You might be one of the many Internet users who are skeptical of using a VPN service. This is mainly due to the myths surrounding the use of a VPN. Many people mistakenly believe that a VPN is needed only when illegal activities are carried out. These myths create a negative image of VPN in our mind, which prevents us from using this gem of software, thus risking security and above all our privacy.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) allows a user to connect to a remote server and use the Internet. Although it is not new and has been around for many years, there are several myths surrounding the VPN that make people think otherwise. The cases of massive espionage, filtrations, data theft and all this type of recurring crimes have put it in the spotlight of the present day news. Users have shown more interest in this news than the software itself. While VPN does have some of its cons, we should not ignore its pros as well.

It is time to debunk the VPN myths and review its advantages and other important aspects.

We recommend reading a VPN guide that will help you understand why you need to ensure the safety of your Internet connection, how to browse anonymously and access blocked sites, reasons to have a VPN, etc.

Myths about VPNs

Many of us are familiar with VPN and its multitude of different uses. If you are not, you can most certainly refer to the guide linked above. Among the most widespread false myths, we highlight the following five:

I do not need a VPN if I’m not engaging in illegal activity on the Internet

One of the main false beliefs about VPN is that we need it only when we are doing something illegal on the Internet. This illegal activity includes, but is not limited to, downloading protected content or anything else outside the limits of the law.

Although not its most important advantage, this technology allows us to access videos and content that are geo-blocked in our country or region.

But this goes beyond that. VPNs are designed to encrypt our communications by securing the data sent and received. This allows us not to be spied on or have our data compromised. When it comes to connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, VPN is not just a recommendation but a necessity.

VPN slows down your connection

Perhaps one of the most famous VPN myths is that all traffic passes through another server, which slows down the navigation speed significantly. It might be true in some cases, but such generalizations are not based on fact. The speed of the VPN depends on the speed of our connection, which is affected by the location of the server to which we connect. This makes it a good idea to hire an Internet service with many servers in several locations to ensure maximum performance.

A free VPN is enough

There are hundreds of free and paid VPN services. A popular belief is that with a free one we are more than protected, but the truth is that nobody gives anything for free without getting something in return. For example, many of the free VPNs in the market have restrictions on key aspects, such as speed or bandwidth that we can consume every month.

However, other issues should worry us even more. If we download and install a free VPN it is possible that we may be giving up the use of our browsing or other personal data.

All VPNs are the same

Choosing a specific VPN is a decision that should not be taken lightly and no, not all VPNs that exist in the market are the same, or even slightly similar. The main objective of the VPN is to encrypt the data, but there are different ways to do it. Some services may offer a more robust technology while others take this somewhat more lightly. For instance, if you’re a gamer, then you should look for the best VPN for Xbox and PlayStation to satisfy your gaming urges.

In addition, there are many services that keep records of what we do. This is known as logs and we should always make sure that they do not keep personal information. Moreover, if possible, we should try to contract a VPN that does not store any type of information on the servers.

I can do what I want on the Internet

Directly related to the first myth, many think that having a VPN automatically makes them invisible on the Internet and allows them to do whatever they want. These services protect our anonymity but do not do it 100%. So we must always remain vigilant of everything that surrounds us.

In addition, the use of these servers does not protect us from malware, viruses, phishing, and other techniques that seek our personal data. Therefore, it is important that we continue to have a good firewall and a good security solution.

VPNs are for geeks only – too technical

We will not tell you that setting up a VPN is very easy, but it is not an impossible task. It is a myth. Almost all reputable VPN service providers have a wizard to help you set up a VPN. There are also a huge amount of guides available on the Internet that you can use to facilitate any installation process.