(Credit: PCMag/James Martin)
You may already know that a VPN is an invaluable privacy tool. Using one will encrypt your web traffic and obfuscate your location. While many people use a VPN while traveling to access regional content and stay safe on public networks, your home network has the biggest snoop of them all—your internet service provider (ISP). A VPN can help shield you from your ISP, but there are limitations. Here's what you need to know and how you can optimize your VPN at home.
Why You Should Protect Yourself at Home With a VPN
You’re not very likely to run into Wi-Fi scammers at home. Hackers could theoretically try to tap into your home network, but the chances of that are quite slim. Your main concern should be your ISP. Not only do these companies often lock you into their service out of regional dominance and monopoly, but many are also in the business of profiting from your personal data. After all, these services know just about everything you do online. A VPN will blind your ISP’s prying eyes and grant you significantly more control over your privacy.
Still, a VPN can’t stop all forms of snooping. Advertisers employ advanced measures like browser fingerprinting to identify you and your online habits. You’ll need to pair your VPN with tracker blockers and use browsers with built-in privacy tools for maximum effectiveness. That’s not to say a VPN is completely useless. It will make it harder for advertisers to maintain an up-to-date fingerprint of your activities. What it won’t do is remove that profile if one already exists.
Then there’s malware and password security. A VPN won’t stop a malicious file or help you recover a lost account due to a leaked password. However, more VPN providers are bundling their services with antivirus software and password managers to provide users with a comprehensive security toolkit. You should also enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever it's available. It’s one of the best ways to prevent your accounts from being stolen if your password is leaked, and enabling it doesn’t require a download or a monthly subscription.
Do You Need a VPN for Streaming?
The main reason you need a VPN at home is to protect your privacy and personal information. Beyond that, a VPN can be a pretty useful tool in other ways. Connecting to one of a VPN’s servers will make it appear as though your traffic is originating from that point instead of wherever it is you’re actually located. This practice is called location spoofing. Spoofing is useful for accessing regional content, as services like Netflix offer different shows and series depending on your location due to regional licensing deals. For example, you could connect to a server in the UK, even if you're in the US, to view a streaming service’s regional catalog.
This access isn’t guaranteed. Streaming services and VPNs have long played a cat-and-mouse game of blocking and unblocking. Even the best VPNs can run into blocks on certain servers, so it is best to try a handful of servers out before you call it quits. It’s also good to use a VPN with multiple servers in the location you’re trying to access content from. Otherwise, you could be out of luck if the VPN's only server is blocked.
You Should Definitely Use a VPN for Torrenting
Some regions have strict restrictions on peer-to-peer (P2P) traffic, which is the most common method of file sharing for torrenting. If you don’t want your ISP to send you a threatening letter for downloading a dubiously sourced copy of The Legend of Dragoon, then it's best to obfuscate your traffic with a VPN. Of course, you should act with caution and obey all of your local laws before engaging in any P2P activities.
Recommended by Our Editors
How Do You Choose the Right VPN?
The best VPN for you will depend on exactly what you’re looking for. Every VPN takes a different angle. Some will be better at, say, unblocking Netflix catalogs than others.
To get whole-house coverage, you will either need a VPN that supports multiple simultaneous connections or one that can be configured directly on your router. The latter option can get a bit tricky and requires some technical know-how.
Split tunneling is a good feature if you’re a frequent gamer or just don’t want a VPN to slow down a certain application. Split tunneling lets you designate which apps, and sometimes URLs, must use the VPN connection. This feature is good for applications that use services like Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast, since they aren’t likely to work if you are using a VPN.
While many people use VPNs to stream online content, most streaming services are very good at blocking VPN traffic. One possible solution is purchasing a static IP address from your VPN service. These "clean" addresses aren't associated with VPNs, giving you a better chance of slipping past attempts to block your access.
Some VPNs are faster than others. If your speeds are already slow, a fast VPN is essential to maintain adequate streaming and gaming speeds.
Ultimately, a home VPN is a valuable addition to your security and privacy arsenal. It can help protect your privacy, give you access to regional content, and prevent your ISP from seeing what you’re doing. The fact that internet service providers can sell anonymized customer data is a major driver of VPN use. That's why we recommend keeping your VPN app switched on as often as possible, even at home.
If a VPN for your home seems excessive, or something you're not likely to use, consider trying a free VPN. That way, it's there when you need it and costs you nothing in the meantime.