Want to setup a VPN service so that you can safely browse the web, bypass online blocks, or even access restricted content? While many VPNs nowadays are relatively easy to install and setup, if you want to take full advantage of them you should do more than that.
Make no mistake VPNs can be a powerful tool, but you need to know how to use them effectively to tap into their potential. In order to do that you should start with the following tips:
1. Set up the VPN everywhere
One of the more common mistakes that people make when they install their VPN is that they only install it in a particular location. That will immediately make it less effective, as it will only affect part of your online traffic.
For example, if you were to install the VPN on your browser, it would only affect that particular browser.
Ideally, you should make it a point to set up the VPN everywhere. In particular, you should install it on your router so that your entire home network can benefit from it, and make sure it is installed on all your mobile devices too.
2. Turn on the kill switch
Many VPN services nowadays have a kill switch feature, and you should try to look for it and enable it if one is available. The kill switch will essentially turn off your network connection if your VPN connection happens to drop – to prevent any information from leaking out over an unsecured connection.
Considering VPN services tend to drop connection from time to time, this will help to improve their effectiveness by leaps and bounds. The only downside is that if you experience frequent service drops then you may find that your online access is often interrupted.
3. Test whether you are really anonymous
Although most VPNs are reliable and will help ensure your connection is anonymous, that isn’t always the case. It is definitely a good idea to test that your connection really is anonymous, especially seeing as all you need to do is use an IP or DNS leak test.
With this simple test, you’ll be able to tell whether or not your IP is masked, and whether the DNS information is leaking as well. If there are any issues you can then check with the VPN service and troubleshoot the issue.
4. Choose the right VPN server
Odds are that your VPN service will have several servers that you can choose from. In most cases, you will want to choose the server that has the lowest latency, as that will normally mean that it is the fastest connection.
Another factor that you should consider is the load on the server. If a VPN server is popular and has a heavy load it may be slower as it will take more time to encrypt data.
In addition to all that there are other factors that may affect your choice of VPN server. For example, you may want to choose a server in a specific location to bypass a particular location-restriction.
Aside from these tips, it is crucial that you choose the right VPN service from the word go. In particular, you should try to find one that fits your requirements, whether it is for torrenting, bypassing restrictions, online security, or some other purpose.
If you choose the right VPN service and fully make use of the tips listed above, you should be able to reap the rewards quite easily. In fact, you may even wonder how you ever managed to survive without a VPN.
