What is VPN?
What is VPN?
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) makes it possible to turn your own public IP address into the IP address of the VPN provider. This ensures anonymity, security and your "virtual" appearance in another location. We explain the different parts below:
Anonymity: You remain anonymous. Everything you do now on the Internet is about the secure connection of the VPN servers. Your own IP address (and therefore identity) is no longer visible to the outside world.
Security: In most cases, a VPN connection is an end-to-end encrypted connection. This means that anything done between the beginning and end of the connection is encrypted from start to finish. As a result, it is not possible for cyber criminals to see what happened over this connection.
Other location: The content of internet services (e.g. Netflix) is different from each other in many countries. By choosing a VPN connection on a server in another country, the Internet thinks you're there (you get an IP address from the server in that particular country). This allows you to theoretically view the content of the country with which you have set up the VPN connection.
How does VPN work?
If you connect to a VPN server, all your internet traffic will be forwarded to this server. The VPN server then secures the request on your behalf on the Internet, the answer of the request (e.g. a web page) is returned to you securely. The website sees only the VPN server as the client. This ensures that you remain anonymous.
A VPN connection step-by-step:
A VPN connection step-by-step:
- Choose a VPN provider that suits you best.
- Connect with a server of the VPN provider.
- Use the handy app offered by the VPN provider.
- Or connect by manually setting VPN on your device.
- Now that you are successfully connected, you have an encrypted connection with the server of the VPN provider.
- Make a request to a website or online service.
- Your request is sent (encrypted) to the server of the VPN provider.
- The VPN provider forwards the request to your chosen final destination.
- The final destination returns an answer to the VPN provider.
- The VPN provider forwards the response (encrypted) to you.
- With this the entire process of request and answer is secured and received anonymously by you.
What can you use a VPN connection for?
VPN has multiple purposes. Not always is a VPN to remain anonymous and safe. A VPN can also be used to work at home. You can't use the VPN providers we recommend for this because that VPN connection needs to be facilitated by the company your work for. A short list for which you could use a VPN connection all:
- Use a VPN connection to encrypt everything you do on the internet.
- Use a VPN connection to hide your identity (IP address).
- Use a VPN connection to hide your actual location.
- Use a VPN connection to view region-blocked website.
- Use a VPN connection to watch live TV or broadcast missed TV shows from abroad.
- Use a VPN connection to securely connect to a free or public WiFi.
- Use a VPN connection to get a different offer from, for example, Netflix.
- Use a VPN connection to prevent internet censorship in some countries.
Which VPN providers do you recommend?
We have compiled a top 5 VPN providers based on convenience, price and reviews. The top 5 has been extensively tested by us and found to be the best VPN providers on the basis of the tests. Go to a deeper analysis of our top 5 below.
| Our top 5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |  |
1 Package(s) from € 2,60 p/m | View packages | |
| #2 |  |
1 Package(s) from € 2,51 p/m | View packages | |
| #3 |  |
1 Package(s) from € 7,47 p/m | View packages | |
| #4 |  |
1 Package(s) from € 2,28 p/m | View packages | |
| #5 |  |
1 Package(s) from € 4,42 p/m | View packages | |
What is meant by the different VPN protocols?
There are many different protocols available for a VPN connection. The most used protocols are:
- OpenVPN
- PPTP
- L2TP/IPSEC
- IKEv2
- SSTP
What are the disadvantages of VPN?
A disadvantage and actually the only disadvantage of VPN is that your internet speed can decrease. Because all internet traffic is redirected to your VPN provider, this will cause a short delay. To minimize this delay, choose one of the VPN providers in our top 5. With these, often larger providers, the difference in internet speed is limited to the minimum. By the way, you will probably not be bothered by the reduction in speed in daily, normal internet traffic. However, it may happen that you notice a difference when playing games online or watching large video files.