Virtual private networks, or VPNs, have long been a useful tool for security and privacy but have gotten much more popular in recent years. One reason for this is that a lot of content has moved online, with streaming, and this is often paywalled and/or region-locked. Being able to change your apparent location has many benefits, but that’s only part of a VPN’s feature set. There are also a ton of VPN providers available which makes it tough to pick one, although some are advertised heavily on YouTube and other services.

Some have their own application or offer browser integration with an extension. VPNs can work for non-PC devices, too, like your smartphone. More generic VPN applications include OpenVPN and many similar alternatives. An example of a VPN vendor with their own application is Mullvad VPN, a highly-regarded choice. The application includes nice features like WireGuard support and VPN split tunneling which lets you pick which programs on your computer must use the VPN. It’s also possible to have a killswitch, DNS options, and also local network sharing.

VPNs can be useful for safety when traveling and we do have many accessories useful for that - such as the Thunderbolt 3 Travel Dock. USB Ethernet adapters are also useful if you can get a cable, but going onto unknown networks is not advisable without protection. There are certainly other reasons to use a VPN, such as for financial transactions, and we recommend investing in a good service. It will make your life easier at home and on the go. Privacy is becoming more important than ever!