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How does a VPN work?

How does a VPN work?

Traditional internet connection (without VPN)

When you visit a website, your PC, tablet, or phone establishes a connection with the servers on which the respective website is saved. Once the connection to the server has been established and the website contents have been downloaded, the third-party server also gets information about your IP address. The IP address is a unique number that can be used to determine your place of residence and other private data. Note: The connection to the server is not always encrypted. This makes it possible for intelligence agencies, internet providers, or hackers to spy on your online activities.

 

Conclusion: Without a VPN, your PC, phone, or tablet establishes a direct connection to the server. Your IP address is transmitted to the server, and you are therefore not anonymous.

 

Internet connection using a VPN

If you use a VPN to connect to the internet, there is no direct connection to the web server. Your PC, tablet, or phone first connects to a VPN server, which then redirects all data to the website server. The website operator therefore only sees the IP address of the VPN server. The identity of the VPN user remains hidden.

VPNs hide your IP address using their servers.

VPN’s hide your IP address with using their servers.

In addition to the anonymization, your internet connection is also encrypted. Intelligence agencies, internet service providers, and hackers therefore have no chance of spying on you. Providers such as our No.1 VPN recommendation used military encryption technologies that cannot be decrypted as per the current state of the art.

VPNs encrypt the transfer of private data.

VPNs encrypt the transfer of private data.

Conclusion: A VPN server anonymizes and encrypts the connection between your phone, PC, or tablet and the server.

What are the advantages of a VPN?

The biggest advantage of VPNs lies in the fact that you can use them to surf the internet anonymously and securely. Through the anonymization, VPNs protect you from receiving a written warning. Using a VPN is particularly advisable for users of file sharing and torrenting platforms. Just like the great Redtube scandal showed, one should always use a VPN when accessing erotic websites since this can quickly lead to a written warning, which can be very expensive.

guy streaming porn via tablet

Porn streamers received written warnings in bulk (read story)

VPNs also offer additional benefits for streamers. For instance, a VPN makes it very easy for you to access the desired content e.g., if you are on holiday and would like to access German content. The following links will help you choose the right streaming VPN:

 

How do I use a VPN?

Using a VPN is relatively easy, even for non-professionals. You first need to select a VPN provider (overview of the best providers). Next, download and install the VPN software on your PC, tablet, or phone. The installation only takes a few clicks. After the installation, open the program and click on “Activate VPN”. The VPN then connects to the VPN server and you can surf securely and anonymously.

 

How do I find the best VPN?

The VPN market is growing fast and so is the number of options. This makes it difficult to find the right VPN provider. Established all-round providers, such as our No. 1, are recommended for both beginners and advanced users. The software can be used on up to 6 devices simultaneously, whether it’s a PC/Mac, a tablet, a smartphone, or a game console. Our test winner also runs on Linux computers and is compatible with almost all streaming providers. The data transfer is encrypted to the highest security standards.

Last updated: March 2024

Provider
Specials
Rating
Information
Best rated 2024

Ultra-fast and secure all-round VPN. Excellent Full-HD/4K streaming and 24/7 live chat support.

  • Try it with a 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Outstanding reliability with 35000 + servers in 75 countries
  • Up to 10 devices simultaneously
  • Unlimited P2P/Torrenting
  • Fast HD/4K streaming (Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO, Kodi, …)
  • Simple installation and easy to use
Available on:
9.8
  • From $2.25/month
  • Unblocks over 35 streaming services, among them Amazon and others
  • Over 7000 servers worldwide
  • Up to 7 devices simultaneously
  • High secure VPN with OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP and 256-bit encryption protocols
  • Up to 45-day money-back guarantee
Available on:
9.4
  • 5400+ Servers in 59 countries
  • Military great security level
  • High-speed, unlimited bandwidth
  • Up to 6 devices simultaneously
  • 30 days money-back guarantee
Available on:
9.1
  • Fast and simple commissioning
  • Runs on an unlimited number of devices and multiple platforms
  • High speed
  • Over 500 servers in 50 countries
  • Regular updates
  • Support only available via email and chat
  • Problematic P2P connection and speed
Available on:
8.6
  • Installation is easy and straightforward.
  • Military-grade encryption
  • Uninterrupted streaming solutions. Enjoy smooth online streaming services
  • Strict no-logs policy, keeping no log of private user information
  • Complete privacy and anonymity
  • Free version
  • Its network of servers is limited
  • Premium plan offers the best speed and overall experience
  • Customer support is only via email
Available on:
8.2
  • 1700 servers all over the world
  • Up to 3 devices at the same time
  • Highest anonymity
  • 30 days free trial
  • P2P/Filesharing/Torrenting is possible
  • Very expensive
  • Partial blocking of websites & email providers
Available on:
8.0
  • High-end security, with 2048-bit military-grade encryption, Killswitch feature, and IPv6 Leak Protection
  • Access to the most regions on the market
  • No-log policy ensuring 100% privacy and user data protection
  • Stealth VPN for users in VPN-prohibited countries like China
  • Best VPN in our test
  • Seven-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Inconsistent live customer support
  • A limited number of network servers
  • Inconsistent server speed in some locations
Available on:
7.9
  • Servers in 190 countries all over the world
  • Up to 5 devices at the same time
  • Easy-to-use software and App
  • 30 days free trial
  • 24/7 Support via Live-Chat or E-Mail
  • Technical problems in WLAN
  • Strongly reduced speed of foreign servers
Available on:
7.5
  • For all platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android etc.
  • Over 3600 servers in 74+ different countries.
  • 1 subscription gives access on an unlimited number of devices; 30 days money-back guarantee
  • 24/7 live chat support
  • ZenMate never keeps records of users’ online activity (operating under a strict Zero Logs policy)
  • 30 days free trial
  • Very slow surfing speed
  • Browser extension crashes
Available on:
6.8
  • Around 400 servers in 50 countries worldwide
  • Reliable encryption protects your data
  • Kill-switch, auto-connect and zero-log policy enable private browsing
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Search function to find the ideal server for your intentions
  • 30 days money-back guarantee
  • Sign-up issues
  • Sub-par Windows client
  • No live chat support
Available on:
6.5