Ever wondered how a VPNworks?eroticism and female imagery in nineteenth-century art linda nochlin It can hide your IP address, encrypt your data from prying eyes, and let you bypass geo-restrictions so you can watch the latest Netflix shows. But how, exactly, does it accomplish these tasks?
Virtual private networks (VPNs) are a lot less complicated than they seem. Put simply, they create an encrypted tunnel between your device(s) and the internet, hiding your internet activity from anyone being a tad too nosy (e.g., your internet service provider (ISP), third-party trackers, or nasty hackers).
Internet data encryption in VPNs isn’t anything new. In fact, it can be trackedall the way back to the 1970s, when the U.S. Department of Defense got involved in protecting internet communication. Since then, VPNs have exploded in the digital space, with a whopping 1.6 billion reportedusers worldwide. Better yet, encrypting your internet traffic comes with many benefitsthese days.
Here’s a better look at how VPNs work — and what they can do for you.
SEE ALSO: Do you need a VPN on your phone? Here’s the truth.
VPNs create an encrypted tunnel encapsulating data packets, a.k.a. your internet traffic, and transmits them through a series of encrypted connections. Essentially, they act like a secret tunnel for your traffic. For a step-by-step play on a technical level (with a side of layman’s terms), here’s how they work:
VPNs use tunneling protocols — like PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, IKEv2, WireGuard, and OpenVPN— to establish an encrypted tunnel. These protocols define how data packets are encapsulated, encrypted, and transmitted securely.
Using encryption algorithms like AES-256, the VPN then scrambles data packets, making them indecipherable to anyone intercepting them during transmission.
The VPN client software installed on your device initiates the connection request. Then, the VPN server, operated by the VPN service provider, authenticates the user, establishes the tunnel, and routes the encrypted traffic. These servers also have their own dedicated IP addresses.
The VPN client encapsulates the original data packets with routing instructions. These data packets are then encrypted using an established key, making what is in the data packet unreadable. In other words, your internet activity.
The encrypted packets are transmitted over a network (e.g., the internet) through the established tunnel.
Upon reaching the VPN server, the packets are decrypted using a private key, and the original data is extracted.
When it reaches the VPN server, it then decrypts the data, removes the tunnel encapsulation, and routes the data packets to where they need to go on the internet.
There are many ways a VPN can be used in your daily internet activities, especially if you’re taking full advantage of all the tools the best VPNsprovide. When it comes down to it, there are three ways a VPN can give your internet browsing an upgrade.
Privacy: By hiding your IP address, VPNs keep your internet activities hidden from your ISP, government surveillance, or hackers on Wi-Fi networks, especially public ones.
Security: Using a variety of encryption methods, a VPN will protect your data from being seen or stolen.
Bypassing geo-restriction: If you’re trying to sneak past a blocked website or need to access a country specific streaming service, a VPN can connect to servers in different countries and keep your true IP address hidden, giving you the keys to unlock content virtually anywhere around the globe.
Hungry for more VPN coverage? Check out Why you should be using a VPN and why you should have one for your phone.
Sofia Coppola's Priscilla Presley biopic gets stunning teaser trailerGoogle, maker of AI chatbot Bard, warns its employees about using chatbotsLGBTQ youth and social media: How to be yourself and stay safeWhat are password managers, how to pick the best oneAI helped make a song on 'the last Beatles record', McCartney says'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for June 16'Black Mirror' Season 6 is Charlie Brooker versus NetflixAI helped make a song on 'the last Beatles record', McCartney says'The Flash' disappoints at the box office on debut6 easy baking recipes that are super simple to make in stressful times Pixel 6 vs Pixel 7 comparison: Which is the better Google phone? 'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for October 7 Kim Kardashian fined $1.26 million by the SEC for promoting cryptocurrency on Instagram Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for October 7 I love 'House of the Dragon', but this character should be long dead Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for September 30 How to avoid getting scammed on Zelle The biggest crypto scams of 2022 (so far) Elon Musk agrees to buy Twitter again ahead of trial Twitter didn't like the 'Horizon Zero Dawn' PlayStation 5 remake rumors
0.1642s , 9998.203125 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【eroticism and female imagery in nineteenth-century art linda nochlin】How do VPNs work?,Feature Flash