Why Use a VPN

I worked for 7 years in the VPN industry with a few years off. Back when I first started, users would have to configure security certificates on their computers to use the service. Things have changed tremendously over the last 10 years. VPN’s have never been more popular and easy to use. In this article, we are going to address the top reasons why you should use a VPN.

 

VPNs Increase Security

Security is enhanced primarily through data being transported through an encrypted tunnel. This prevents hackers and even your ISP from seeing your data. These security features are particularly important with the proliferation of free WiFi hotspots and cell phones being used for daily Internet tasks. These two means of accessing the Internet can be particularly vulnerable. Most people wouldn’t dare use their computers without an active firewall and up-to-date antivirus. Using a VPN is becoming just as synonymous with security.

It’s important to understand the various protocols when security is your number 1 concern. For example, PPTP is by far the fastest protocol but it also isn’t considered secure. Open VPN is a good choice if you want both security and speed. If you have the choice Open VPN UDP is faster than Open VPN TCP. TCP is considered more reliable and better at bypassing firewalls because it usually runs on port 443. 443 is the same port used by HTTPS traffic and therefore less likely to be blocked.

 

VPNs Increase Privacy

I will never go as far as to say a personal VPN will make you anonymous. As recent revelations about the NSA highlight, no one can assume they are completely anonymous on the Web regardless of whether or not they are using a VPN service. That said, using a VPN replaces your ISP assigned IP address. This process of masking your identity makes it harder for marketers to target you based upon your habits. It is also harder for websites to tell where you are from and find other clues as to your identity.

 

VPNs Bypass Firewalls

This feature is critical for citizens of countries with restrictive Internet policies, like China and Iran. I personally believe the Internet should be a place of freedom where everyone is allowed to speak their minds and share ideas. Unfortunately, some leaders believe the best way to maintain power is by restricting social sites/tools like Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Using a VPN allows users to access this content that would otherwise be restricted.

 

VPNs Can Access Geographically Restricted Content

Much of the best content on the Internet is geographically restricted to a certain region. Some geographically restricted services include HBO, Netflix, Spotify, Pandora, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. In most of these cases, the restrictions are the result of contractual licensing. Using a VPN circumvents these restrictions.

 

VPNs Are Affordable

A service like Surfshark only costs less than $60 a year without an exclusive discount. I don’t know of many services that can provide peace of mind at such a low cost.

 

 

Install Surfshark on Firestick

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Recap

There are countless more reasons why you might find a VPN invaluable. Free VPN services exist with limited access. Unfortunately, most of these services are subpar. The reality is it takes resources to maintain a premium VPN service. If you want to experience the true power of a quality VPN service, I recommend trying a premium service on this list. Many of these providers offer a money-back guarantee, so there literally is nothing to lose.

Note: For more information about Surfshark, please read our Surfshark Review.

 

Grab your subscription now!

 

 

How to Install Surfshark VPN on Firestick

If your Firestick still has the older interface, read this article to learn how to update it: Update Firestick Interface.

Follow our screenshots below to install the SurfShark VPN app on your Fire TV stick.

1. Go to the Home screen of your Firestick.

 

2. Navigate towards the Find tab. Press the Search button from the resulting dropdown.

 

3. Type in the keyword of SurfShark and select from the suggestions that will appear.

 

4. Click the official SurfShark icon from your search results.

 

5. Press the Download (You own it) button.

 

6. The SurfShark VPN installer will download on your device.

 

7. SurfShark VPN’s app will automatically install itself on your Fire TV stick.

 

8. Press the Open button after completing SurfShark VPN’s installation process.

 

9. Please wait for the SurfShark VPN to load its user interface.

 

10. You can now log in with your SurfShark VPN account credentials.

Learn more about Surfshark and Grab the Best Surfshark Deal Now!

 

Install Surfshark on Firestick

Best Surfshark Deal

 

 

For more VPN discounts, go to ReviewVPN Deals and purchase the best VPN for you.

Click here to get the lowest price on Surfshark through our exclusive limited-time offer.

 

 

What is a VPN?

A VPN is an acronym that stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN allows users to use a public network, like the Internet, safely and anonymously. This allows users to enjoy increased privacy and security. The technology was first made popular by businesses that needed enhanced security features. This allowed them to safely transmit sensitive data.

In today’s increasingly digital age, personal VPNs are growing in popularity among average consumers. Previously VPNs used to be very expensive. Today its widely available for a fraction of the cost. In addition to the security features, many users value increased privacy. A VPN can also be used to access restricted content, or content only available in other countries.

 

VPN Security Features

VPN’s create an encrypted tunnel that allows users to securely transmit information over a public network. Businesses, government agencies, and universities began using VPN technology years ago to allow people to remotely access sensitive data. Tunneling protocols required authorization, and encryption keeps this data secure.

Most people wouldn’t think of using their computer without an antivirus and firewall. Personal VPNs are increasingly becoming the next step in the evolution of personal computer security. Recent news stories about Firesheep and government snooping have meant people are more aware of data privacy.

 

Privacy Features

The most important privacy feature of a VPN is that your IP given by your internet company is replaced by one provided by your VPN. A VPN company is much more likely to protect your privacy. That is what you are paying for. An ISP is often compelled by law to retain data about your browsing activity.

Many VPN providers build additional measures into their systems to guarantee your privacy. One measure is to not log user data. If there are no logs in the first place, there isn’t any data to hand over upon request. VPN providers also tend to share the IP addresses amongst their users. This in combination with the lack of logs can make tracing an individual user almost impossible.

 

GeoIP Features

Using a VPN, you can replace your IP address, with one from anywhere around the world. This gives you access to geographically restricted content. For example, you could reside in Washington state. but through the use of a VPN, acquire a London IP address to access BBC iPlayer. Many large content providers will not allow you to watch certain content unless you live in that country. You can use a VPN to access more content on Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, and BBC iPLayer. To name a few.

You can bypass firewalls using a VPN. Some countries restrict access to certain content.  The largest of these firewalls is jokingly referred to as the Great Firewall of China. Iran and several other Middle Eastern countries are also well known for blocking access to websites. Due to cultural and political reasons your freedom to look at content is restricted. Commonly blocked sites include Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.

 

Common Protocols

• PPTP
• L2TP over IPsec
• OpenVPN

 

 

Advantages of Using a VPN

• Added security
• Increased privacy
• Access  geographically restricted content (Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, etc.)
• Bypass firewalls to access content restricted by the government (E.G. Twitter in the Middle East).

 

Disadvantages of Using a VPN

• Most VPN services cost money.
• Your internet will be slower. Using a premium VPN service and the closest server to your location allows users to experience the fastest speed.

 

Future of Virtual Private Networks

The number of people using VPNs has exploded over the past 10 years. Data privacy is not a commonly understood term. Many people are now concerned about the ability of government agencies like the NSA to snoop on them. When choosing a VPN, pick one that has a great track record of keeping your data safe.  Having a good zero logs policy, secure VPN protocols, and a fast network.

Recommended Reading – Why to Use a VPN

 

Note: For more information about Surfshark, please read our Surfshark Review.

 

Install Surfshark on Firestick

Best Surfshark Deal

 

 

How to Install Surfshark VPN on Firestick

If your Firestick still has the older interface, read this article to learn how to update it: Update Firestick Interface.

Follow our screenshots below to install the SurfShark VPN app on your Fire TV stick.

1. Go to the Home screen of your Firestick.

 

2. Navigate towards the Find tab. Press the Search button from the resulting dropdown.

 

3. Type in the keyword of SurfShark and select from the suggestions that will appear.

 

4. Click the official SurfShark icon from your search results.

 

5. Press the Download (You own it) button.

 

6. The SurfShark VPN installer will download on your device.

 

7. SurfShark VPN’s app will automatically install itself on your Fire TV stick.

 

8. Press the Open button after completing SurfShark VPN’s installation process.

 

9. Please wait for the SurfShark VPN to load its user interface.

 

10. You can now log in with your SurfShark VPN account credentials.

Learn more about Surfshark and Grab the Best Surfshark Deal Now!

 

Install Surfshark on Firestick

Best Surfshark Deal

 

 

For more VPN discounts, go to ReviewVPN Deals and purchase the best VPN for you.

Click here to get the lowest price on Surfshark through our exclusive limited-time offer.

 

Why IPVanish?

IPVanish is the best VPN for Firesticks. A good Firestick VPN needs to be fast, have an app in the Amazon App Store, connect quickly, store logs, offer plenty of servers and be simple to use. IPVanish checks all these boxes. This article will show you how to quickly install IPVanish on your firestick in just a few minutes.

If your Firestick still has the older interface, read this article to learn how to update it: Update Firestick Interface.

 

 

 

 

Install IPVanish on Firestick with Screenshots

1.  Click Home on your remote and click “Find”.

 

2. Click “Search”

 

3. You can either say IPVanish to your Alexa’s voice-enabled remote or start typing it. If you typed it, click on the suggestion when it appears.

 

4. Click on the IPVanish icon.

 

5. Click on Download

 

6. Wait to download.

 

7.  Wait to install.

 

8.  Click on Open.

 

9.  Input your username and password to log in.

 

10. Click Connect.

Learn more about IPVanish. Get an IPVANISH now.

 

 

How Can I Tell if IPVanish Is Working on a Firestick?

The red disconnect button will switch to a green connected button. You can also check your IP address on a what is my IP address lookup website. The city should correspond with the one that you selected and the IP address should be different than one from your ISP.

 

What does IPVanish Do for a Firestick?

IPVanish hides all your online activities and allows you to access more content. It does this by replacing your ISP assigned IP address, which you can think of as your digital fingerprint or home address with one owned by them. They also store no logs that you do will using the Internet with this IP address.

Users can access additional content by appearing to be local in any of 70+ different countries.

What Are the Alternatives to IPVanish?

The most popular alternatives are ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Cyberghost. That said, IPVanish gets our highest recommendation of all VPN providers.

 

Final words

IPVANISH VPN has been in the VPN industry and so far, offers great service. Their subscription plan is affordable and it works perfectly on Firestick. IPVANISH recommends for anyone who is looking for a great and excellent VPN service for their Firestick device.

Using a VPN to Save Money Online

 

You may think that a VPN is just good for keeping your identity anonymous and your data safe through encryption, but a VPN could save you thousands of dollars a year in online purchases.

A VPN gives you the power to literally be anywhere in the world, at the click of a button you can change your location to the UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong or Brazil.

You may wonder why that matters, but the location is everything when it comes to e-commerce.

 

How Does Online E-Commerce Work?

Prices are always dependent on location. If you live in a richer neighborhood you can expect to pay more.

The same is true online. In fact, it gets much deeper.

E-commerce is driven by recommendation engines, the best-known being Amazon. Where they categorize your previous purchases and make new recommendations based on what you bought. These can be quite helpful in your hour of need, but it also means that you are letting yourself become a target for marketers and advertisers to push products you don’t really need.

The same also happens with Google. You look up holidays in Mexico and for days and weeks afterward, you are followed by adverts for cheap holidays in … you guessed it, Mexico.

Without a VPN your data is a goldmine for products and services based on your browsing and buying habits.

 

E-commerce retailers do this through tracking:

Cookies –

Any website you go to will have cookies. Initially, this was to allow websites to be easily cached on your browser with your preferences and settings to make it faster next time you visit. Nowadays the internet is full of cookies, some super cookies track your activity across all websites. The two worst offenders are Facebook and Google. This allows advertisers to target you on whatever website you go to. So even if you went from looking at watches to pyjamas, you are followed by adverts for the latest watch you must have. As well as storing information you enter like your email address, physical address, date of birth and preferences on each website.

 

IP Address –

Your Internet Protocol (IP) address gives your physical location geographically. So, a UK site can tell you are from the US and serve you US-based ads and dollar value amounts. It also means they could charge you based on the buying preferences of other people from the same region or country.

GPS –

Ever see that pop up when your website asks if it can get a fix on your location? Supposedly its to give you the nearest store, but it’s to allow stores to further refine their prices and products based on a precise physical location. You can also be tracked if you use public Wi-Fi with an unsecured connection.

 

 

Install Surfshark on Firestick

Best Surfshark Deal

 

 

How Can a VPN Save You Money?

A VPN can enable you to change any of the above and give you the advantage as the buyer rather than being at the mercy of the seller and their recommendation engines.

Remember often your price may be based upon what people will and won’t pay in your local area, or even your country. 

Also, it’s personalized to enable e-commerce retailers to get the maximum number of sales, not give you the best price.

Using a VPN, you can change your physical IP location to different countries, encrypt your connection to prevent the transmission of unwanted data, and even get an ad blocker to tune out annoying adverts.

We’re going to show you several examples where having a VPN can save you hundreds of dollars.

 

Subscriptions

Subscriptions are based within the country. Now previously you couldn’t buy a physical subscription in a country because they would need to send the product. But in the age of digital subscriptions it doesn’t matter what country you buy it in, you just want to get the cheapest price.

 

Microsoft Office 365 Annual Subscription

Our first price is an annual subscription for Microsoft Office 365 home, each price given has been converted to dollars and it’s the exact same product.

Sometimes using hooky software just won’t cut it anymore and you resign yourself to buying the real thing. Saving money is important particularly if you are a struggling college student.

 

US: $99

Afghanistan: $79

Vietnam: $73

If you used a VPN and changed your location to Vietnam, you’d save 26% more than if you bought it in the US. 

Once bought you just download the product, install it on your computer and you’re good to go.

Total Saved: $26

 

Car Rentals

You’re planning on flying to Paris, France with your sweetheart, and you don’t want to be travelling around on the tube. You fancy renting a nice car and travelling around the City of Love in Paris.

Again, it shouldn’t matter what country you rented the car from, you are still going to physically collect the car at Charles de Gaulle airport.

Airport: Charles de Gaulle

Car: Nissan X-Trail or Similar

Extras: None

Length: 9/1/19 – 9/18/19

UK: £188.69 ($228.77)

 

US: $335.63

So just by booking the same car from the UK instead of in the US you’ve saved almost a third of your costs.

Again, nothing else is different. You will still have to show your driving license and payment card as proof, but there are no additional taxes to differentiate between the 2 countries, it’s literally a case of different pricing plans between these two countries.

Total Saved: $106.86

 

Flight tickets

How about a flight from New York to London? Price comparison sites like Kayak will tend to serve different recommendations for “best flights” depending on the country you are from. So, we’ve chosen the exact same airline and flight time to be fair.

Website: www.kayak.com 

Flight: New York to London (Any airport)

Class: Basic Economy

Length: 9/21/19 – 9/28/19

Flight: American Airlines 8:50PM

 

US: $320

 

Japan: ¥36,426 ($342)

Interestingly Italy and Germany came back with the same price as booking from the US. There were a few things to notice though.

Firstly, the best and cheapest flight recommended varied a lot from $300-400, and the airline serving that flight changed every time. Kayak’s engine will lean first towards the domestic airline of choice, whether that’s American Airline, Japan Air or any other number.

Secondly, the American Airlines flight where the price was the same would vary in ranking in terms of search massively. In fact, for Italy it was the cheapest flight, but was shown 10 spaces lower than when we tried to book it from New York in the US.

We wanted to highlight this, because sometimes you need to use your VPN to do some investigating, it’s not always going to be different in every country you go to. But in our experience, you will see a massive difference in comparing 3-4 countries in terms of ranking and cheapest prices.

The poor folks in Tokyo, Japan where we checked the flight would pay more for the exact same flight

Total Saved: $22

 

Online Gaming

There was a time when you wanted a game, you had to put your shoes on and go to the nearest shopping mall and browse around for a great deal.

Today, buying games is just like anything else. Websites like Steam put thousands of games in one place meaning you never need to leave your bed.

But online gaming is yet another area where we saw price difference which were significant even for small purchases.

Website: www.steam.com

Game: Remnant from the Ashes

France: €39.99 ($44.32)

 

UK: £30.99 ($37.69)

 

US: $39.99

Again, same game, no add ons and no restrictions on usage based on country of purchase. Yet we can see a different of almost 20% between the prices in 3 different countries. All with a similar socio-economic make up. With the French paying the most and yet just over the Channel, the Brits pay the least!

Money Saved: $6.63

 

Hotels

Who fancies a trip to Vegas? Nothing like blowing off a bit of steam and indulging in the city of sin. So, let’s book ourselves a fancy 5-star hotel to enjoy our week of gambling.

Trip: Las Vegas

Dates: 09/09/19 – 9/16/19

Hotel: The Venetian resort Las Vegas

Number of people: 2

US: $2,125

 

UK: £2,124 (£2603.80)

 

Italy: € 2,356 ($2,613)

The savings this time are again well over 20%, hotels do generally tend to be cheaper if you book them from the country that they are in. The recommendation system recognises you may not be a tourist and adjusts the prices accordingly.

Again, The Venetian was the top pick for the US and Italy but was almost at the bottom of the list for 5-star hotels when it comes to the UK, which reflects the different buying preferences from that country.

This time, the amount of money you saved could be as much as the cost of the flight ticket itself!

Money Saved: $492

Total Money Saved: $653.49

Most tier 1 VPNs like Surfshark, IPVanish, NordVPN and ExpressVPN are going to cost you at most $10 a month. A yearly subscription will be less than $60.

Investing in a VPN could return hundreds if not thousands of dollars of savings, so the next time you think you can’t afford a VPN think again.

The amount of money you save can vary wildly and for some eCommerce stores won’t make any difference. For example, we wouldn’t bother searching around on Amazon from different countries, after all where are you going to send the parcel to?

But when it comes to goods that do not need to be delivered to a physical location, then we always recommend checking a few countries from different regions, so:

• The Americas
• Europe
• Asia

Using these three as a benchmark you can quickly figure out whether there is money to be saved on your booking or digital product.

 

Tips for Using a VPN with E-Commerce

We wouldn’t be doing you justice if we didn’t share some additional tips which will go along way to helping your VPN search for the cheapest deal go a lot faster.

 

Clear Cache

This is crucial. Many big e-commerce websites will cache your location and previous search. So whatever country you change it to, they will keep returning the same price.

It can seem laborious but after each search close the tab, open the history for your browser and clear all your browsing history.

Only then should you change the VPN server to another country and start your search from Google’s main site.

 

Don’t Let Google See Your location

Be warned if you keep hopping from country to country, Google will ask for your location. But they won’t use your IP address. They will fix onto your GPS co-ordinates completely defeating the purpose of using a VPN.

Always block Google when it asks for your location when carrying out searches.

 

Search From Country Specific Google

Sometimes searching through one site may appear to yield the same results. You can easily check if the currency denomination is being given in your home countries currency rather than the country you should be looking from. E.g. Your search shows up in $’s when your searching from a UK server.

You can also use Google specific sites for the country like UK is www.google.co.uk and India would be www.google.in 

 

Why do you need a VPN?

Note: For more information about Surfshark, please read our Surfshark Review.

Install Surfshark on Firestick

Best Surfshark Deal

 

 

How to Install Surfshark VPN on Firestick

If your Firestick still has the older interface, read this article to learn how to update it: Update Firestick Interface.

Follow our screenshots below to install the SurfShark VPN app on your Fire TV stick.

1. Go to the Home screen of your Firestick.

 

2. Navigate towards the Find tab. Press the Search button from the resulting dropdown.

 

3. Type in the keyword of SurfShark and select from the suggestions that will appear.

 

4. Click the official SurfShark icon from your search results.

 

5. Press the Download (You own it) button.

 

6. The SurfShark VPN installer will download on your device.

 

7. SurfShark VPN’s app will automatically install itself on your Fire TV stick.

 

8. Press the Open button after completing SurfShark VPN’s installation process.

 

9. Please wait for the SurfShark VPN to load its user interface.

 

10. You can now log in with your SurfShark VPN account credentials.

Learn more about Surfshark and Grab the Best Surfshark Deal Now!

 

Install Surfshark on Firestick

Best Surfshark Deal

 

 

For more VPN discounts, go to ReviewVPN Deals and purchase the best VPN for you.

Click here to get the lowest price on Surfshark through our exclusive limited-time offer.

 

 

Closing thoughts

The first time we did this it completely blew us away, and over the years we have never booked a flight, hotel or got a subscription without first checking around for prices from different countries.

In this article we only just scratched the surface of what you could use it for, and didn’t even cover the other ways you can save money with a VPN, like being able to unlock region-restricted content and watch Netflix from any country in the world and gain access to that countries media library!