Content streamers do it better with a VPN
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Streaming the millionth episode of your favorite show? Play it safe and rely on a Virtual Private Network (VPN), whether you’re on your couch or at your airport gate.
What a VPN does
Normally, your computer is assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address by your internet service provider (ISP). Every computer you connect to can see your IP address. But if you use an untraceable VPN provider like IPVanish, you can stay hidden.
A VPN provider runs large server computers in multiple locations, usually on multiple continents. If you use a VPN, every time you connect to the web, your computer connects to one of the VPN servers first. It then uses the Internet connection of that server to find its way to the Internet.
In rerouting the IP address, you stay incognito (not to mention your taste in shows). Your computer has a temporary IP address assigned to you by your VPN provider, instead of your real Internet address assigned by your ISP.
How a VPN keeps you anonymous
Since your computer has a temporary IP address, you are not personally identifiable using your ISP. This is useful to protect your computer from potential attacks.
If you are running peer-to-peer downloads like BitTorrent, which expose your IP address and make it vulnerable, a VPN provider helps protect you by changing your IP address.
If you are using a public Wi-Fi access point, bad actors can intercept your web transactions and expose your computer. A VPN provider can help protect you by encrypting your communication. IPVanish has a strict zero-logs policy that means none of your activity is getting traced, ever.
A VPN ensures remote address
Since your computer has an IP address assigned by the VPN server's computer, if that computer is in a different country, your IP address can also look as though it is from there.
Using a VPN provider can protect you if you’re traveling in countries with strict censorship regulations. By rerouting your access to the web, you can bypass these restrictions.
Streaming services like Netflix can be restricted to the U.S. only because of licensing restrictions. When you’re traveling abroad, without a VPN, your ISP address will give your location away and make connecting to Netflix a headache. Through your VPN provider, you can get a U.S. IP address and continue to enjoy your streaming obsession.
A note of caution: this feature of VPN providers is increasingly under attack. Governments including China and Russia now control VPN providers in their countries to make them abide by censorship restrictions. Services like Netflix will often detect well-known VPN providers' IP addresses and block you if you try to come through them.
Despite this, whether you’re streaming an episode of Friends or watching the latest music video, VPN continues to be a reliable bet for streaming content securely and reliably. IPVanish says it all in the name — make your IP vanish so you can stream stress-free.
Topics Cybersecurity
