This article was last updated and expanded on May 26, 2017. Note that if you click on one of these links to buy the product, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.
Internet privacy and security has never been more important, and a reliable VPN, or virtual private network, is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself and your data. But which VPN is the best? If you're a heavy gamer, will a VPN impact your ping? Are any of the free VPNs safe, or should you pick a paid VPN? Where can you download a VPN client? And why should you care about internet privacy in the first place? IGN has your back. All week long we're reviewing some of the best and most well-known VPNs on the market for Windows, Mac, and more so you can make an informed decision. And if you need more info, here's everything you need to know about VPN.
A VPN is a service to secure your Internet connection and give you more control over the ways that your online activity can be tracked. Think of a VPN as providing a combination of security (protecting your computer and data) and privacy (protecting you and your identity). A VPN creates a secure, encrypted connection between your computer and a server operated by the VPN service. When you’re connected to the VPN proxy server, all your network traffic passes through this protected tunnel and no one in between – your ISP, school, employer, parents, the guy sharing the Wi-Fi with you at a cafe - can see what you’re doing.
VPNs maintain your privacy when browsing the internet by doing two important things. First, they hide your computer’s actual IP address and replace it with one randomly assigned by your VPN service, and second, they send your traffic through a secure tunnel that no one can peer into. Your ISP sees that you are connected to a VPN and nothing beyond that. Sites that you visit while connected will know you came from the VPN, but to them you’re just a random IP address, so they won’t know your location or be able to build an accurate picture of your online activity over time.
There is one potential drawback though; the encryption used by a VPN and the way the service reroutes your network traffic in order to protect it will typically slow down your connection since there’s another hop between you and the Internet, which also can increase lag for gaming. There’s always a tradeoff between security and speed, but given the nasty stuff I’ve seen on the Internet in my years as a security consultant and journalist I tend to choose security over speed, but that may not be the right choice for you. Most VPNs offer a free trial or at least a very short and cheap introductory package, so make sure to test any VPN with your favorite online games to make sure that your experience can be both safe and enjoyable.
Whether you run a VPN or not, there are two things you’ll want to do first to maintain your online privacy. First, don’t allow any website to access your location. Configure your browser to prevent location requests from the sites you visit.
As a more mischievous alternative, you can download a browser extension that provides a false location to the sites that request it. Another step you should take right away is to stop using your ISP’s DNS servers because they are most certainly tracking you through your DNS requests. Switch the DNS entries in your network configuration to OpenDNS, or make sure that you sign up for a VPN service that funnels your DNS requests through its own servers. Once you’ve taken these steps and are using a VPN, here are a few ways to check if your VPN is working.
The quickest and easiest test is to run a Google search for “what is my IP”. At the top of the search results, Google will report back your current external or public IP address. If it’s the VPN’s IP address range then all is well. If it’s your actual IP address, you’ve got a problem. To determine this, copy and paste the IP address Google provided into a new search with “IP” in front of it. If the results of this second search accurately pinpoints your location and your ISP, then that’s your IP address and not the VPN provider’s.
For a more thorough way of checking the protection provided by your VPN, visit IPLeak.net. This website runs through a series of tests to see if your VPN is protecting your IP address and other information. This is a reputable site that I’ve been using for years to test VPNs. IPLeak.net will also walk you through other tests that determine how secure your VPN is.
Finally, before you sign up for a VPN service, always make sure you read the EULA to see if it contains language that allows them to sell the very information you’re trying to protect. Most don’t, but you can’t be too careful.
IGN is running full, in-depth reviews of some of the best VPNs for gaming and general web browsing. We'll update this page with our full reviews. These are the services we currently highly recommend:
Best VPNs
Everything you do online can be tied to you.
In late March 2017, the House of Representatives voted to reverse Obama-era regulations preventing ISPs from selling your web browsing history on the open market. What’s worse is that the new law prevents any other government entity like the FCC from passing new regulations to protect you. As far as our government is concerned, everything you do online can be freely harvested, analyzed, and sold so big business can make a buck by depriving you of your privacy.
Note that if you click on one of these links to buy the product, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.Once your identity is linked to your IP address it’s game over, man. Now everything you do online can be tied to you, and monetized. Business’ primary goal is to develop targeted advertising because that’s where the money is, which is why you will often times see creepy ads for products or things you’ve searched for in the past. Businesses are now going to the next level – analyzing all of the sites you’ve visited and what you’ve done to create a more accurate picture of you and then serving you ads based on this profile.
Your IP address and your identity are now tied to a physical location as well. There’s a ton of demographic information available that can be used to target you. And when they’ve got your physical address, get ready for an influx in junk mail. Why stop there? Your identity is linked to your email address so get ready for more spam. The result is less privacy, more junk mail, and more spam. Congress did not act in your best interest on this one.
It’s not just about advertising either. The law says “on the open market.” Identity thieves could theoretically legally buy information about where you go and what you do online. The best part of it all is that your ISP, the same ISP that you’re already paying, can make more money by violating your privacy.
Yeah, you read that right. The whole thing stinks. Congress's actions seem to indicate an unwillingness to keep American people’s privacy safe. They aren't protecting you and me.
Games today are all about the online experience, yet being online in any capacity exposes you to security and privacy risks. An attacker could steal your username and password to your gaming account, or worse, your bank account, or even attack your internet connection itself. Additionally, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and others can track the sites you visit and soon sell that information to advertisers. There are a million ways someone can ruin your online experience if you don’t protect yourself, and one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to do this is with a virtual private network (VPN).
In addition to the security and privacy reasons, there are also some pluses for gamers:
- Access game servers in other regions so you can more easily play with international friends
- Play games not yet released in your country
- Play games that will never be released in your country
- Protection from distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks launched by shady opponents
- Access to gaming marketplaces like Steam while traveling outside your region
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