You can love or hate a VPNs, but nowadays, you can not ignore a VPN. You might find this statement too much, but our online habits will make it an inevitable truth one day.
ISP throttling, game lag, video buffering, high fares, and countless other reasons make us install and use a VPN. Before we get into more details about what VPNs do for us, let us see what VPNs are.
What are VPNs?
If you want to know what a VPN stands for, it’s a Virtual Private Network. VPNs encrypt your internet communications. They also allow you to keep your internet activity anonymous.
Uses of VPNs
Several people think VPNs might be useless to them, but that is not the case. You might not even know about the benefits it offers. Let us take a look at them.
1) You get additional security in public(hotels, metro stations, airports, cafes, etc.) Wi-fi,
2) You secure your data from your ISP(Internet Service Provider), who can sell it to any third-party buyer,
3) You protect or hide your data from the government,
4) You unlock geo-locked content,
5) You save money on flight tickets, hotel bookings, online shopping, and more,
6) You get an uninterrupted gaming experience,
VPNs are not limited to smartphones only. You can use a VPN on several devices like Macbooks, PCs, Laptops, Smart TVs, and streaming devices. Most people use a VPN to stream without buffering and unlock geo-locked content.
Can VPNs slow down your internet speed?
Yes, and No. You might get a better internet speed than before if you know which VPNs are fast and reliable. It depends on factors like
- VPN’s service,
- VPN’s server’s location,
- Encryption your VPN uses,
- Bandwidth limitations of servers.
If you use a VPN that does not have many servers but still unlocks geo-locked content, you might be able to stream all the content you like, but not at the speed you want.
Can VPNs increase internet speed?
As mentioned earlier, a VPN can increase your internet speed. If you are experiencing ISP throttling or slow internet speed because of the heavy traffic, using a good quality VPN can make your internet speed faster.
You avoid using the servers your ISP was providing by using a VPN in similar circumstances. You also get less traffic which eventually increases internet speed.
For instance, if you use a VPN like Expressvpn, you might get a faster internet speed. It will unlock geo-locked content for you, which allows you to enjoy your favorite shows and movies from anywhere.
You can also use it on streaming devices like Amazon Fire Stick. There are several other free VPNs available for Firestick devices, according to FST. Follow this guide for more details regarding the free and the best VPNs for Amazon Fire Stick devices.
Can VPNs slow down your devices?
No, VPNs can not slow down your devices. If your device can not handle apps that run in the background, then all apps that do so, including a VPN, will slow down your device.
For instance, if you use Google Chrome and permit it to run in the background, your device might slow down. It depends mostly on your device and its capacity to handle apps that run in the background, RAM management, and more.
Is VPN Safe?
VPNs are pretty safe if you use a paid or reliable VPN. A reliable VPN will give you several benefits. However, using a free and unreliable VPN is a whole other story.
Unreliable VPNs often sell your data to third-party organizations. They also slow down your internet speed. Moreover, using an unreliable VPN can also make your device vulnerable to malware and viruses.
Final Verdict
Using a VPN is a personal choice rather than a compulsion. Several people use a VPN for different purposes. I do not recommend using a VPN to stream copyrighted content.
I am also not in favor of using an unreliable VPN. It might fulfill your tasks temporarily but will give you a lot of trouble sooner or later. Reliable VPNs are safe, and you can keep them on your device for a long time.
VPNs do affect your internet speed, one way or another. They might increase or decrease your internet speed which depends on the usage. VPNs are legal apps, but using them for illegal tasks like streaming copyrighted content can put you in legal trouble.
