There are things that are too good to be believed and VPN services are one of those things. Whether or not to use a VPN? – This question itself is surrounded by several misbeliefs and in this blog; we’ll try to debunk some of the most popular VPN myths.
To begin with when you are surfing the World Wide Web, all your data is under the scrutiny of several entities. These include your own internet service providers, search engines, government authorities and many others. While you might not still be worried if your data is watched by legal entities, what might scare you is the fact that a lot of your data can even reach hackers. That’s when you should use a VPN service to conceal your web traffic.
Popular Misbeliefs Which Might Stop You from Using A VPN Service
Myth 1: VPN Services Are Illegal, So I Won’t Use Them
Truth: One of the VPN myths that need to be debunked is that a VPN service is completely illegal? Here’s the truth – it’s not that simple and whether it is legal or not has to be seen in a broader light.
The truth is VPN as a service is not intended to do anything illegal. In fact most countries permit the use of VPN leaving aside very few countries like China, UAE, Turkey, Belarus and few others.
Unless you are using the VPN for security and more so for legitimate activities like using a VPN to conceal IP and data on Public Wi-Fi or streaming geo-restricted content, you will not attract attention of the government authorities or ISPs but if you engage in activities like distributing internet viruses or gaining unlawful access to another computer, authorities can still catch you because then even the VPN service provider might have to comply and submit your data.
Myth 2: I’ve Heard That VPN Service Providers Log My Personal Data
Truth: Another misinformation regarding VPN is that it keeps a track of all your online sessions. As mentioned above, a VPN service provider will only and only provide your personal web data to the authorities if you are engaging into something illegal and detrimental to the security of your country. Otherwise all major VPN services like NordVPN, Systweak VPN, Surfshark and many others have a strict no logs policy.
Also Read: 10 Best VPN For Windows 10 In 2020
What Is a Strict No Logs Policy?
This means when you use a VPN, the VPN service provider will not track your IP address, the websites you’ve visited, servers or any files that you have downloaded. Having said that, you might still want to go through the terms and conditions
Myth 3: VPN Is Hard To Set Up
Truth: Some people just put down the very option of having a VPN pertaining to a popular myth that a VPN service is hard to establish. Let’s put it this way if you can access an email all by yourself, setting up a VPN should be a child’s play for you. All you have to do is choose a preferred plan, hit the get started button and follow the instruction of the VPN service provider.
Systweak VPN for instance, is one of the easiest VPNs you can set up in a few minutes. We covered a comprehensive review of Systweak VPN and its easy set-up process.
Myth 4 : VPN Will Always Slow Down My Internet
Truth: Not every time will you have to face a slow VPN speed. On the contrary, in most cases, you will observe a rise in speed especially when you are streaming geo-restricted content like Netflix, HBO, Hulu, etc.
Here’s what you need to know – A VPN connects you to your chosen server and routes your internet connection through that. This is done so that your data will seem to have appeared from the location of that server. For better speed, always choose nearby servers or servers in neighboring countries. Because the farther you will go, the slower will be your internet connection.
In several countries ISPs throttle a user’s internet speed when they stream YouTube, HBO, Netflix or use any other streaming service. This is wrong since users in most cases don’t cross their daily usage and as such they don’t get worth for what they’ve paid.
Myth # 5 : When A Free VPN Does Everything For Me, Why Would I Need A Paid VPN?
Yet another VPN myth that we’d like to bust is that if you have a free VPN, you get all the services that a paid variant comes with. This is not true.
A Paid VPN Vs. A Free VPN, this battle will take a whole separate blog and we shall cover it later. But, if you have a notion that since you have a free VPN will be the ultimate VPN for security, you may have to think again. We aren’t against the free VPNs but what we can safely say is that if you intend to use VPN for long term security, invest in a paid VPN service. You may ask why?
That’s because paid VPNs are ad free, which means that the only way they earn is through your subscription cost. Free VPNs on the other hand have to earn by the way of ads. This also has a dark side, as the free VPNs might even sell your data to the advertisers.
Secondly, are you really happy with the speed that your free VPN is offering you? Sure, if you are on a travel and only have to check a mail or two, a free VPN can be a good companion but you may have to consider a paid VPN service if you wish to stream HD content.
Should I Or Should I Not Go For A VPN Service?
We’ve tried to demystify some of the most common questions that bump into our heads when deciding on whether or not to subscribe for a VPN service. All in all, if your intent is safe and if strengthening your online security is your primary goal, there is nothing wrong in installing a VPN on your device. If you have more such myths, do drop them in the comments section below and we’ll give you a wholesome clarity. Till then surf the web safely and while you are at it, don’t forget to share our blog with everyone you care of.
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Next Read:
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Marguise
These are some common and pretty smart questions that most new users should definitely have in mind. I've been using Surfshark, and while looking at these points listed above, it has a no-log policy, it's easy to set up and use, and it doesn't slow down my Internet much. Unfortunately, it's not free, but it's still pretty cheap.