You’ve probably come across a virtual private network (VPN) ad from your favorite YouTuber or somewhere online and wondered, do I need a VPN? Part of getting to know why and which VPN you should go for starts by demystifying some myths about VPNs that have been around for years, maybe you’ve heard of them too.
By debunking these misconceptions, you’ll realize that a VPN is an important tool that helps maintain your digital privacy. In this digital era where almost everything we do happens online, a VPN might just be the noble knight you need.
Here are 5 crazy myths about VPNs:
1. I have nothing to hide so there’s no need for a VPN
For most people, this is their starting point when considering if they need a VPN. So, here’s a quick question. Have you ever searched something online, say a nice piece of furniture, and you immediately started seeing ads about furniture all over the web? That’s because it’s highly likely that your data was sold to the highest bidder to tailor the perfect ads just for you.
It can be irritating and make you think someone is stalking you. With a VPN, you stop being the product, and your Internet Service Provider (ISP), network admin, or a particular site won’t be looking over your shoulder every time you search for something. Whatever you choose to do online stays private and secure.
2. VPNs are only used by criminals
It’s quite funny how most people think a myths about VPNs that are VPNs only used for some sort of illegal activity. While it’s true that there are people who use it for unlawful activities like downloading copyrighted material, hacking or shady businesses, VPNs have many legal uses.
For starters, it protects your online privacy by preventing third parties from accessing your information. Secondly, there are countries with strict digital censorship and VPNs help citizens access foreign news sites and connect with friends from all over the world. You can also use a VPN to protect yourself when using public WiFi.
3. VPNs are only used to access content from streaming sites
Yes, VPNs can indeed be used to check out content from different countries on sites such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. However, this is just one of many myths about VPNs. Another way you can use a VPN is to check for the best deals and sales by switching to different regions and accessing your banking apps the same way you would at home.
If you are keen on gaming, especially casino gaming, you can use a VPN to visit casino sites in states where iGaming is legal. States like New Jersey, Delaware, and Michigan allow online gambling so you can set up your VPN to a server in any of these locations to play your favorite casino games on top sites like Pulsz.
The casino sites will allow you to register and play games without any issues. Just don’t forget to always have your VPN set to that location when accessing the site.
4. I have to be tech-savvy to use a VPN
The tech world is known for its complex jargon and terms and VPNs aren’t much different. You’ll come across words such as ISP throttling, split tunneling, or kill switches, which might go over your head. However, you can leave that to the techies who are interested in tweaking their VPNs with advanced settings.
As a beginner, you can comfortably use a VPN and all you’ll need is to switch on the app/site and connect to a server in your desired region. The good thing is most VPN apps nowadays have a user-friendly interface making it even easier for new users to use their services.
5. Won’t the VPN slow down my internet
At times a VPN can indeed slow down your internet speed, but this isn’t a rule of thumb. A VPN works by encrypting your internet traffic and sending it to your chosen server. The traffic is then decrypted and sent to its destination, which is a slightly longer process than usual. However, the slowdown should be minimal, and hardly noticeable.
If you get a high-quality VPN, which is fast, you’ll barely notice this. It’s also advisable to connect to servers that are closer to your current location to reduce the distance your data has to travel. So, you can connect to nearby cities or countries for a faster connection.
Here’s an interesting twist — a VPN can also increase your internet speed. At times, your ISP can slow down your connection if they notice you’re using a high bandwidth, maybe when streaming, gaming, or torrenting. Such an incident is called ISP throttling, and if you use a VPN, your provider won’t be able to monitor your traffic and thus have a connection which isn’t compromised.
