2020. 4. 10. 11:38ㆍ카테고리 없음
Virtual Private Networks are now an essential part of your internet security whether at work or at home. They provide an extra layer of privacy in a world where data is currency and our rights to keep our private lives private is gradually being eroded. One way to take back a little control is with a VPN. But how to you use one? How do you even connect to a VPN? Also see our article You buy VPNs from specialist companies that offer them as a service.
There are free and premium VPNs and I would always suggest using a premium one. Many good ones cost less than a cup of coffee per month and as long as you choose a reliable provider that keeps no logs, you will seriously upgrade your security by using one.
Connect to a VPN There are several ways you might connect to a VPN but there are three methods that are more common than others. You use an app provided by the vendor, you use Windows VPN setup tool or you have your router connect automatically. I’ll show you how to use all three. Use vendor software to connect to a VPN When you buy VPN services, you are usually provided with a small program to install onto your computer or mobile device. This will likely be as an installer.
All you need do is download the app, install it onto the device, start it up, log in and go. Some installers will need further configuration but most that utilize OpenVPN will have a set of default values that should get you online right away.
Once installed, just open the VPN software and select connect. Some applications will give you a list of VPN servers to choose from, others will use the closes or fastest. That differs by vendor.
Either way, the program will handshake and connect and you will be connected to your VPN. Use a service such as to check that you are connected. Use Windows to connect to a VPN If you use Windows 10, connecting to a VPN is now easier than ever before. In previous editions of Windows, while initial setup was simple, the operating system had all sorts of trouble maintaining VPN connections and if it dropped it could prove very tough indeed to regain that connection. Thankfully, things have improved a lot in Windows 10. Right click the Windows Start button and select Settings. Select Network and Internet and VPN.
Select Add VPN and enter the details of your connection. The provider will be Windows (built-in). Add the other details as provided by the VPN vendor.
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Select Save once done. Keep the VPN window open while we test. Select the small speech bubble icon next to the Windows clock. Select Network and then select your VPN connection. Allow Windows to connect and provide any further authentication your vendor may require. Test the connection by using the internet.
Windows 10 does a credible job of managing VPN connections now so even if your vendor provides a program, you don’t necessarily have to use it. The only downside with using Windows to manage the connection is that selecting servers is difficult. You have to input the server name or address manually into the VPN setup app every time you want to change.
Other than that, it is a seamless experience. Use your router to connect to a VPN For maximum security, you can configure your router to connect only though a VPN. This saves you having to install the VPN app on every device in your home and teaching everyone how to use it. The downside to a router-level VPN is if you need to access content in another location or if the destination VPN server goes down you will have to manually configure a new one. You will also need a router that is capable of acting as a VPN client. Many can act as a VPN server to allow remote access into the router, but fewer can act as a client, allowing access out onto the internet. Aside from that, it is a very effective way to boost privacy and security.
If your router cannot act as a VPN client, you could if it is compatible or use the previous two methods. I have performed this upgrade on my Linksys WRT 1900 ACS router with no issue. You can then download VPN client files from your VPN provider, load them onto your router and go from there. Unfortunately, it is impossible to list specific instructions on how to do that because they differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. The link above to the DD-WRT website has all the information you need to perform the upgrade if you’re curious.
Those are the three main ways to connect to a VPN whether using a computer or mobile device. Now you have no excuse to not protect your privacy!
In this day and age, Internet security is more important than ever. Additionally, many people that travel abroad are frustrated to find that they can’t access their favourite websites and video services (such as the BBC iPlayer or 4oD), due to restrictions based on the user’s location imposed by the content owners or government regulations. In these situations, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) may be the most convenient and simple solution to provide enhanced security and allow access to the web as if they were at home. What is a VPN? Just what is a VPN and what does it do? Put simply, a VPN allows all your Internet traffic to be encrypted and sent directly to the VPN servers (usually in the country that you choose) and then forwarded to the websites and video services that you want to use – thus making it appear as if your computer is actually in another country.
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For example, suppose you’re on holiday in Spain and want to watch BBC iPlayer but it’s blocked when you try and watch – with a VPN you can appear as if you’re in the UK and therefore watch as normal. A VPN is also very secure, as it encrypts your web traffic (such as email, web browsing and banking transactions) so that not even your Internet Service Provider can easily intercept and decipher it. This provides an additional layer of security and can help to protect your identity, location and browsing habits from prying eyes, and even hackers. Using a VPN is usually very straightforward – most of them involve a very simple setup procedure on your Mac (which has VPN options built right in) or via an app that takes the hassle out of configuring it manually. Note however, that most VPNs are not free; they typically cost a small amount each month.
It’s advisable to shop around to find the best deal before you sign up. Manually Setup a VPN In this example, we used Express VPN (see ) to access UK-only content from Asia.
Before you begin, make sure you get all the account details the VPN company provides you with – information such as a username, password, protocol settings, and the server address to connect to. Step 1 – Open System Preferences Click on the System Preferences icon in your Dock or just use Spotlight to find it. Then select the Network icon as shown below. Select the network icon from System Preferences Step 2 – Add a New VPN Connection In the network window that should be currently open, click on the little ‘ +‘ icon to add a new VPN connection. A popup window then appears (shown in the image below) which prompts you to enter more details – such as the Interface, VPN Type, and Service Name. For Interface, choose VPN from the drop down list.
For VPN Type, use the appropriate one specified by your VPN provider (there’s a choice of L2TP over IPSec, PPTP, and Cisco IPSec). Note that some of these protocols might be blocked by your ISP; in that case, you’ll need to check whether your VPN supports any of the other options – of course it’s a good idea to do a little research first to check if your ISP imposes any restrictions.
The Service Name field can be anything you like – this is just the local name that you’ll see on your Mac and has nothing to do with any VPN connection settings as such. Create a new VPN connection and set the interface, type and name When you’ve entered the relevant details as above, select the Create button to actually create the connection. The VPN now appears in the list shown on the left with a red status icon (to indicate it’s not yet been configured) as shown below. The new VPN should be visible in the left-hand pane (but not yet configured) Step 3 – Configuration You’ll notice the VPN in the list of interfaces – it should appear at the bottom of the list, though it’s possible to drag it up/down to change the order.
In this case however, just leave it where it is. If it’s not already selected, click the VPN connection in the list to enter the configuration details: The Configuration drop down can be left with the default settings. In the Server Address field, enter the server address provided by the VPN company.
For example, suppose you asked for a UK server address, you should enter that one. If you’re trying to access content that is only available in the USA for example, you should choose a suitable US-based server. Your VPN provider should provide guidance on which servers to use, and normally has a huge selection for you to choose from. In the Account Name field, enter the user name provided.
Also check the Show VPN status in menu bar option so you can easily access the VPN and check it’s status from the menu bar. Add your VPN account details (such as server name and account) Step 4 – Authentication Next, click on Authentication Settings and enter the password you were provided with. This is the most common method, however there are other options (such as RSA SecurID) – just make sure that you check the option according to your particular VPN. Once the information has been entered correctly, click OK to dismiss the popup and return to the previous screen. Choose the relevant authentication options Step 5 – Advanced Settings In most cases, you won’t need to alter many other settings unless explicitly told to do so by your VPN provider.
However, it’s usually the case that you should send all your Internet traffic over the VPN. To do this, click on the Advanced button, and then make sure Send all traffic over VPN connection is checked, then click OK to save the changes. Tick the checkbox to ensure all your web traffic is sent over the VPN Once you’ve returned to the main setup screen, click the Apply button to apply the changes – the VPN is now ready to use.
Step 6 – Activate the VPN To start using the VPN, click on the VPN icon in your menu bar and select Connect (for example Connect ExpressVPN). It usually takes a few seconds, but once the connection has established successfully, all your Internet traffic will now be sent over the VPN and you should be able to access whatever content you like that is normally accessible in the chosen server location. Connect to the VPN from your Mac’s menu bar Once it’s connected, the VPN icon in the menu bar indicates success and also displays the time you’ve been connected in the drop down. The VPN menu shows connection status and the time you’ve been connected Step 7 – Access the Internet!
You should now be able to browse the Internet as normal. In our case, we successfully managed to access videos and websites normally restricted to the UK, while we were visiting Asia. As you can see below, the BBC iPlayer works as expected even though it would normally be blocked if we weren’t using the VPN. If any of the previous steps failed, you can normally refer to the Support section of the VPN company’s website – most of which contain guidance on the recommended settings and also how to troubleshoot if you can’t connect properly. Access any content you want even from abroad!
You might find that videos don’t play smoothly – this is mainly affected by the bandwidth your VPN company offers (and of course your local ISP), so it’s important to choose a VPN that has a decent network infrastructure and good user ratings. In our case, we also discovered that once a video was playing in the BBC iPlayer, we could then disconnect the VPN and the video still played – probably because the iPlayer only checks the user’s location before you click on playing the video, and not during playback.