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So many people find VPN redundant.
But is it really useless except for these circumstances?
At its very core, a VPN will just redirect your connection to hide yourIP addressand encrypt your data.
However, this simple change can completely change how you interact with the online world.
Playing online games
Every online game depends on central servers to connect people from around the world.
This delay is called ping and is calculated in milliseconds (ms).
So you should give a shot to get a ping below 150ms when playing online games.
Now how does a VPN help you with your online gaming experience?
Agaming VPNcan decrease and stabilize your ping by optimizing your connection through its own servers.
Your ISP (Internet service provider) may not always create a direct connection with the game server.
This can lead to a decrease in original ping anywhere from 20-150ms.
For example, when I have to play games with servers in Europe, I get around 200-250 ping.
However, using a VPN drops the ping to 140-180ms, making the games at least playable.
The improvement in ping isnt limited to long-distance connections.
Many popular VPN services offer a gaming-optimized VPN service, such asExpressVPN.
However, I recommend you use a dedicated gaming VPN such asExitLagif you only need the VPN for gaming.
A dedicatedgaming VPNis better optimized for gaming (in my experience) and usually cheaper too.
Torrenting
Torrenting is often seen as an illegal activity of sharing copyrighted software and media.
The punch in of data people share decides whether torrenting is legal or illegal.
Of course, uploading/downloading copyrighted software or media is definitely illegal and can lead to legal action.
A VPN is a must for torrenting whether you share legal or illegal content.
The government, your ISP, and copyright companies monitor the BitTorrent web connection for illegal activities.
Anyone with enough influence can reach you using your ISP, not just copyright companies.
Even if you dont share illegal data, a VPN is still necessary for multiple reasons.
The most important one is not ending up on The list.
So the last thing you want is to get identified and followed by government bodies.
Most ISPs are also known to throttle the connection of people who torrent often.
They may even terminate service.
A VPN encrypts your data so that it can decrease the chances of a cyberattack.
Even if you do end up in trouble/surveillance, the VPN company wont break to government demands.
ISPs throttle the connection of people who download/upload large files, whether as torrents or regular internet downloads.
The activities usually include torrenting, streaming/downloading media, and downloading large files from free/paid software websites.
Popular VPNs likeNamecheap FastVPN,Hotspot Shield, andPureVPN all have a built-in kill switch.
All the people connected to the online grid can see each others activity using the right tools.
Just copy/paste the previously quoted lines into Google search, and the resources will open up.
WiFi snooping isnt something limited to hackers.
Anyone with the right tools likeNetSpotorWiresharkcan see your online activity.
Other than watching your activity, they can even steal your passwords and financial details.
So using any paid VPN should be enough to keep your data safe while using public WiFi.
This is especially true when you move to a different continent.
Warning:Some countries with aggressive censorship also block VPN access and can take legal action against VPN use.
ensure you read the countrys stance against VPNs before using one.
A VPN can also help you get big discounts while shopping online.
Many online stores change prices based on the location of the customer.
This is especially true for services available in both developing and developed countries.
Due to lower purchasing power, many services sell cheaper services in developing countries.
For example, many of the apps in the Google Play Store have different prices for different countries.
If youll be buying something expensive like that, its worth checking its price in different countries.
As VPNs work as a middle service, they eat up some bandwidth to offer their service.
