Your IT department may give you a default VPN password then allow you to set your own. Use a password that is unique, but easy to remember and do not write it down or stick it anywhere near or on your computer. Avoid using birth dates, the names of close family members or anything that someone else might be able to guess. Contact your IT department immediately if you have to reinstall or upgrade your operating system or restore your computer to an earlier point. You may lose your VPN settings.
Free VPNs are usually only free because they tend to limit the amount of data you can use, throttle your network speeds, have ads, and/or can only be used on one device at a time. They can be handy if you only need a VPN once in a while, such as when you’re using public Wi-Fi at a café or library. [2] X Research source Most don’t require you to provide much information, and you won’t have to make a payment commitment. Some popular free VPN options you can check out are ProtonVPN, WindScribe, and Speedify. If you are looking for a solution that hides your activity from surveillance, gives you plenty of data without throttling your speeds, and is more reliable, go for a well-reviewed paid service. And just because a service costs money doesn’t mean it will be expensive—some great services have payment levels as low as $2/month. The New York Times’ Wirecutter’s does extensive VPN reviews. Their top VPN suggestions are Mullvad VPN Mullvad and IPVN. Some other highly-reviewed services are TunnelBear, Encrypt. me, ExpressVPN, and NordVPN. [3] X Research source Did you know that wikiHow offers coupons for both NordVPN and ExpressVPN? Click here to potentially save on a NordVPN membership or head here for some great deals on an Express VPN subscription.
You may want to check out VPN services that don’t log your activity—the problem is, it’s hard to know which providers are really telling the truth. ExpressVPN is a service that was proven to not log customer data when Turkish authorities raided their data center in search of customer information. [4] X Research source
If you’re using a PC, double-click the file you download from the website (usually ends in . exe), and then follow the on-screen instructions to install the software. Once you have installed your VPN, launch the application from your Start menu. On a Mac, you will typically launch the . dmg file and be asked to drag the application into your Applications folder. If your computer is password-protected, you will be asked to input your password upon first launching. On your smartphone, launch the app from your home screen. You will be asked to log in with your account or create one if you don’t have an account already.
If you are using a company’s VPN, or most personal software, this will grant you secure access to your network. You may see a new window that looks like your desktop at work, also known as a virtual desktop, where you can access your company resources. Or, you may need to launch your web browser and enter a secure web address where you can access your company’s resources. If you’re using a VPN service that restricts how much data you can use or how much time you can spend using it, only activate it when you need to secure your IP address.
