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VPN benefits
Using VPN apps makes your digital life safer, easier, and smoother.
Changing your IP address, hiding your virtual location, and encrypting your connection allow you to increase your privacy online.
A VPN shields you from cyber threats, like man-in-the-middle attacks, packet sniffing, and dangerous Wi-Fi networks.
With a VPN, you can avoid online censorship and restrictions and enjoy the free and open internet.
Share files securely while at home or at work — a VPN encrypts your connection so that no snoopers can see what data you’re transferring.
Why do you need a VPN?
No one likes to be watched or tracked – even if they have nothing to hide. That’s why it’s important you step up your privacy game. Here’s when you need a VPN:
What does a VPN do?
A VPN reroutes your traffic through a remote server, encrypting it in the process. Typically, when you try to access a website, your ISP (Internet Service Provider) receives the request and redirects you to your destination. But when you connect to a VPN, it redirects your internet traffic through a remote server before sending it over to your destination.
First of all, a VPN hides your data from snoopers — encryption is important when you want to protect your internet traffic and minimize your online footprint. This way, your internet service provider won’t be able to sell your entire browsing history to the highest bidder.
Your IP (and, therefore, your virtual location) is also hidden and you get a new one that belongs to the VPN server you're connected to. This ensures extra security and significantly increases your privacy online — no one knows what city or country you’re browsing from.
These are common VPN functionalities, but NordVPN aims higher. We want to protect not only your data but your devices as well. That’s why we’ve developed the Threat Protection Pro™ feature to keep your devices safe from common internet hazards: malware in downloaded files, web trackers, flashy ads, and malicious links. You don’t need to be connected to a VPN server to use it — just turn it on, and it will guard your device 24/7.
How does a VPN work?
A VPN works by creating a secure encrypted connection between your device and a remote server. This way, your data can travel in secrecy instead of through your internet service provider. A VPN hides your real IP address and encrypts your internet connection to make your browsing safer and more private.
It's worth finding out how a VPN works so you can make use of its full potential. Here’s what’s going on behind the scenes:
- 1.
Authentication. When you connect to a virtual private network service, it authenticates your client with a VPN server.
- 2.
Encryption. The server then applies an encryption protocol to all data you send and receive.
- 3.
Tunneling. The VPN service creates an encrypted “tunnel” over the internet. That secures the data traveling between you and the VPN server.
- 4.
Encapsulation. To ensure each data packet stays secure, a VPN wraps it in an outer packet, which is then encrypted through encapsulation. That is the core element of the VPN tunnel, keeping the data safe during transfer.
- 5.
Decryption. When the data arrives at the server, the outer packet is removed through a decryption process.
How do VPN servers operate?
After the VPN tunnel is established, your device sends out encrypted information (like the website you want to visit) to the VPN server. It decrypts it and forwards the information to the designated web server. It also hides your real IP address before sending the data out. Instead, you will appear to have the IP address of the VPN server you’re connected to.
When the web server responds, the VPN server encrypts the data and sends it to you through your ISP. Your VPN client will decrypt the data once it reaches your device.
How does VPN tunneling work?
The VPN tunnel is created by first authenticating your client — a computer, smartphone, or tablet — with a VPN server. The server then uses one of several encryption protocols to make sure that no one can monitor the information traveling between you and your online destination.
Here you should remember that before being sent and received over the internet, any data needs to first be split into packets. To ensure each data packet stays secure, a VPN service wraps it in an outer packet, which is then encrypted through a process called encapsulation.
This exterior packet keeps the data secure during the transfer, and it is the core element of the VPN tunnel. When the data arrives at the VPN server, the outer packet is removed to access the data within, which requires a decryption process.
Types of VPN
There are many types of VPN, but the vast majority of them fall into three main categories:
Personal VPN
Most consumer-grade VPNs are classed as personal VPNs, including NordVPN. They are very similar to remote-access VPNs in operation, but instead of connecting to a proprietary restricted network (such as your workplace), you connect to your VPN provider’s servers for protection and privacy while you explore the internet.
VPN encryption protocols
What is a VPN with weak encryption? Just a surefire way to slow your connection down. When people use a VPN, privacy and speed are their main concerns. Different types of VPN protocols have different advantages, so most VPN providers offer at least two. NordVPN allows users to choose between OpenVPN and NordLynx protocols in its apps, and they can also opt for IKEv2/IPSec protocol for manual configurations.
OpenVPN is the most popular encryption protocol, currently used by the majority of VPN providers in the world.
One of OpenVPN’s biggest strengths is that it is highly configurable. It also offers a nice balance between speed and security, as you can use it on both TCP and UDP ports. While the TCP port is a more stable option, UDP is faster, and many users prefer it for a seamless online gaming and live streaming experience.
What should I look for when choosing a VPN?
People turn to VPNs for different reasons, and whatever yours is, you need to ask three questions before choosing a provider. How fast is it? Will it keep my data safe? And will it respect my privacy? Of course, you want your connections to be safe and your data to stay private. But to have all that without losing any speed? That’s the trick. So when you choose a VPN service, make sure they don’t make any compromises – there’s no point in having unbreakable encryption if every website takes ages to load.
The price of the VPN is one of the most important factors. If a free option of any service comes up, people get immediately interested. But when it comes to free VPNs, it’s better to stay away. You’re looking for speed, security, and privacy, and with free VPNs, you’re unlikely to get any of it. These providers usually don’t invest in their server network, so their VPN connections might be unstable and leaking users’ IP addresses. They also must make money somehow – in some cases, they may resort to selling their users’ data. So instead of looking for the cheapest option, try to find a VPN provider you can trust.
Setting up a VPN connection
There are a few different ways you can set up your NordVPN account. Have an encrypted connection wherever you go, join the VPN protection trend:
If you know what you’re doing, setting up your VPN just the way you want it is also an option. Bear in mind – manual setup will take more time, and mistakes are more likely to happen. Don’t worry – if you need some help, you’ll find detailed tutorials in our Help Center.
Install NordVPN on your Wi-Fi router, and every device connected to it will be protected by bulletproof encryption. The process might seem a bit too complicated for novice users, but once you’re done, you can enjoy a safe internet connection without interruptions.