At the current stage in the development of computer technology and communications, VPN technology is increasingly used to create a secure connection between Internet-based computers. What is a VPN, how does such a connection work, what is it for, how to configure and use it in practice, and is further proposed to discuss. The main emphasis will be placed on desktop Windows operating systems. We will also dwell on some points related to mobile devices running Android-systems. And to begin with, we’ll deal with the basic theoretical information that will come in handy when using connections of this type in practical applications.
What is a VPN in a general sense?
The abbreviation itself is derived from the term Virtual Private Network. Despite the “network” interpretation, such technologies actually have a broader interpretation, since by their principles they are somewhat reminiscent of the functioning of proxy servers with the establishment of a secure connection and encryption of the transmitted and received information. To connect through a VPN, the principle of so-called tunneling is applied.
The basic principles of tunneling
What is the essence of creating a tunnel? In this case, we are talking about the fact that information is transmitted over a secure channel in encrypted form.
Initial encryption is performed at the sending point using the appropriate key, and decryption is performed at the receiving point (with the same key). When passing through a tunnel, it is impossible to gain access to information, as well as decrypting data without the necessary key.
How it works?
Talking about what a VPN is, it is worthwhile to dwell on how it all works in practice. This can be explained by comparison with broadcast networks. A transmitter is used to transmit a signal, a relay is used for further distance transmission, which acts as a kind of amplifier for the initial signal, and, as already understood, a receiver is installed for reception. The same thing is observed when setting up a VPN, only in this case the role of the relay is assigned to the router, and computer or mobile devices with integrated wireless modules act as transmitters and receivers (VPN was originally a point-to-point wireless connection and allows you to combine , for example, not only computers on local networks, but also at a considerable distance from each other around the world).
But the difference from broadcasting is that absolutely all devices tuned to a specific wave can receive the transmitted radio signal without any restrictions whatsoever, and with a VPN connection, the signal is broadcast selectively, that is, only certain users can receive it. It goes without saying that to connect to such networks you also need to know the access password. But users do not need to worry about encryption issues, since all the processes associated with it are performed automatically.
Finally, do not forget about one more side of such a connection, which is often a priority for many users. As you know, for each computer or mobile device when connecting to the Internet, a special identifier is allocated in the form of an external IP address that is tied to the territorial location of both the device and the provider, and by which it is very easy to determine the region. Because of this, it can be impossible to access certain pages or Internet services that are intended, for example, only for one country or a limited number of them (say, it is impossible to listen to US online radio stations in Eastern Europe).
What does a VPN do? Changes the address, setting it as if the user terminal was located in the region for which access to services is allowed.
Take, for example, the situation in Ukraine, in which Russian postal, search, and news services are blocked. In addition, when using such a connection, when a VPN Client is installed in the system or browser, it is impossible not only to determine the address of the device from which access to the requested resource is performed, but also to track the history of visits. Neither the provider nor the outside observer can do this. The maximum that you can see is only connecting to some kind of VPN server and nothing more. But from the server the request is sent further. Thus, users are also attracted by the anonymity of the network and the ability to access blocked Internet resources for this region, which clearly resembles the operation of proxy servers, which in themselves are a kind of online VPN clients.
Creating a VPN server in Windows
Separately, we should dwell on the issues of creating connections of this type. To begin, consider how to create and configure a VPN server in Windows systems. There is nothing complicated here, and the whole procedure takes only a few minutes.
First, through the "Control Panel", you should enter the network and sharing control section and use the option to create a new connection.
Next, you need to select a connection to the workplace, specify the use of your connection, register the address of the VPN server (you can find it from the network administrator or provider), create a login and password for the connection and postpone the immediate connection.
IPv4 Protocol Settings
Now you need to pay attention to some important additional settings. To do this, use the option to change the settings of the network adapter and go to the properties of the created connection, and then call the IPv4 protocol options. Here you need to make sure that the receipt of all addresses is set to automatic. Otherwise, the connection may not work correctly or may not work at all.
In addition, in the properties of the VPN connection on the settings tab, be sure to uncheck the box from the line for enabling the Windows login domain.
After that, on the security tab in the VPN type, you must install the PPTP tunnel protocol, set the connection with optional encryption and use the CHAP protocols with the PAP password protection protocol deactivated. After saving the set parameters, you can connect.
Possible connection errors and troubleshooting methods
Usually, problems should not arise at this stage, but if errors related to the impossibility of establishing a connection still arise, for starters you can simply delete the created connection and create it again. If the situation persists, try changing the addresses of the DNS servers, instead of automatically assigning them to free combinations from Google services. Just in case, make sure that the use of proxies for local addresses is disabled in the additional parameters, if this is not provided by the provider. As a last resort, use reinstalling or updating network adapter drivers, but not with the operating system, but with automated utilities like Driver Booster. If you do not have access to the Internet, the latest DriverPack Solution offline package is suitable.
VPN client in Opera browser
Now let's move on to the practical use of such a connection. The Opera browser is rightfully considered the first browser in which the Opera VPN client is preinstalled. You will have to enable it for the first time in the security settings. You can also simply enter the search query in the search bar. In the corresponding block, you just need to check the box next to the client engagement line.
After that, the service icon will appear to the left of the address bar, and you can activate the client by clicking it. By and large, the automated settings of the service can not be changed, but if necessary, you can set the required location on your own by selecting the desired global region from the list.
Add-ons for other web browsers
With other observers, the situation is somewhat more complicated. They have no built-in client. But this absolutely does not mean that you cannot install a VPN application for the browser that will perform the same function. All such add-ons can be found in the extension sections.
Add-ons like ZenMate, friGate, Browsec, Hola and others can be called the most functional and popular. After installation, they are also activated by clicking on the corresponding icon on the main panel (usually to the right of the address bar).
VPN modules for the entire system
But these were only local solutions. Indeed, in the browser, you can change your external address, hide traces of surfing or gain access to services blocked in this region. But after all, for other programs on the computer in this case, the VPN client for the browser is completely useless. What to do?
Programs like SafeIP, which are able to establish the use of a VPN connection for the entire system as a whole, will perfectly cope with this problem. Thus, any program, including Internet browsers, will connect to the desired resource with an already changed IP. In all systems, including the latest version of Windows 10, VPN applications of this type work flawlessly. In them, too, you can not use automatic settings, but set the location yourself, and even by choosing the desired city in a country.
The easiest setup on Android devices
In mobile systems, you can use both browsers (for example, the same “Opera”) and the system’s own tools to create and use VPN-based connections.
In this case, you should use the advanced settings of wireless networks, where a VPN is selected, a network is added, the PPTP protocol is set, the server address is set and a login with password is entered for connection (very similar to the action in Windows). The server address can be obtained from the mobile operator, if such access is used. For the usual version - as described for stationary OS.
Third-party mobile utilities
Also, to simplify the actions, you can use third-party applications like VPN Master by installing them from the Google Play store. Utilities such as the SafeIP program described above are designed for absolutely all applications installed in the system. Utilities like the Free VPN Client also look pretty good. In general, you can find quite a lot of such programs in the same repository.
By the way, if we are talking about browsers, that in stationary, that in mobile systems you can use the Tor application - a browser that is initially a VPN client by itself, however, it uses exclusively its own network of the same name to connect and works somewhat slower, but without crashes and errors.
Which tools do you prefer?
So, what is a VPN, I think, is already clear. In the end, it remains only to decide for yourself which tools to use in practical application. Apparently, the answer lies on the surface. To simplify the use of such technologies as much as possible, in the case of browsers, it is best to install the Opera browser, rather than using third-party add-ons. Its only minus is that fans of activation of acceleration of Internet connection will not be able to use Turbo mode, since the VPN client does not work in parallel with it. As for the use of such technologies for all programs that may require access to the Internet, you can not do without applications like SafeIP. If you don’t like any option, you can even do the old-fashioned way and access the required resource through free online proxies. But you will have to sacrifice the access speed, whether you like it or not, because request processing with subsequent redirection will be much slower than in the case of "pure" VPN clients.