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How much should you pay for a VPN?

10 Best VPN Services 2022 Service Monthly price Max number of devices NordVPN $11.99/mo. 6 ExpressVPN $12.95/mo. 5 CyberGhost $12.99/mo. 7 Private Internet Access $11.95/mo. 10 6 more rows

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What is a VPN? Why do you need one

VPNs, or virtual private networks, are affordable, legal, and a great way to keep your internet activity (mostly) away from prying eyes. Even if you don’t use the public Wi-Fi at Starbucks or the library, you’re probably already aware that almost everything you do online is tracked. Yup, your internet service provider (ISP) or any company that makes money by marketing ads to you is probably logging everything you do online right now.4 And possibly hackers too. We don’t mean to freak you out. But we want to stress that it’s always a good idea to protect your online privacy. Even if you’re not using public Wi-Fi. The good news is, a virtual private network (VPN) is an easy—and often cheap—way to add an extra layer of security so you can surf the web in peace. It’s always a good idea to protect your online privacy, even if you’re not on public Wi-Fi. And having a VPN is an easy way to add an extra layer of security so you can surf the web in peace.

What is a VPN?

In a nutshell, a VPN is software that builds an encrypted connection from your computer to a VPN server, and then to your ISP, which sends you to the website you want to visit. This is sometimes called the VPN tunnel, and it creates a secure connection to the website. Now prying eyes can’t watch what you do online—even if you’re shopping for creepy green vegetables that shout yodel-ay-ee-hoo!. (We assume it’s a white elephant gift, right?) You can think of a VPN like a goalie protecting its turf—in this case, your computer and private data. When another player tries to track your internet activity or gain access to your info, the VPN blocks it. The only ones who get to know what you’re doing online are the VPN and whatever website you’re visiting.

What is your IP address?

Here's your IP address Your Location Device Type Operating System Internet Service Provider Device Browser Your IP address tells websites a lot of information about you. That includes your location, what kind of device you're browsing the internet on, and your internet provider. A VPN can hide your IP address. But if you're not using a VPN to hide your IP address, you'll see all the information that's shared with websites in our widget here. If you're creeped out by this, you're not alone. We are too. That's why we recommend using a VPN to keep your information safe online. We've tested dozens of VPN services to find the best and most affordable ones, and you can see which VPNs made our list by clicking the link below. View Our Top VPNs

What is encryption?

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Encryption protocols convert all your information into a secret code so that only the person (or computer) with the key to the code can read it. VPN software can also mask your IP address to give you even more privacy online. Your IP address is assigned to you by your internet provider and is a unique series of numbers that attaches to everything you do online. That means every online place you visit knows exactly where you’re located thanks to your IP address. But a VPN hides your personal IP address. Instead, the IP address of the VPN server you connect to is what shows up online.

What is a VPN server?

Servers are essentially storehouses of data—every website in existence is stored on a server (or servers), and VPN servers are no exception. VPN servers are set up to host users and connect them to the internet, but they’re also configured to encrypt and decrypt the data you send and receive from websites online. (The data needs to be decrypted so your computer or mobile device can read it.) Another way VPN servers are unique is that they’re often located in different US cities—or even different countries, like the UK, Sweden, or Germany. By hosting servers in different cities and countries, a VPN protects you from ads targeting certain geographical regions. What’s more, if a VPN connection can make it look like you’re surfing the web from a flat in England, it’s also possible for you to get around region restrictions on certain websites or apps.

Why is the number of servers so important?

More VPN servers means more value. When there are thousands of servers, as you’ll find with apps like ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, you can almost always find a reliable and secure connection that’s also fast enough for the purposes at hand.

What VPNs can’t do

VPNs may seem like a miracle when it comes to securing your online privacy. But there are a few things they can’t do, such as fully prevent companies from tracking your information or speed up your internet.

Cookies can still track your information online

Even if you use a VPN, there are still ways for ad companies to track your path across the internet even after you’ve left their sites. One example is cookies. You can think of cookies like a sort of digital ID card that you show to websites you visit online. That ID card includes information about you, like what pages on a website you visit, what’s in your shopping cart when you shop online, and any personal information you’ve volunteered, like your name. With ad companies, the cookies you create can contain information about multiple sites you’ve visited if those sites all contain ads that are managed by one advertising company. There is good news, though. Cookies don’t give these ad companies or websites access to your computer or any personal information you haven’t purposefully shared online. And cookies can’t infect your computer or device with viruses or malware. Also, you can easily delete cookies whenever you want.

VPNs won’t make your internet faster

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You should also know that a VPN can’t speed up your internet. Actually, a VPN will probably do the opposite and slow down your connection. That’s because you need to connect to both your ISP’s server and the VPN server to encrypt your online identity and traffic. And if you choose a server that’s located far away from your current location, it takes more time for your internet connection to travel there and back. It’s likely you won’t notice much of a change if you’re on DSL, cable, or fiber internet. But this is the main reason we don’t recommend using a VPN with satellite internet—because your internet connection already needs to travel thousands of miles above the Earth and back. Using a VPN with satellite internet isn’t recommended Because a VPN requires your internet to connect to an extra server, it can cause a satellite internet connection to slow down even more. This is because of latency, or the time it takes for your data to travel from your computer to the VPN server, then to the satellite, and on to the website you’re visiting. We’ve got more information on how latency works in our satellite internet guide.

VPNs still have to follow laws in the countries they’re based in

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