and comments anonymously.

Unblock Social Media Apps

A recent study found that one in every three countries has blocked social media platforms sporadically or permanently. The best solution is to connect to a VPN server in a neighboring country where the site isnt censored and browse as usual.

Get More Websites and Free Services

Some websites offer a limited number of entries and ask you to sign up. Also, other tools like moz.com limit the number of daily free keyword searches. Usually, these websites track your IP address to check where you are located and how many times you have to access them. This is how they know you have reached your limit. The best way to get around this is to use a different VPN server whenever you reach the limit.

Avoid ‘the List’

Some agencies might be monitoring your activities when file-sharing or downloading videos online. These may be the NSA (National Security Agency), MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), and many more.

While they aim to keep an eye on copyrighted and illegal downloads, they will also monitor other things you do online. However, a VPN will keep you anonymous by giving you a new IP address.

Unblock VoIP Services

Some countries like the UAE restrict or bans VoIP services like WhatsApp and Viber, preventing you from contacting your friends and family. The best way to beat the restrictions is by connecting to a VPN server in a country where VoIP services are available.

Keeps You Secure on The Tor Network

The Tor Network is a great way to improve your online privacy as it reroutes your traffic through several nodes. However, with advanced methods like triangulation, hackers can track your identity. Thankfully, a VPN will add an encryption level, making it impossible to know who you are.

Free or Cheaper Skype Calls

Skype will help you to connect with your loved ones whenever. However, the cost can get expensive if you call over long distances. Luckily, you can connect to a VPN server in the recipient country to get cheaper rates or call for free.

Entertainment on The Go

The geo-blocking measures enforced by some websites can ruin your online entertainment if you are a traveler. They prevent you from accessing your favorite shows, music, YouTube series, games, and more on a trip. A VPN will help you to connect to a server back at home to continue with your entertainment.

Furthermore, A VPN can come in handy if your ISP is blocking your connection to a certain website. After all, your traffic will seem to originate from the VPN server and not your device.

Safeguard Your Entire Home’s Network

You can even install a VPN app on your router. This will enable you to protect all the internet-enabled devices that don’t even support VPNs like smart TVs PlayStation and Xbox.

Work Remotely

The recent epidemic made many people work from home, which is still an option for some today. However, home is a vague term that can mean anywhere. A VPN will help you connect to your workplaces and continue working from any remote location. The best part is that nobody can track where you are since the VPN will encrypt your connections and alter your IP address.

Better Gaming Experience

Online games require you to have a stable and reliable internet connection. As we mentioned earlier, a VPN can help you improve your speeds if your ISP is throttling your data.

However, some malicious players can compromise your connection with a DDoS attack, congesting your network with exaggerated traffic. This can reduce your speed to a crawl or even paralyze your network. A VPN will conceal your IP address which the attackers will need to launch the attack.

Bottom Line

A VPN can be helpful in many ways besides securing your digital activities and keeping you private. Choosing the best VPNs can be daunting due to the many available options. However, the bare minimum should be robust encryption, an extensive server network, a kill switch, and DNS leak protection.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Can My ISP Track My Browsing History when Using a Vpn?

A reliable VPN will encrypt your connection to prevent your ISP from intercepting your private information. In fact, it will see that your traffic is coming from the VPN server.

Do VPNs Have Disadvantages?

Yes. The first one is that connecting to a VPN server will reduce your internet speed. However, with a premium service, the drop in speed will be negligible. Also, you will have to pay a subscription to use the VPN, some of which are very expensive. However, keep in mind that high cost does not always translate to good quality.

Can I Use a Free VPN?

We wouldn’t recommend you to do it because many free VPNs are not reliable with poor security and privacy measures. Of course, this will put you at risk, especially if you download torrents frequently or use public Wi-Fi networks.

Is Using a VPN Outlawed?

VPNs are legal in most countries. However, some like Russia, The UAE, Iran, and China restrict or ban VPN usage completely. This means you can be punished according to the local laws. Fortunately, some VPNs have obfuscation features that will hide your VPN traffic.

Can I Use a VPN to Stream Live Sports?

Yes. A VPN will bypass geo-restrictions and stream any live sporting event. So, for example, if you are a basketball fan, you can connect to the US server and watch NBA games as they happen.