What is a VPN connection for?

Many people are interested in knowing what a VPN connection is and why it is needed. Let's deal with this in a simple philistine language, we will not pour professional terminology, so that everyone can understand what it is. A VPN connection is a secure network (tunnel) created inside the Internet that is not secure. If we consider the simplest form, then it is a tunnel consisting of a VPN client that is located on the user's PC and a VPN server. In the tunnel there are:

- Encryption;

- protection;

- change of information exchanged between the user's PC and sites located on the Internet.

Pros of this protection

Why do I need a VPN connection and what is its advantage? Sometimes a VPN is required to hide its IP address to become an anonymous user. There are times when it is necessary to download files from the network, which prohibits doing this from the IP addresses of the countries where the clients are located. There is also the need to encrypt the traffic transmitted from the user's PC to the destination point. It turns out that there are quite a lot of situations in which a VPN connection is used.

The mechanism of using the VPN connection

Let's look at an example that one often has to face in real life. Today, the popularity of free and often open Wi-Fi networks is growing. They are everywhere:

- in the cafe;

- in restaurants;

- in hotels;

- in other public places.

The number of devices that allow you to connect to the Internet is constantly increasing. There are PDAs, mobile phones, netbooks and other devices. It pleases modern people, since it allows you to connect to your mail in many places without any problems, to go into social network, now you can work on vacation, combining business with pleasure.

But have you ever thought about how safe this is? Are you sure that nobody will steal your credentials and passwords in the open space of unprotected networks? Not everyone knows, but analyzing such traffic without protection, it's easy to access personal information, having already established control over your PC. That's where the VPN connection comes in. You must install it before connecting through an unprotected network.

How to install VPN

Configure a VPN connection for Windows 7 is not difficult. The principle is almost the same as in any network connection. You need a control panel, go to the section called "Network and Internet", which you can click on "Setting up a new connection or network". Then choose the connection option. Speech about the item "Connecting to the workplace", it is he who will configure the VPN. Then you need to specify information about how the VPN connection will be executed. Over the existing connection on the Internet or by a dedicated phone number. If in doubt, then choose the first option. In the next step, enter the IP address (you can name the PC) to which you will connect using the VPN tunnel. Check with your network administrator. Then enter the credentials for access. Then click the "Connect" button.

It is important to create a VPN connection, after installing a secure channel, data interception is no longer a problem. You can safely check your mail, go to the necessary sites under your password.