VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It could be that you want to retain an air of anonymity, maybe you just want to use the dark web (by the way, you can check this article on how to access the dark web safely), or you just love privacy; in all these situations and many more, a VPN is very useful.
To use a VPN, you will need to sign up for the service you want and download the software. for me, I use Proton VPN (you can choose any of the numerous ones out there, I just prefer Proton for some reasons). If you want to try Proton though, you can download it here.
It has various plans: for premium and free users. If you want more control over the country and secure cores to connect to, then you should consider the premium plan. But Proton gives you the luxury of enjoying the whole premium package for a while first before your service downgrades to the free one, in the case that you do not pay for the premium version.
The free plan gives you fewer countries to choose from and lesser control over the nodes that are available. So as soon as you sign up and verify your email, you would be able to launch a prompt for login details; enter your details, and click “Enter”. The app loads and launches the control interface.
The application is available in Windows, Mac OS, and other operating systems. With the interface above, you select your country of choice, and click on “connect” and there you go. The new IP would be shown on this interface; and its what the servers think your location is, i.e. the country you chose.
Testing the new IP
To verify if you have successfully connected your VPN, check your IP address location. What you would see is the location you chose in your VPN, that is, your IP server location. If this is so, then you have successfully set up an active VPN connection.
It is as simple as making an apple pie. Some people also extend the settings to have their VPNs connect by default when they turn on their computers or connect to Wi-Fi networks that do not have guaranteed security.
