| Updated: December 22, 2024
We may earn affiliate commissions for the recommended products. Learn more.
VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a software that encrypts your online traffic, changes your IP address, and lets you access restricted content and websites.
The software became popular in the early 2000s, and the VPN market gained momentum after 2010. The Global VPN market is estimated to cross $65 billion by the end of 2024 and reach US$137.7 billion by 2030.
Over the years, the demand for VPN software has exploded, making room for new entrants with affordable prices and packages.
However, not all VPNs are secure, and using them can put your online privacy and security at risk. Surprisingly, in the age of information, people are still searching for what they can do with a VPN or what is a VPN used for!
This made us think that there are still users who don’t know about VPNs and how the software can help them in getting secured online. This page is designed for all of those who don’t know what a VPN is and what its uses are. We will try to keep the information as simple as possible and will add use-cases with real-life examples.
A VPN is software that helps you change or hide your original IP address with another IP. There are two types of VPNs: free and paid. Like Anti-viruses, we have paid and free VPNs.
The technicalities of a VPN and how it changes your IP address will be discussed later on this page.
Surprisingly, people still search “VPN for What” on Google and other search engines. This made it clear that they know what a VPN is, and want to find its purpose and usage.
At VPNforWhat, we are here to guide everyone seeking information about VPNs and their uses. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
The basic function of a VPN is to hide your IP address by changing it. Using a VPN allows you an IP address from its pool and masks your original IP address, making you anonymous online.
This is helpful in cases where a person is trying to avoid his location from websites and advertisers. Additionally, you are safe and secure from third-party data tracking, which later shows you annoying ads of good-for-nothing products.
We all know that the internet is plagued with censorship and content restrictions. Some restrictions are good and should be there, but others, like accessing different Netflix libraries and watching UK TV like BBC and ITV, etc, should not be there.
A VPN helps change your IP address to a specific IP, so you can access whatever content you want. For example, to access BBC iPlayer (which is only available in the UK), you will need a British IP address.
Other examples include accessing Robolx from countries like China and Turkey, Using Twitter from Pakistan and Brazil, and downloading movies and TV shows via torrents in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Governments’ censorship of websites, OTT services, and social media is portrayed as protecting people, which they are, but most of the time, there is a dark side to the ambition behind these censorship laws. A VPN helps you bypass geo-restrictions and access censored content from anywhere.
Asia is the largest continent in the world and tops the list of censorship by continent. China and Russia are among the top countries imposing censorship on their residents. Not far behind is North Korea and others who have restricted their citizens with limited internet access.
One of the best use case of VPN is when connecting to a public WiFi. Hackers use public WiFi as the best tool to hack phones and other devices. They can access your device by connecting to the same WiFi and steal sensitive information like your passwords, bank details and business accounts.
The University of London conducted an experiment with public WiFi, where they opened hotspots in 11 public location in downtown Nara. During the research they found sensitive data like passwords, private photos and emails which was easily available through the WiFi system they opened for public. This proved that the end-to-end encryption is not real and we should add another layer of security and encryption by using a VPN.
Torrenting copyrighted material without permission has been banned in many countries around the world because of copyrights and illegal distribution of music, movies, books, etc. However, the torrenting law differs from country to country.
In Canada, Mexico, and a few European countries, you can download copyrighted material via torrents for personal use. The laws are different in the United States and the UK, which completely ban torrenting. Your answer to VPN for what is in torrenting because you can hide your IP address before downloading your favorite song or movie via torrent. If you don’t use a VPN, then be ready to face a jail time of up to five years or a $250,000 fine in the United States and £5000 in the UK.
ISP throttling came into full swing in 2016 when FCC override the 2003’s net neutrality law which limits ISP throtelling. However, in April 2024, net neutrality was reinstated by the FCC, due to which your ISP can not throttle your internet connection unless you have reached your data cap or your ISP is overloaded. The ISP providers took the case of net neutrality to court and a final verdict is still in process.
However in any case you can employ a VPN to avoid ISP throtelling and use internet at your purchased speed.
After the pandemic, we realized that working from home could be done, and it proved useful in some cases. According to Cybersecurity Insiders, 93% of companies use VPNs for business needs.
However, there are security risks associated with remote working. Hackers might access sensitive files by gaining access to your servers. To eliminate this threat, multiple companies use VPNs.
A VPN provides a dedicated IP you can whitelist and lend to your employees. Your employees can only access sensitive information about your business via that IP address. An employee will be blocked if he tries to access sensitive files with his residential IP.
Here are more cases of using a VPN for your business.
A Remote access VPN creates a connection between your employee and an internal server. This way, your employees can safely access internal files and applications. There are two main components in a Remote access VPN.
VPN client: The VPN application is installed on your employee’s computer.
Network Access Server: An application or server that is connected to your business’s internal network.
With a site-to-site VPN, you can safely connect offices in multiple countries or cities to your internal business network. In this case, the VPN client is hosted on every office’s network and can be used by multiple employees.
However, it won’t work like a remote access VPN because employees will lose access to the business network once they leave the office.
Some of the best business VPN providers are Cloudflare, Perimeter81, and NordVPN.
There are several benefits associated with using a VPN, some of which are mentioned earlier in this article.
Here is a quick summary of the benefits of using a VPN.
A VPN’s protocols and infrastructure enhance your online security and privacy. Look for VPNs offering end-to-end encryption. Modern protocols like Wireguard and Lightway, as well as a VPN, can encrypt your online traffic and save you from governments, hackers, and cybercriminals.
The most important reason for using a VPN is online privacy and anonymity. You can be an individual trying to download a torrent or a remote employee trying to access your company server, in both case you will need a workable VPN.
Anomnity is also essential for people who travel frequently and connect to public WiFi at airports or restaurants. Hackers won’t be able to access your devices when a VPN masks your IP address.
This is one of the best features of a VPN. It changes your IP address with a single click and allows you to access regionally restricted content from anywhere in the world. You can access Google in China, Facebook in Iran, and WhatsApp in UAE.
You can also change your Netflix regions by using an effective VPN. We have tried out multiple VPNs to access Hulu from outside the USA and BBC from the United States.
Gamers are searching VPNs for what usage will now have their answers. A VPN can help with fast internet speed, low lag, and a stable internet connection, which are crucial in online multiplayer gaming.
You can also create your own virtual LAN with NordVPN’s Meshnet technology. It lets you connect different devices to a single virtual LAN, and you can utilize it to play online games in the same server or map.
Additionally, a gaming VPN boosts your online gaming performance by eliminating cyber threats and bandwidth throttling. A VPN minimizes latency, which means there is no lag.
Choosing or rating the best VPN can be a tedious task. All VPNs claim to be the best and offer 100% secure servers. We have tested several VPNs and rated them on speed, security, usability, and servers.
Here are a few points you should consider when purchasing a VPN.
Speed is considered a critical factor when rating and reviewing VPNs. It has a huge impact on your overall internet usage. A slow VPN can hinder your online experience with slow streaming and gaming lag.
Most users employ a VPN to protect their identity and surf the internet anonymously. We analyze these features for security.
Major VPN providers use AES-256 encryption. You should also consider VPN protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IkEv2, which should be offered by the VPN you purchase.
User-friendliness is another factor you should consider before making your purchase decision. Most VPNs are easier to use and have dedicated applications for almost all devices. They offer a multi-login feature through which you can secure multiple drives with a single subscription.
However, there are limitations if you want to use a VPN on gaming consoles and Linux-based devices. However, using a VPN on these devices is not impossible and requires some technical knowledge.
You should consider the number of servers a VPN provides before making your purchase decision. The higher the number of servers, the faster and more options you have to access restricted content and websites.
This will benefit you if you are into streaming and torrenting. We have tested several VPNs to access multiple Netflix libraries, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, etc. We have also used VPN features like split tunneling and port forwarding for torrenting.
Aditionally you can access social media apps where they are blocked. Like Facebook in China and WhatsApp in Dubai.
Over the years, VPN providers have improved in technology and servers. We can now say that the top 5 VPN providers offer the same service and will get your job done.
The only difference between them is speed, security, servers, etc. Before going into details, we would recommend NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark as the market leaders in the VPN industries.
These VPN providers have the best servers which are highly optimized for speed and security.
NordVPN offers a 2-year deal for $107.7 ($3.99/m) for 27 months (24+3 months free deal). It offers high-speed internet with threat protection. You can use it on ten devices simultaneously, and it scans files and websites you visit to mitigate online threats.
Additionally, it comes with a password manager that backs up passwords on all devices. It also checks if your email address or passwords were found in a data breach. The 1TB cloud storage comes in handy in storing files and documents.
ExpressVPN 2-year deal will cost you around $143.76 ($5.99/m). It has highly optimized servers (10Gbps) in 105 countries and offers a password manager with a subscription. Upon testing ExpressVPN, we can surely say that it unblocks every streaming service and social media app and has apps for Windows, iOS, Android, Smart TV, etc.
SurfShark’s 2-year deal is available for $69.7 and $2.49/m. You will get access to SurfShark’s optimized servers, which can access restricted content and provide the best online security with an ad-blocker and cookie pop-up blocker.
You will also get a personal detail generator, a masked email generator, real-time email breach alerts, and a bunch of security tools. Additionally, you can secure your devices with the antivirus and webcam protection offered by SurhShark in the same subscription.
We put these VPNs in the second tier. But that does not mean they don’t work or have security issues.
Here are some drawbacks and misconceptions of using a VPN.
A VPN masks your IP address and encrypts your online traffic. But it’s not the complete solution because your online activities can still be tracked by cookies, fingerprinting, and account logins. Additionally, your ISP will know that you have switched on a VPN.
To ensure complete online anonymity, you must combine the VPN with a secure browser like Tor, use an encrypted messaging service like Telegram, and avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive communication and transactions.
It is a known fact that VPNs reduce speed. Some paid VPN providers claim that they have an optimized server that didn’t reduce internet speed, but that is incorrect. Logically, the speed reduction is due to your traffic being encrypted via the secure VPN servers.
You have added a layer of security at the cost of speed. However the high quality server only reduces 5% of your internet speed.
VPNs are legal in most countries, but there are countries like China, Russia, and North Korea that regulate VPNs as part of their censorship policy. Recently, the Brazilian Supreme Court imposed a fine of $9000 per day for using VPNs to access X (Twitter). The ban on Twitter was lifted on October 8, 2024.
Team VPN for What is working day and night to bring you the best VPN use case, reviews, and comparisons. Still wondering VPN for What? for secure browsing, unblocking, gaming, streaming, online privacy, and security.
Mustafa is a cybersecurity analyst and a co-founder of VPN for What. Since 2017, Mustafa has gained international experience, working with governments, NGOs, and the private sector as a cybersecurity and VPN expert and advisor.