It’s no lie that VPNs play a vital role in keeping our devices and data safe in this digitally connected world. However, most people are unaware of a VPN’s capabilities and limitations. Some people may think of a VPN as a magic wand that would make them disappear from the internet. Others may think VPNs are illegal and used only by bad actors to hide their identity.
That being said, I am going to bust some common myths and misconceptions around VPNs so you know what exactly a VPN can do. Let’s start:
Myth 1: A VPN Increases Your Internet Speed
Myth 2: Free VPNs are Equally Good as Paid VPNs
Myth 3: VPNs are Mostly Used for Illegal Activities
Myth 4: VPNs Make You Disappear from the Internet
Myth 5: VPNs Put a Veil on My Data Usage
Myth 1: A VPN Increases Your Internet Speed:
Most people believe that their internet speed increases once they’re connected to a VPN. In case of bandwidth throttling by your ISP, connecting to a VPN may increase your internet speed. Otherwise, a VPN cannot increase your internet speed.
It’s because when you connect to a VPN, the data covers an extra mile to the VPN server. The VPN server encrypts your online activity through its server, and it may slow down your internet speed, rather than increase it. However, in most cases, such slow-downs are not noticeable.
That being said, if you feel great slowdowns in your internet speed after connecting to a VPN, then it may be your ISP’s fault. For instance, my internet became sluggish whenever I connected my device to a VPN. I tried multiple premium VPNs, but it was my former ISP whose spotty and unreliable internet caused slowdowns. That is when I switched to Fidium Internet, and the same VPN worked for me like a breeze.
Myth 2: Free VPNs are Equally Good as Paid VPNs:
It’s a misconception that free VPNs are as safe and sound as paid VPNs are. If you’re a free VPN user, there is no guarantee that it will keep your data safe. Not all but some free VPNs may steal your data and sell it to third-party advertisers.
In addition, free VPNs do not offer exclusive servers, which premium VPNs have. These servers are faster, more secure, and have less network traffic. So, don’t think that a free VPN is as good as a paid one because they’re a class apart.
Myth 3: VPNs are Mostly Used for Illegal Activities:
VPNs are notorious for their usage, especially by hackers and scammers wreaking havoc on the internet. Also, governments around the world may ban VPNs since they might not want people to access certain content or websites on the internet. However, relating VPNs to illegal activities is far from the truth because there are many benefits that we can get from VPNs.
A VPN can be handy for a person who is concerned about his privacy. As VPN puts a veil on our device’s IP address, it keeps us safe from online threats. Moreover, games, movies, websites, and helpful content may not be available in a country. In this case, a VPN provides a safe passage to access such content.
Also, a VPN is a real asset for those people who frequently use public WiFi. A public WiFi may contain a lot of malware and a VPN can keep you safe by encrypting your data.
Myth 4: VPNs Make You Disappear from the Internet:
A VPN conceals our device’s IP address and assigns a fake one. But it’s wrong to think that a VPN can make us invisible on the internet.
The websites we visit or log in to can detect our device’s presence. Although they may not know our device’s original IP address, they’re still visible to them. Also, it’s a possibility that our VPN may assign us an old IP address that we used before. And, if we revisit a website with the same IP address, it may know that we visited it before. So, as long as we’re connected to a VPN, it may encrypt our data, keep it safe, and hide our IP address.
Myth 5: VPNs Put a Veil on My Data Usage:
A VPN cannot hide your data usage from your ISP. A VPN is only capable of hiding your internet activity from your ISP. For instance, before connecting to a VPN, your ISP may know your activity on websites you visit. However, after connecting to a VPN, your ISP won’t know your activity on those websites. But in both cases, your ISP would know how much data you’re consuming.
Key Takeaways:
- A VPN can only increase your internet speed in case your ISP throttles your network. However, your internet may slow down a bit because data has to travel to the VPN’s server for encryption.
- Free VPNs are nothing like the premium ones. Premium VPNs offer better security and faster servers than free VPNs.
- VPNs may be used for illegal activities, but they’re not illegal to use in most countries. Governments may ban VPNs to stop people from accessing unauthorized content on the internet.
- Your device is still visible on the internet when connected to a VPN. However, with a different identity because VPN changes your device’s IP address.
- A VPN cannot stop an ISP from knowing how much data you’re consuming. It can only stop an ISP from monitoring your online activities.
