Which VPN Should I Use? – How to Use a VPN

If you’re reading this, I assume you’re looking for an answer to the question: “Which VPN should I use?”

No question, there are many excellent VPN solutions available for download and use today. But which one is best suited for your needs?

In this article, we’ll cover three main considerations to make before choosing a VPN, along with some general advice on what to look out for. Let’s get to it.

Features

To begin with, you’ll want to make sure that the VPN you’re considering using offers the features you’re looking for. Most importantly, you’ll want to ensure that the VPN is easy to use and has a pleasant UI.

It’s no secret that not all user interfaces are created equal, and simplicity is often synonymous with effectiveness. When choosing a VPN, you don’t want to be forced to dive into complex settings simply to get the functionality you require. Fortunately, many VPNs out there are fully configurable and offer a streamlined experience that removes all the complexity.

As a general rule of thumb, look for a VPN with at least five-star customer ratings on various review sites. Keep in mind that no single rating site is likely to be an accurate reflection of the entire product offering, but you can get a good indication of the quality of the software from these reviews.

Security

It’s important to consider the security of any product or service when making purchases online or at any other location that has a cybersecurity risk. We live in a world where security breaches and hacks are commonplace, and it’s only a matter of time before an unscrupulous entity gets their hands on your personal information. To that end, you’ll want to make sure that the VPN you’re considering using is both secure and private.

There are a few ways to go about securing your personal data when using public WiFis and hotspots. For one, you can always opt to use a secured connection through HTTPS instead of plain oldHTTP when visiting sensitive websites. This will encrypt all your personal information before it travels to the server, ensuring that nobody but the intended recipient can read it.

Additionally, you can always set up a VPN on your own personal computer or on a device that you control. This way, you can be sure that no one else will be able to access your personal data, even if they were to gain unauthorized access to the device or network you’re connecting to. For more information on how to set up a VPN on your own device, check out our guide on how to set up a VPN on iOS and MacOS.

Remote Access

Another important factor to consider when choosing a VPN is whether or not you’ll need to be connected to the internet via a remote access server. If you plan on using the internet remotely (e.g., from a hotel room), you’ll want to ensure that all of your internet traffic is secure and that you’re not exposed to any man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. A VPN that supports both PPTP and L2TP (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol) will ensure that all your internet traffic is encrypted as it travels to its destination. PPTP is generally more secure than L2TP, but L2TP allows for more configured flexibility.

Bandwidth

Last but not least, we have bandwidth. If you’re looking for a VPN that is both secure and fast, avoid anything below 5 GB/s. Anything above that and you’ll start seeing noticeable slowdowns in speed and responsiveness.

Once again, this is all based on general guidelines. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, depending on what you’re looking for. For example, if you’re mainly concerned with securing your personal data, you might not need to be as worried about speed and responsiveness. But if you’re looking for quick and easy internet surfing, a VPN with lower bandwidth limits might be the ticket you’re looking for.

At the end of the day, the most important thing to keep in mind when choosing a VPN is what YOU want and need from the product. Each user has a different set of requirements and uses a VPN for different purposes. Some people want privacy and security, while others want to be able to stream content without worrying about DRM (Digital Rights Management) issues. As a user you’ll have to determine what you’re looking for and then choose a product that meets those needs.