5 Best VPNs for Windows in 2021
VPNs and their benefits
Skeptics might be quick to say that they don’t provide much privacy and security. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Although the primary purpose of a VPN is to obscure your web traffic (by routing it through another computer’s IP address), a virtual private network also offers a number of other useful features.
Note: This article was originally published on July 28, 2015, and has been updated to include new information.
- Protection from malware and spyware
Using a VPN can protect you from malicious software, including adware, malware, and keyloggers. This is particularly important if you’re a heavy web surfer or business traveler who opens hundreds of unfamiliar documents, images, or other files.
5 Best VPNs for Windows in 2021
The past several years have shown that whenever privacy and security is in the spotlight, there’s no shortage of firms and services pledging to solve both at the same time. In the past, that task has been beyond our current capabilities, but now that we have the resources of so many thousands of researchers and reporters, and VPN service providers have the benefit of privacy-minded people helping fill their coffers, it’s a much different story.
It’s not that long ago that any options we had weren’t just bad, they were outright deadly. Back in 2010, the Pirate Bay and other sites were pretty much invisible to end-users.
How to choose the right VPN for your needs
In all of this, it should be stressed that I have absolutely no personal vested interest in keeping you using a VPN service. In fact, quite the opposite! I hope to make good on that promise in the very near future. But to prove my point, I’m doing something a little different here – showing you how to pick the Windows 11 VPN service that’s right for you.
Why did I go to such lengths to show you how to pick the right VPN service? Because, first, I think that you should be aware of your options, and second, because there is a world of choice when it comes to VPN services, so a decent amount of research is in order if you want to make the most informed choice possible.
How to set up a VPN on Windows
One of the major things about getting a VPN right is to understand how VPNs operate. First, it’s very important to know that there are a number of different VPN solutions out there, and to know the differences between the various offerings and how they differ. It can be very confusing, but thankfully, if you’re reading an article about VPNs, you probably have enough technical knowledge that you can actually begin to pick one out.
As we explained in our roundup of the best VPN providers, the basic formula is this:
What is a VPN?
If you’re familiar with the concept of a VPN, this section is probably going to be a bit familiar. But there are a few things you might not know. Let’s take a look:
A VPN stands for “Virtual Private Network.
Conclusion
Wow, that was a long journey! I’m going to attempt to summarize all of the above into one digestible part, so here we go!
Check out our selection of the best VPN services for Linux right now!
Encryption
While not always discussed on the Internet, end-to-end encryption is very important for VPNs. The question of whether or not you should use a VPN, particularly an anonymous one, is a debate that has raged on for a long time. Most of the existing VPN services claim to be safe, anonymous and anonymous. Since I’m really no expert in the discussion, I went to great lengths to try and find something reliable.
There are lots of different factors that go into this question. First of all, the reader has to ask whether or not the VPN service uses IPSec or IKEv2.