With internet security awards popping up from left to right, choosing the best VPN service is important to ensuring that your business and personal information are not hacked or maliciously distributed across the web. But with a number of options to choose from, how do you select the best VPN service? What should you look for when looking for a brand for the VPN services it offers?
In the following paragraphs, we’ll simplify this geeky-sounding task into something the average person can follow. The goal is to be able to teach anyone with internet knowledge the basics of VPN selection to ensure that you are protected against all kinds of malicious attacks on the internet.
1. Start by looking at the server selections on offer. A VPN service is a secure connection that protects your network from attacks. It does this by redirecting all your information to the VPN server, where it is checked for integrity and security before being transmitted to your computer. Basically, you are isolating yourself by limiting all connections through the VPN service provider.
So what does this mean in layman’s terms? Well, it means that you must have access to the servers in the locations that you want to watch a broadcast from. Consider this basic example: Suppose you are an expat on an assignment in Europe and you want to continue watching Netflix videos through a secure stream; You will need a US VPN server to give you secure access to Netflix servers located in the US If you are using a UK server, you will not be able to watch Netflix streams. The same concept applies to all the other websites you want to view – you will need a VPN service provider that has an associated server in the countries your destination websites are hosted from.
If you find all these considerations tedious and confusing, you can also choose an NL VPN network that allows you to browse the Internet anonymously. It’s a little less secure but with less hassle, you wouldn’t have to think too much about your service.
2. A big determinant of the price you end up paying for VPN service is bandwidth. For example, if you want a VPN for iPad 2 for browsing purposes only, you can select a service with a lower bandwidth offering than if you wanted to stream Netflix movies. For everyday use, the 2GB bandwidth should be sufficient.
If you don’t want your use restricted by having fixed bandwidth, look for VPN services that have unlimited bandwidth. This will cost you more, but it would eliminate the need to worry about whether or not you are about to exceed the limits of your VPN plan.
3. Compatibility with your chosen device is also very important. Again, if you plan to use iPad 2 VPN services, make sure to explicitly request the service. Most people choose the cheapest service available only to find out later that the VPN plan they just bought can only be used on their clunky old desktops. It is always best to ask if an offer is compatible with your preferred device to be sure of what you are getting.
4. Extra. These correspond to other characteristics of the offer that may or may not be necessary. As such, it is important to ask. For example, you may want your selection of the best VPN provider to allow the use of P2P. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you are safe from malicious internet attacks, but you can’t do the things you want to do on the internet because your VPN service is blocking the websites you want to visit. As a general rule, ask the provider when in doubt.
Based on these tips, you should be able to limit your selection to a few brands. Ideally, a list of three to four possible VPN service providers is best.
The last thing you need to do is put these considerations together. The best way to do this is to read reviews about the shortlisted companies. Remember that there is no way to plan everything when it comes to VPN, so reading about other people’s experiences will help you find information like service reliability, promotions, and security straight from the user’s perspective. These intangibles are not always visible in the offer brochure.
Your best VPN should be endorsed by many other users, not just a few who have very limited specs and requirements. It is also not always the most expensive, not necessarily the fastest or the most sophisticated. Tailor your chosen services to your exact needs so you can maximize what you get from the business without paying too much.
To do this, be sure to review a list of your basic expectations before narrowing your list down to a few brands. From there, you can begin the more detailed task of comparing offers, prices, and specifications until you find the best VPN service that meets your needs.