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I've been using a laptop for years in my home. My normal set up is that I run it on Wifi from the router all the time. I also started using a NordVPN a few months ago. I just got sucked into the advertising pretty much.
The cable guy was here the other day because I had some connectivity issues (unrelated). According to him, if I'm using a router and connecting to the internet via Wifi (not ethernet), I'm already connecting via a VPN, and no need for a VPN. So I'm feeling crazy now that I paid for the VPN.
Is this right? Is the VPN basically worthless since I'm using Wifi from the router and not using the ethernet of the computer?
No, that's not at all correct. Not even remotely. It's almost embarrassing how wrong he is.
The #1 advantage of VPN is security. All your internet traffic is encrypted from end to end. This is NOT the case with just 'plain wifi'. Not at all.
How Does a VPN Work?
Here’s how a VPN works for you, the user. You start the VPN client (software) from your VPN service. This software encrypts your data, even before your Internet Service Provider or the coffee shop WiFi provider sees it. The data then goes to the VPN, and from the VPN server to your online destination — anything from your bank website to a video sharing website to a search engine. The online destination sees your data as coming from the VPN server and its location, and not from your computer and your location.
Cable techs are amusing if you know what you’re doing. They can be dangerous if you don’t.
Peregrine is correct.
One advantage of you using a VPN is that your ISP (the cable company) only sees encrypted traffic to a server somewhere. They don’t know what you are looking or where your traffic is from.
In addition to privacy, it also gives you the appearance of location independence - I can watch UK Netflix through NordVPN (not all VPNs work this way).
The disadvantage is like taking a flight with a stopover instead of a direct flight. If you are flying between NY and LA it is faster to go directly instead of through Chicago or Dallas. Your internet packets are the same way.
NordVPN is good at home but great when connecting via public WiFi or when outside the US.
A VPN is like a "go between" between you and the internet. It encrypts all of your traffic and hides your IP address from the rest of the world. So as far as anybody else is concerned you are at the alternate location. You ISP "sees" the traffic but it is encrypted. Some ISP's may frown on this. Mine works fine. I am on Spectrum BTW.
You can in fact set up your router to work with a VPN. This may be what the tech was talking about but they sure don't automatically come like that. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. This would allow all of the people connected via wifi to the router to automatically be on a VPN. This could be a problem though, some sites don't allow VPN traffic. I think Amazon is one from my experience and it doesn't happen all the time.
The cable guy was here the other day because I had some connectivity issues (unrelated). According to him, if I'm using a router and connecting to the internet via Wifi (not ethernet), I'm already connecting via a VPN, and no need for a VPN. So I'm feeling crazy now that I paid for the VPN.
More than likely the moron theory is correct, but there is something known as a VPN router. However, I assume you don't have one of those however.
Cable techs are amusing if you know what you’re doing. They can be dangerous if you don’t.
Peregrine is correct.
One advantage of you using a VPN is that your ISP (the cable company) only sees encrypted traffic to a server somewhere. They don’t know what you are looking or where your traffic is from.
In addition to privacy, it also gives you the appearance of location independence - I can watch UK Netflix through NordVPN (not all VPNs work this way).
The disadvantage is like taking a flight with a stopover instead of a direct flight. If you are flying between NY and LA it is faster to go directly instead of through Chicago or Dallas. Your internet packets are the same way.
NordVPN is good at home but great when connecting via public WiFi or when outside the US.
+1
I've been paying $8 a month for a VPN ever since I spent a year working outside the US. I had not realized just how much is actually on Netflix depending on what country you are in until then. There's even a search engine called unogs that shows you the entire Netflix catalog and which countries the show/movie is accessible from.
I've been paying $8 a month for a VPN ever since I spent a year working outside the US. I had not realized just how much is actually on Netflix depending on what country you are in until then. There's even a search engine called unogs that shows you the entire Netflix catalog and which countries the show/movie is accessible from.
A good example is Star Trek Discocery. In the US you need to pay monthly for CBS All Access. In the UK it is available free with Netflix.
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