Dean
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Virtual Private Networks, or VPN for short, are designed to protect your privacy when you are using the internet.

They do this by routing your connection to websites and apps through a server. This means that to any observer, it looks like it is that computer which is visiting the websites and apps you use instead of you. As long as you choose a VPN provider which has a good quality and complete privacy service and does not keep logs, there is no way for anybody to trace your activities back to you personally.

In addition to improved security against hackers and general privacy protection, there are several different uses for this technology which many people find useful. In this article I will provide an introduction to some of these uses, along with a basic beginner’s guide to how you can get started with them.

Why Use a VPN?

One of the most common uses for a VPN is online entertainment.

For example, you can use a VPN to download movies anonymously. Of course I would never recommend anybody use download movies illegally without paying for them, using torrents or other websites and services. But many people who do this use a VPN, because as long as you are using a good quality provider like IP Vanish (which also accepts Bitcoin, incidentally) you can do this without any risk of getting caught and prosecuted for what you are doing.

Another popular example is to watch TV shows which are not available in your region or country. Services like IP Vanish allow you to choose the location of the server you are connecting to the internet through, which means that you can watch TV shows from anywhere in the world. If you want to watch the BBC, for example, you can just select a server based in the United Kingdom. Alternatively, if you want to watch a movie that has only been released in the USA, you can select an American server location.

Many people use this to watch shows on Netflix because the full catalog of programmes is often not available outside of the United States. If you want to do this be warned – Netflix does try to find VPN servers and block them, so you may still have problems sometimes, but they are always playing catch up as providers create new servers; most of the larger providers like IP Vanish have multiple servers in each country, so if you have problems with one you can always switch to a different server in the same country.

You can also use a VPN with Kodi to access online entertainment that isn’t available in your area. When you use a VPN with Kodi you can install any add-ons that you want, even the ones which are not available in your country. For example, Kodi add-ons like USTVNow and Kodi Sports add-ons have geo-restrictions.

If you are in a country which blocks certain websites or other content then you can use it to get around those restrictions.

A Beginner’s Guide on How To Use a VPN for Online Entertainment

Using a VPN for all of the things described above and more is actually very easy and accessible for beginners.

To start off with you must select a good quality service provider which does not have privacy leaks and has fast servers so that you don’t get a slow and annoying connection (in case you missed it, I’m recommending IP Vanish, but there are others which meets these criteria).

Once you have created an account and downloaded the software or app (you can do this on any device, including tablets and mobiles as well as Apple or Windows), all you need to do is select the location of the server you want to use, as you can see me doing from the drop down menu in the screenshot below:

vpn_how_to

With the correct server selected you just need to hit the connect button and provide your log-in details if requested.

Once you are connected you don’t need to do anything special with each of the individual services you use like Netflix or Kodi. As long as you stay connected all of your internet connections will be routed through the virtual private network so you don’t need to do anything else at all.

Of course for advanced users there are often other options and settings, but for beginners who just want to quickly and safely access their favourite online entertainment you do not need to delve any deeper than the simple process described above.