VPNs. Are they worth paying for?

With the growing popularity, of already popular, VPN software. I figured this post might be appreciated. You can get VPNs on both your computer, and phones. Some are free, some are not. But is it worth paying for one of them? Let's discuss that...

First off, let's talk about what a VPN actually is, what is actually does, and what that's useful for. For the few who are still unaware.

If you are wondering what your IP address is, then you can find out easily. You can go within a search browser if you want, and simply ask. You'll find a website that tells you. However this website only reports what it can read. If you want an easier, faster, more in depth, and accurate answer. Then you can simply open up your "power shell"/"terminal" on your computer. And once it is loaded up, which shouldn't be long. Less time than it would take for you to load up the Internet, probably. But once established, type this command in, EXACTLY.
"ipconfig"

After that, simply press enter. And you should have a list of information pop up. Including your IP address and even more. As matter fact, if you try this method, after you have a VPN active, the answer will get a little longer, as it detects what is going on. And if you try it on the internet, you'll just find a new IP.

Alright, so a "VPN" is an online tool, that's been used by hackers for a very long time. And it's usefulness, made it grow past that point, into the more mainstream consciousness. Sort of similar to what Bitcoin did. Which I watched since it's creation, from when it was a black market, purely hacker currency. And caught mainstream attention later. If you want me to discuss the true roots and history of Bitcoin, then just ask. I may one day cover it regardless. But for now, I don't have any planned posts about it.

But back to VPNs. So, what a VPN does, is it takes your IP address. Which is unique to everything that connects to the Internet. Sort of like it's digital finger print. Your Wi-Fi router has its own IP address, your phone has its own IP address, your smart tv has its own IP address, your computer has its own IP address, and so on. These addresses can easily be used for identification, or tracking, who is doing what.

Oh, and if you're on your phone. Then you'll probably find your IP address under "settings>about phone>status info" or something similar to this. So, a VPN will take this digital fingerprint, which leaves traces of information, absolutely any where it goes. And then it scrambles it. By taking your IP, and bouncing it off of other IP addresses. Sometimes multiple bounces. But this usually slows data transfer down.

So now, with a VPN active. Let's use my location for example. So my original IP address said "Texas" for it's location. But now, under activated VPN, it might say I'm in New York. Depending on what address it bounces on this time. And now, any trace I leave on the internet, would be under some random "New York" address, instead of mine. Essentially hiding my identity online. Now it is possible to trace this back, but difficult. So unless you're doing some major shit. Like hack the Pentagon, or some crazy shit like that. Then most of the time, no is going to put in the effort to trace back your real address.

So, as you can imagine, this tool is extremely useful for hackers, or anyone doing online criminal activity, who wishes to mask their identity. Also they are pretty much required, if you decided to visit the dark web, via onion routing. But honestly, I would estimate the primary use of most VPNs, these days, would currently be the piracy of movies. But that's just a guess. I didn't look that up nor do I plan to, because it's ultimately irrelevant to this information I'm giving. But if you want to, feel free to let me know if I guessed correctly, lol.

So, once again, we see this pattern of a tool used primarily by hackers, for criminal activity. Become a tool that the mainstream takes an interest, and causes its growth. For instance, if you didn't know, Bitcoin was originally a black market, computer code. That went around the hacker community, because it was essentially an useable online currency, with a VPN built in. Making transactions unable to identify. Not sure why the public took as much interest as they did, honestly lol.

Now that we know what a VPN actually is, and what it does. Let's get back to the primary question. Are they worth paying for? Because the fact is, you can get many of them for free. But do the free ones actually work? Well all these questions, are very much circumstantial in each of their answers. Which is why I felt like this post might be of some use, to a few of you.

So first off, is a VPN worth paying for? Well, that much depends on how exactly you wish to use it. Because as you can find out. By using both methods I detailed above. There are a very many number of free VPN services, that do in fact work. For example, Opera browser. A personal favorite, has it's own built in, and working, VPN tool. However you'll find this VPN seems to slow it down, more than is required. But it does in fact, mask your true address.

And mentioning the built in free VPN being slow. You'll probably actually come to find this to be a decently common occurrence, in a large number of free VPN services. A lot of them, if they work at all, which many do. A lot of them slow your data transfer down to such a snail's pace, that unless you're very patient. You'll probably shut it off in frustration, in about 10 minutes, max. Lol.

You'll find a good majority of the time that some of the fastest VPN services, do in fact cost a little bit of money. However, it is possible to find VPN services that are more than efficient, while still getting them for free. I will suggest one, come the end of this post. But you can find others by simply downloading maybe 2-3 at a time, and personally testing them out, one by one.

You'll immediately want to run absolutely all of them, through the IP identification tests. That I also mentioned above. And if you find it is in fact scrambling your address. Then simply leave it on, while you explore the Internet. You'll probably be able to identify a noticeably slows speed in your connection. Some more than others. And some are so slow, you won't get the first page loaded before losing it on them, lol.

Now if you actually feel like shelling out some cash. You could possibly go for Nord. Their VPN works and is decent, in terms of major mainstream names, in VPN. I'll tell you what you don't want to do though. You don't want to pay "Mcfee" a single damn penny. In fact, any time I cross this software. ON ABSOLUTELY ANY DEVICE. I immediately deleted the entire thing. You'll find your device to work much better and be easier to use, if you do.

Mcfee may have once been worth something. But at this point, it's just a commercial, big name software. That gains most of its downloads through making deals with big software companies, like HP, or Dell. To come as pre downloaded "bloatware" if they pay them some money for it. Instead of focusing on actually being useful. So, if you see "Mcfee" on your devices, delete. Nord, while it's not the choice I would choose. It's actually potentially useful, if you want to pay for it.

Now, if you would rather not pay for a VPN, and also have one that works, while maintaining enough speed. I've got a few I can mention, that may be of use. So, if you're on your phone. I've found 2 that useable, while doing their job are, "Turbo VPN" which will have a rabbit logo. And also "VPN-Super unlimited proxy" which be marked with a key logo. Try both of these if you want. I personally think they are both acceptable. However I don't use either one of them anymore.

Personally, as of the late. I've been using a VPN service named "Proton VPN". They also have a "Proton Drive" and "Proton Pass". I've actually come to find their free services, to be so decent in fact. That this is the current VPN I use on all my devices. For the time being, until I end up finding one that works better, for free. Because personally, I don't like paying for VPNs. Especially when I can find good ones that work perfectly fine. Like Proton, for absolutely free.

In fact, to give you an idea, how efficient Proton is, in terms of power consumption. Here is a picture I took from I task manager, while it was running. You'll see my little lock in the bottom right, signaling my VPN is active. And this here, is all the power it's consuming. And it does in fact work. Very well on both my computer and phone, for free. 1.5% CPU usage. And that's pretty much peaked.

So you might be asking, that obviously answers the original question, posed in the first place. But no, it really doesn't. Because even if I can suggest you a decent free software for this topic. It still once again reverts to the immediate response to this question I first gave. Is it worth paying for? "That depends how you wish to use it." Because in all my years of testing and searching. There is one primary restriction I've come to find across almost all free VPNs, that actually do their job.

Now all of them, have their own little free service, and premium service differences. Some may offer things, not offered by others even. However regardless of all this, there typically seems to be one common trait, to pretty much all the working VPN services across the board. Including all 3 I mentioned.

It would appear, nearly all. If not all. Free VPN services, will offer their free service, and their premium service. And pretty much every time, their free service will either put extreme restrictions on certain IP locations you can choose from. Meaning if you wanted to use a French IP for whatever reason. You would not be able to pick that, because it's probably locked behind a premium wall.

Or they will limit their IP location, by removing the option of choosing all together. Such as Proton. However Proton does offer a button to "change location", where your IP server will be changed to a random one across the world. Although that has its own limitations as well. So across the board, you'll find pretty much all VPN software, across the entire board. Will somehow limit your choices when it comes to choosing where you want you IP to be set up.

Now, many of you may be saying "so what?". And I understand that. But let me ask you this. What if you found yourself, in Sweden. For whatever purposes. Work, vacation, whatever. And what if you decided you wanted to use your laptop. And so you log on. Well, you'll find Swedish Internet pulling up on it. It will possibly be in a different language when you get online, and the entire search results will more than likely be altered, at least a little bit. Well, this may not be what you want to happen. Maybe you want to surf the internet, like you were sitting at home.

Well, VPN can make that happen for you. You simply need to activate your VPN software. Select "America" for your location. And let it route your IP address to America. Then reload the internet, and you'll find it went back to the same old internet you're used to seeing. As it changes your IP to an American digital print.

Now let's say you were using a free VPN service, when you wanted try this. And you come to find, "oops! You can't pick your location!! Bummer..."

Well then, we have actually crossed a situation where you would find. Yes, in this instance, it's absolutely worth paying for a VPN service, so you may unlock this ability to change your location at will, with no limits.

However, if you don't plan on that event I just detailed to ever take place. And you find necessarily care where your IP ends up getting routed to. You only care that it's a working and fast VPN, while your pirate your movies, or whatever you may want it for. Then in this case. You wouldn't catch me paying a penny to any of them. Not when free ones can cover that necessity just fine.

So then, that is your answer. Is it worth it? Idk, depends on your needs. You tell me. Personally, I prefer free, whenever I'm able to choose free. But sometimes you are better off dropping the cash.

And that's my little talk about this topic. Do you maybe have a VPN service that you feel is worth suggesting for everyone? What's it called? And are you sure it works? Let everyone know, so they can look into it ...