Not long ago, I shared some tips for keeping your Chromebook safe. Despite the reputed safety of Chromebooks, the fact is any time you're online, your information is at risk. One of the best tips for keeping your communication private and your data safe is to use VPN.
What is VPN?
VPN stands for virtual private network, and while it can be used in a variety of ways, for the purpose of protecting your Chromebook, here's what you need to know: Any time you use a Wi-Fi connection that you do not for yourself know is secure, like at a coffee shop or in the campus quad, you should assume that someone could interfere with or intercept your information. VPN provides a layer of protection. A VPN prevents hackers, but also marketers (and possibly even the government), from snooping on your activity.
How Does VPN Work?
Using VPN requires nothing more than signing up for a service and enabling it on your computer. Some VPN services are free and others require payment or have a freemium model.
On Chromebook, I've found the easiest one to use and set up is Golden Frog's VyprVPN, although there are other services. VyprVPN Pro costs about $99 a year if you pay up front, or $14.99 per month if you pay monthly. The company offers other tiers and variations on the VyprVPN service. Look them over before deciding which one you need.
Bear in mind, you probably don't need VPN if you only use your Chromebook on properly secure Wi-Fi networks (in other words, if it's your own home Wi-Fi, make sure it's WPA2 secure), and you can pay for just a month here and there when you need it if you don't use public Wi-Fi very often. There are, however, other reasons people like to use VPN services, such as accessing websites that are otherwise blocked in their countries (Downton Abbey streaming party, anyone?).
How to Set Up Vypr
VPN on Chromebook Google has instructions for setting up a VPN connection on Chromebook, but it's a little tough to follow if you aren't well-versed in technology. For example, there are limitations on what kind of VPN connection you can enable from a Chromebook. If you use a Cisco VPN from your workplace, you cannot use it with a Chromebook. That's a large part of why I think Golden Frog's VyprVPN is the best service to use. The company has detailed instructions on its site for setting up its particular service on a Chromebook specifically, so you know step-by-step exactly what to do.
One tricky detail is that once you open the Settings to enable a VPN connection in Chromebook, you can't switch back to a different window. In other words, you can't copy and paste the information you need one at a time, line by line. The only way to get to another window is to cancel the configuration, meaning your work will be lost. There are only three pieces of information you need:
1. the server address you want to use (if you're going to copy and paste anything in advance, this text is it; refer to step 5 below)
2. "thisisourkey"
3. your Golden Frog user name and password.
So you might want to write those things down where you can see them before you get started.
I'm summarize the set-up instructions here.
1. First, you need a paid VyprVPN account, either Pro or Premier, because you need support for L2TP/IPsec. Golden Frog offers a two-week free trial.
2. When you sign up, you'll receive some login instructions via email. You need to set a VyprVPN user name and password before you can set up the VPN on your Chromebook.
3. Now that you have a VyprVPN login, open up and sign into your Chromebook. Click the status bar at the bottom right (where it shows the time and battery level). Select Settings.
4. Under Internet connection, click Add connection. Then choose the option to "add private network," as shown below.
5. Now you have to choose a geographic location for your connection from a list that VyprVPN provides. You'll want to copy and paste the corresponding server host name into the Chromebook configuration screen (see my note above about copying this information ahead of time).
Don't choose a server host name at random. The one you choose could change the types of Web pages you see, depending on whether you pick a location that's outside your home country (see above reference to streaming episodes of Downton Abbey).
Golden Frog currently has 46 options. Here are examples of ones from English-speaking countries you might use:
- us1.vpn.goldenfrog.com (Los Angeles)
- ca1.vpn.goldenfrog.com (Toronto)
- uk1.vpn.goldenfrog.com (London)
- au1.vpn.goldenfrog.com (Sydney)
Whichever you choose, paste it into the field for server host name.
6. For Provider type, choose L2TP/IPsec + Pre-shared key.
7. For Pre-shared key, type: thisisourkey
8. Skip the next two fields, and then enter your Golden Frog user name and password. It's up to you whether you want to save the identity and password. If you do, you won't have to enter all this information again the next time you want to use the VPN.
9. Click Connect.
To check whether it worked, look at the bottom right corner of your screen. You'll know your Chromebook is connected when you see four small dots under the Wi-Fi icon (it looks like a little chain).
You can set up multiple VPN connections, and if you save the identities, it'll be much easier to connect the next time around because you'll see quick-connect choices right in the Settings.
Get Organized is a weekly series of articles on PCMag.com to help you keep your digital files and online life organized. Check back every Monday for new tips. For more from Jill Duffy, follow her on Twitter @jilleduffy. And check out the Get Organized book:
"Get Organized: How to Clean Up Your Messy Digital Life" by Jill Duffy on Ganxy