5 VPN Hacks You Didn't Know About
What's the point of a VPN? Is it just to keep you anonymous online? Yes, it does a very good job of that, but it actually comes with a truckload of other benefits too. Do you buy tickets online? Ever tried to see a blocked website? Do you have a gaming console or a smart TV? Ever surf the web at a java joint? You probably need a VPN.
Here are five VPN hacks you didn't know about — hacks that save you money, protect your machines and unfetter your surfing no matter where you live.
1. A VPN can get you better deals on flights
You look for a flight online, find one that seems good but then you navigate away to check on something (nailing down logistics with travel buddies, checking dates on that celebrity impersonator convention). When you get back to the travel site, those rates have shot up. Why? The site knows you're interested because they tracked your cookies and IP address. With a VPN from IPVanish (and a quick clearing of your cookies or using an incognito window) the airline or travel site won't know it's you and you'll get those first-time prices every time.
Other hacks like changing the location of the VPN server you use to access the site can get you better deals too. Travel sites and airlines will often adjust prices according to your location — if you're coming from a higher dollar area, they figure you can pay high-dollar prices. Make them think you're coming from a less affluent country, and see if those prices don't take a nice, money-saving dip.
2. Browse blocked websites — wherever you live
You already know places like North Korea and China regularly block access to many websites. But access to sites like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp have been blocked at some point by dozens of countries. And even when governments block sites with good intentions, overblocking is common — limiting your access to perfectly legitimate sites just because they ping a keyword. With an IPVanish VPN, you'll be able to access any site blocked by your current location (including universities and workplaces) allowing you to freely surf.
3. A VPN blinds your ISP
Towards the end of March 2017 in the US, Congress repealed a whole slew of internet privacy measures. Now internet service providers are legally allowed to sell your browsing history and other sensitive data — and they don't even have to ask for your permission. ISPs also like to try to squeeze more users onto their service without having to pay for more bandwidth by throttling access to certain sites. It's usually video streaming sites. So if you're trying to watch the new Pixar movie on YouTube and the quality tanks and the buffering just won't quit? Use your IPVanish VPN and not only will your ISP not be able to throttle your video streaming (as it won't have any idea you're on a video site in the first place) it won't be able to sell your history to some conglomerate, making money off you without your permission.
4. A VPN can protect every connected thing you own
As the things we own become increasingly more connected, protecting them from outside monitoring is crucial. Set up a VPN on your router and suddenly everything in your home that accesses your wifi — from your smart fridge to your smart TV to your home hub — will do so with complete security using real-time encryption from end-to-end. Set it up yourself on your router or get a router from IPVanish with VPN service already installed.
5. A VPN turns public wifi into a private connection
As the world opens back up and people start heading to coffee shops again — to work, study, or just enjoy an oat milk matcha latte while they TikTok away an afternoon — they'll start opening themselves up once again to the lack of security offered by unsecured internet access. Hackers can take a peek at the data sent between you and the sites you visit — data like logins and purchases, personal information and browsing activities. Use IPVanish when you access free wifi and all you'll have to worry about is which challenge video to watch next.
Beyond keeping you anonymous
A VPN does more than just make sure your online activity is none of anyone else's business — it makes using the internet safer, faster, and just better overall. Pick an IPVanish plan, set it up, and start upping your internet game with unlimited bandwidth, zero traffic logs, and state of the art encryption.