15 Best Things To Do With a VPN in 2022

In our increasingly digital world, more and more people are using virtual private networks (VPNs) to keep their data safe and secure. 

Whether you’re an everyday internet user or a business professional, there are plenty of reasons to use a VPN service. But what can you do with a VPN once you’ve signed up? 

Here are some of the most popular things to do with a VPN.

Best Things To Do With a VPN

Avoid ISP-level bandwidth limitations and increase your internet speed

One of the best uses for a VPN is to avoid targeted bandwidth throttling. 

Bandwidth throttling describes a situation where your ISP is intentionally slowing down your internet connection speed based on what they think you are using it for. 

For example, if they think you are streaming video, they may slow down your connection to prevent buffering. However, this can also impact other activities, like browsing the web or downloading files.

A VPN can help avoid this by encrypting your traffic and making it appear as if you’re not doing anything that would trigger bandwidth throttling. As a result, you can enjoy high-speed internet without worrying about your ISP slowing you down. 

Keep in mind that using a VPN can help increase your internet speed. However, it is important to note that not all VPNs are created equal. Some VPNs are faster than others, and some may even slow your internet connection down further.

Protect your online communication

From sending emails to chatting with friends, we’re increasingly reliant on the internet to stay connected. However, this also means that our online communications are at risk of being intercepted by hackers or other unauthorised individuals. 

So, another use of a VPN is to protect your online communication. A VPN encrypts your data and routes it through a secure server, making it much more difficult for someone to gain access to your conversations.

Change your IP address and online location

One of the many things you can do with a VPN is to disguise your IP address by routing it through one of the VPN’s servers. Changing your IP address has a number of advantages, including increased privacy and geo-restriction removal for streaming services.

When you connect to a VPN, your traffic is routed through one of the VPN provider’s servers located somewhere else in the world before reaching its final destination. As a result, anyone observing your traffic would see it as originating from the location of the server, rather than your actual location.

Avoid government censorship

In some countries, the government censors certain websites or content that it deems harmful. However, this can also include things like news sites or social media platforms. If you live in a country with internet censorship, you may find that you are unable to access certain websites or content.

Fortunately, one benefit of a VPN is the ability to bypass these restrictions. For example, Surfshark has a dedicated Camouflage Mode, which enables you to get around government censorship and access the internet freely.

Just keep in mind that some countries have strict regulations regarding VPN use, so be sure to check the local laws before using a VPN in a censored country.

Get a better deal on online shopping prices

If you’re an avid online shopper, you may be familiar with the practice of dynamic pricing. With dynamic pricing, retailers change their prices based on a number of factors, including your location. This means that you could be paying more for the same product simply because of where you live.

As already mentioned, one of the cool things to do with a VPN is to change your location. By doing that, you might be able to get a better price on items you’re interested in.

Saving money on travel

Did you know that you can save money on travel with a VPN? If you’re not familiar with the concept of using a VPN for travel, it’s actually quite simple.

For example, let’s say you’re planning a trip to Australia and you want to book a hotel room. However, when you search for hotels on your favourite booking website, you notice that the prices are higher than usual. This is because the website is detecting your location as being in the United Kingdom.

If you connect to a VPN server in Australia, however, the website will detect your location as Australia. This can often lead to lower prices on travel websites, as they assume you’re based in the region where the server is located.

Of course, this isn’t guaranteed to work all the time, but it’s definitely worth a try if you’re looking to save money on your next trip.

Avoid ISP tracking

Your internet service provider (ISP) is required by law to keep track of your online activity. This includes the websites you visit, the searches you perform, and the files you download.

Although this may not appear to be a significant problem at face value, it is, in fact, quite invasive. Fortunately, one of the many VPN uses is the ability to avoid ISP monitoring.

When you connect to a VPN, your traffic is encrypted and routed through a secure server. Due to this, you can browse the internet freely without worrying about being tracked by your ISP.

Download and share files anonymously

P2P (peer-to-peer) file-sharing has a variety of good uses, such as distributing open-source software, sharing public domain videos, or simply sharing large amounts of data across the network. 

Many ISPs are not happy about people engaging in P2P activities, which is why it can lead to slow connection speeds, limited bandwidth, and restrictions on file-sharing websites.

Your ISP isn’t entirely unjustified in this, though. All users on the same network have access to each other’s IP addresses. This might provide a gateway for cybercriminals, posing a serious security risk.

The good news is that you may still engage in P2P sharing while utilising a VPN, and you can do so securely. NordVPN has hundreds of servers especially optimised for P2P. Your IP will be hidden thanks to the VPN, and your online activity will be encrypted, ensuring that no one else can see or tamper with it.

Avoid DDoS attacks while gaming

Having a fast and stable connection while playing online games is essential, and a VPN could be beneficial or detrimental in this respect. However, it is always beneficial in cases where hackers might try and carry out a DDoS attack by swamping you with artificial traffic.

You may notice slower speeds and even become unable to access your local network. However, they would need your IP address to launch a DDoS assault, which they won’t be able to obtain because of the VPN encryption.

Unlock social media platforms and VoIP services

As mentioned above, some countries have strict internet censorship laws, making accessing specific websites and apps difficult or even impossible. This includes social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as VoIP services such as Skype and WhatsApp.

If you live in or are travelling to one of these countries, a VPN may enable you to unblock these platforms and use them as you usually would. All you need to do is connect to a server in a country where the platform or service is available, and you should be able to access it without any issues.

Stream and unblock restricted content

Streaming and unblocking restricted content with a VPN is very similar to accessing social media platforms and VoIP services. For example, if a streaming website like Netflix is blocked in your country, you can simply connect to a server in another country where it is available and start streaming.

Of course, not all VPNs are suitable for this task. Some may be too slow or unreliable, while others may not offer enough server locations.

Protect your identity and personal info

Whenever you’re online, your identity is at risk. Hackers and cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to access people’s personal information, such as their name, address, date of birth, and even credit card details.

If you’re not careful, you may end up becoming a victim of identity theft or fraud. However, having a VPN in place can give you peace of mind, ensuring that your information is safe behind the service’s encryption.

Watch live sports and events from all around the world

Did you know that one of the best things to watch with a VPN is live sports and events from all around the world? All you need to do is connect to a server in the country where the event is taking place, and you should be able to access it without any issues.

For example, if you’re trying to watch a football match that’s being broadcasted in Spain, you would need to connect to a server in that country. Once you’re connected, you should be able to access the live stream without any problems.

Protection while travelling

If you’re planning on travelling, it’s important to have a VPN in place. This is because you’ll often be using public Wi-Fi networks, which are often unsecured.

With a VPN, you’ll be able to connect to a private and secure network (even your home network), ensuring that your personal information is protected at all times.

Mobile protection

A VPN can also be used on your mobile devices, such as your smartphone or tablet. Not only would you reap the benefits of increased security on your mobile devices and mobile data, but you’d also gain access to all the other benefits of using a VPN that we’ve previously covered.

Bottom Line

As you can see, there are many things to do with a VPN, and all of them can be beneficial in one way or another. They may assist you in saving money, streaming privately, surfing anonymously, and much more!

The ideal approach to finding the perfect VPN for your needs is to determine which of the aforementioned uses are the highest priority for you and then see which popular VPNs excel at providing the features you need.