The daily use of the internet, in addition to being a necessary condition for work and entertainment, also exposes you to potential cyber threats. Although an up-to-date smartphone and computer allow you to better manage security while browsing the web, the outgoing and incoming packets of personal data become complex to safeguard.
It is no coincidence that more and more individuals and companies are relying on a VPN system to protect their personal data, taking advantage of several advantages of this technology. You may have noticed how influencers and content creators advertise VPN as an excellent solution to geolocate your public IP in another country, in fact with this technology you can do this and much more.
Those who download VPN for PC can benefit both in the personal and corporate spheres, especially if they rely on VPN services such as Surfshark, NordVPN, Atlas VPN and many others.
Index
- What is a VPN and how it works
- How to set up a VPN connection on a Windows PC
- What are the advantages of using a VPN with a Windows PC
- What is the best VPN to use for Windows PCs
What is a VPN and how it works
You may have never heard of a VPN, or at least you have no idea what it is and how it works. The term VPN stands for Virtual Private Network , in Italian virtual private network, and identifies a dedicated service that through proprietary software protects the internet connection and your online privacy .
From a purely technical point of view it is a software or an extension that is installed on your electronic device, be it a PC, a smartphone or a tablet, which protects your identity through the creation of an encrypted tunnel. Specifically, the VPN service / program does nothing but hide your IP address and create a virtual network to surf with .
When you connect to the internet from your computer or smartphone, the server you connect to will not display your real IP address, but that of the virtual machine generated by the VPN.
This function, in addition to being very useful for hiding the IP, is even more so for its ability to encrypt incoming and outgoing information , since everything will be conveyed within a predefined tunnel. Individuals and companies install a VPN especially when they are in public places, in fact, in this context it is easier to become victims of cyber attacks since you are connected to a public Wi-Fi network . By activating the VPN you will be able to browse even in unprotected contexts, as the software will filter the information and prevent access to unknown sources.
To make a VPN work at its best you will need to install and configure it on your electronic device and choose the server of the country where you want to connect, generating a virtual IP address with which to surf the web.
How to set up a VPN connection on a Windows PC
As we told you before, when you choose a VPN you need to install it on your device. In these lines we will focus on installation for Windows PCs.
The first step is to download a version compatible with your PC, in fact, some platforms distribute different versions for smartphones and Windows PCs. You can start by downloading the Surfshark VPN for Windows. Once the download is complete, proceed with the installation of the program by double clicking with the left button on the .exe file you downloaded.
The processes of installing a VPN are mainly two: dedicated software or with manual configuration .
- Dedicated software: you will have to download the program and immediately after installation enter the registration data and simply click on the server you want to connect and the Start VPN connection button .
- Manual configuration: You can directly use the data provided by the service to enter it in the Windows settings. Specifically, go to Start> Settings> Network and Internet and click on the VPN section . From here click on Add VPN connection you want to connect to and enter the VPN Provider , Connection Name , Server Address , Login Info Type , Username and Password and press the Save button . You could also enter a public VPN , but you would lose speed and security, indispensable features in a quality VPN.
What are the advantages of using a VPN with a Windows PC
Setting up a VPN on your computer can really offer you many advantages, in addition to guaranteeing greater protection while browsing the web, you will have the possibility to connect from a distant country still using the services purchased in Italy. But these are just some of the benefits that individuals and companies can find, let’s see the most significant ones that can be useful to you in your work and entertainment activities.
Encryption – A VPN allows you to encrypt your data as you browse, keeping your personal and business information safe from potential malicious attacks.
Public networks : As mentioned in the previous lines, activating a VPN when you are using public networks could eliminate most of the cyber attacks. The virtual tunnel created by the software allows you to limit access to malicious people connected on the same internet network .
Unblock access : Just like a local network created for your corporate infrastructure, a VPN also allows you to unblock access to certain areas. You will have noticed, especially when you are abroad, how you cannot use Italian services due to a system crash. Websites such as Netflix, INPS and many others allow access and login only from the country where you purchased the service. With a VPN you can create an Italian virtual address that will allow you to log in as if you were in Italy.
Geolocation : One of the advantages of using the VPN is that it hides the geographic location or the starting IP address. Safe surfing the internet also means trying to be as anonymous as possible , a condition that can be achieved with a VPN. The virtual connection will create an IP address located in another country and you will be almost completely anonymous even to the servers that send and receive the data packets.
Torrent : trivial as it seems, even when you download a torrent your IP address may be detected. The VPN allows you to download torrents anonymously, limiting the negative consequences associated with them.
Censorship : in addition to guaranteeing access from other countries to access specific services and bodies, the VPN also allows you to bypass the censorship of a certain territory . In case you are a person who needs to obtain important information of a censored location, where the connection is limited, with a VPN you will be able to escape from this condition and also read the news not visible in a normal condition.
Speed of connection : Although a VPN has an encrypted tunnel in which data packets are filtered to ensure maximum security, by choosing a quality software you can get excellent connection speeds to another server. A VPN, given the data filtering function, slightly increases latency , a condition that you can eliminate with an excellent service.
We do not advise you to rely on underperforming VPNs as it will seem that browsing becomes less fluid and snappy.
What is the best VPN to use for Windows PCs
The use of a VPN, in addition to guaranteeing you the advantages listed above, needs some precautions to be exploited to the fullest. Although there are VPNs that can be installed through extensions and completely free VPNs, it should be noted that these solutions are potentially harmful.
A free virtual network is certainly less performing and secure than a network created, for example, with Surfshark . The main differences are to be found in the quality of the cryptographic tunnel , in the speed of connection to the servers and above all in the servers themselves.
When you subscribe to a dedicated service like Surfshark , you can benefit from much lower latency when connecting to virtual servers , due to the fact that the software developer has purchased its own servers distributed all over the world. Therefore, you won’t have to rely on saturated public servers like those of public VPNs, but you will have a much wider bandwidth.