![]() ![]() There are four main protocols supported by VPN companies: IKEv2/IPsec, L2TP/IPSec, OpenVPN, and PPTP. This is the setup that creates the encrypted tunnel. The second thing you have to do is decide which VPN protocol you want to use. Once that's done, come back here and continue. That's bad, but there's no judgment here, because you're reading this piece because you're about to start, right? If you do need to choose a VPN service, click the link in the first paragraph of this piece, read a few reviews, and pick the one that sounds right for you. But the truth is, PCMag's research shows that many of you aren't using a VPN. Ideally, you already have a VPN service that you are signed up for and using on all your other devices, be they PCs, phones, or tablets. No, you're not going to be using its apps, but you still need to access its servers. What You Need to Get Startedįirst, you need to choose and sign up for a VPN service. Just know that if you get frustrated with the steps outlined below, there are apps out there that can take care of this for you. Or you might simply prefer not to have another app on your computer. Or maybe you just like to tinker with your system. The apps also act as gateways to all of the VPN's features, such as switching between VPN servers, choosing different VPN protocols, and so on.īut although VPN apps have made setup a snap, some of you may prefer to do things the old-fashioned way and have Windows handle it for you. All the VPN services we have tested thus far offer Windows applications that will handle the configuration for you. While you do need to set up any VPN you care to use on your Windows 10 computer, going through a manual set up process (as described in this piece) is entirely optional. Also, unless you're browsing HTTPS exclusively, you lose all the benefits of encryption once your traffic reaches the VPN server. ![]() A VPN also won't do much to protect your passwords, either, although TunnelBear does offer the RememBear password manager in addition to its VPN product. ![]() While some VPNs boast of blocking malware, you should still use standalone antivirus. VPNs are great, but they're not a cure-all for the security and privacy threats that ail the internet. While journalists and activists in repressive countries have used VPNs to avoid censorship in this way, you can also use a VPN to stream Netflix from outside the US-assuming that Netflix hasn't already blocked your particular VPN. You can even pretend to be somewhere else and spoof your location by connecting to a VPN in a different country. Your IP address is closely tied to your geographic location, so hiding it effectively prevents observers from figuring out where you are. The VPN server also hides your true location, because any observer monitoring your activities will see the VPN server's IP address and not your own. Because your web traffic appears to be coming from the VPN server, correlating it to you is much more difficult than if you didn't have a VPN. When you use a VPN, advertisers and three-letter agencies will have a harder time tracking you across the web. Even your ISP will be effectively blinded when it comes to monitoring your traffic. If there's someone lurking on your network or, worse, the owner of the access point has configured it to steal information, they won't see a thing. Your web traffic travels through this tunnel, and it exits to the wide-open web from the VPN server to which you are connected. When you switch it on, a VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and a server controlled by the VPN service. That's why you need a virtual private network, or VPN. Even though the more secure HTTPS is successfully becoming the standard for web browsing, it doesn't protect everything and won't guard against threats lurking on public Wi-Fi or your own network. Unfortunately, not much has changed since the words fiat web were spoken. And it was pretty good, albeit lacking in critical privacy and security controls. In fact, you can manually configure Windows 10 to use a VPN, as we'll explain-although you'll still need a subscription to a VPN service. ![]() While VPN companies provide apps to make setting up their products a breeze, that's not the only approach you can take. When you use a virtual private network, or VPN, you can rest assured that spies and advertisers aren't sniffing around your traffic, and it won't be intercepted by ne'er-do-wells, even if they're on the same network as you.
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