Some people can say it out loud, others however cannot or maybe we can say they won’t. However, what’s true is that all of us have that one thing (or maybe more) we prefer to do in private, away from the eyes of our family or trusted best friends. Do you have a thing you love doing in private? The guess is yes you do and it’s a guaranteed yes.

Well, in the physical realm, you can simply lock yourself in the bathroom or your room and do that thing you love doing in private away from the eyes of many. What about if it comes to stuff that has to do with the internet? Things you love to surf in privacy, not just in a room alone but over a medium where you are guaranteed zero snoopers whether it’s the internet service providers or government regulatory authorities. If you do have something that you want to do in absolute privacy on the internet, then the one thing you need is a VPN.

Understanding all About the VPN

VPN stands for virtual private network. There are two main uses and functions of a VPN. Of course, from our intro above, the first thing pertains to ensuring the complete privacy of internet users when searching the web. To better understand this and the other function of VPN, let’s jump into the finer details below:

VPN as a Guarantor of Online Privacy

When it comes to the internet, the virtual private network acts as a shield – a perforated shield. This perforated shield lies between the internet user and the internet service provider.

Ordinarily, when internet users search the web without using a VPN, all their search history and other internet data they input on their devices can be easily read by the internet service provider. Moreover, internet service providers can also read the data stored on internet users’ devices without them inputting it. One great example of this is the ISP address. As soon as internet users log onto the internet, the internet service provider they are using will know exactly their ISP address and in the same vein, where they are searching the internet from.

When searching the web, maybe probably because of the type/nature of websites they want to visit or their line of work, some people don’t want their online history and ISP address to be easily accessible by snoopers. For this reason, they have to shield themselves online. It is on this front that VPNs come into play. As a perforated shield, the VPN through its tiny pricks will allow internet users to search the web and visit all the sites they want. However, all their data as well as the ISP address will be shielded and hence cannot be read by snoopers and also the internet service provider.

VPN as a Master Key

Unfortunately, at times, we may fail to access the websites that we really want. Internet users who are into online gambling, live sports streaming, films and movies streaming among others can relate to this all too well. You feel like watching that high-stakes game pitting two top teams including your favourite against each other but unfortunately, you are barred from doing so owing to your location (jurisdiction).

At times, you just want to watch the just-released film when it’s still hot and the talk of the town but owing to your location, you can open the only streaming platform offering it. Or maybe you are a casino player or sports punter who wants to place a wager on the betting platform offering the highest odds for the event you want but unfortunately, you find that your country is on the restricted territories list. The disappointment that you get when you realise that you are barred owing to your location is just too much.

Well, luckily for you, you can easily bypass the restrictions and access that site you want. This is necessitated by the fact that a VPN acts as a master key. When you turn on the VPN, it hides your real IP address in the process rendering it unreadable to internet service providers. However, as an IP is required to surf the web, the VPN will grant you a ‘fake’ IP address from another jurisdiction. It’s for this reason that a VPN enables you to access sites which ordinarily will be blocked in your real jurisdiction. You will be surfing the internet as if you are abroad even though local.

It’s important to note that for most VPNs, they automatically assign you a different IP address once you open them. However, you may want to manually pick servers from a country you prefer to get the best out of the VPN. This is necessitated by the fact that at times, you may be assigned an IP address from a different jurisdiction which still is on the restricted territories list. You will thus need to pick the permitted country manually from those supported. It’s for this reason that you should always go for VPNs that offer servers from a high number of countries all around the globe.

How to Get a VPN

Now that you know what a VPN is and how it functions in the process, understanding all its advantages, odds are, you now want to get a VPN for yourself. The great thing is, you can get a VPN easily and most importantly, legally.

VPNs are readily available on top online market stores such as Google Play Store, Apple App Store and different markets for desktop devices. Simply input ‘VPN or Virtual Private Network’ in the search bar and a whole load of options will appear. Peruse through the list looking for the top-rated VPN offering great features and of course, prices to download and install on your device.

VPNs can also be downloaded directly from the parent websites of the companies that design them. If you know a VPN you want by name or if you have a recommendation, simply go directly to the website and download it. The beauty of it all is that VPNs are available for download free of charge!

How to Download and Use a VPN

A VPN (virtual private network) is one handy tool that most internet users love. This is largely necessitated by its two main functions that is, its ability to shield internet users online from snoopers as well as internet service providers and its ability to open ‘locked’ websites by changing one’s ISP address. If you didn’t have an idea of the convenience that a VPN brings to you, now you do.

Well, to start surfing the internet in complete privacy away from the prying eyes of internet service providers or other online snoopers, you need to get a VPN. When it comes to VPNs, you are spoiled for choice as there are dozens upon dozens of these. You will thus need to do a thorough job of searching for the best out of the rest. As this can be quite a daunting and overwhelming task, we are going to expose the parameters to consider when doing your research. These are exposed below:

Considerations When Looking for the Best VPN

Number of Servers/Countries Supported: One of the top considerations is the number of servers/countries supported. The general rule of thumb is that the higher the number of servers/countries supported, the better the VPN. This is necessitated by the fact that you have more options to choose from when selecting a server to connect to.
Pricing Structure – Free Version: You also need to consider the cost of getting a VPN. If you are looking to just bypass a location restriction and stream a game/movie, or maybe place a bet at a betting site not permitted in your country, you don’t have to break the bank to get a VPN. It’s for this reason that you should seriously consider the pricing structure. Of course, it’s also advantageous to go for VPNs with a free version or those offering a free trial as this allows you to know what to expect before you pay the big bucks.
High Internet Speed – No Bandwidth Limits: The mere fact that you are using a VPN should not mean that you compromise on the internet speed front. As such, go for VPNs that guarantee high internet speeds with no bandwidth limits.
Compatible Across Many Platforms: Once you find the best VPN, odds are, you will want to use it across all your devices from mobile to desktop.

How to Download a VPN in Ethiopia

One thing that’s clear at this point is that there is a plethora of options when it comes to VPNs. While this is the case, the great thing for all internet users looking to get a VPN to use is that the download process for most if not all VPNs is more or less the same. As such, in the two download step-by-step guides that we are going to expose below, internet users will find that either of them works perfectly for the VPN they want to download. The two guides are as follows:

Download Via Online Market Places

Most VPNs are freely available to download directly from online marketplaces. Whether using mobile devices (Android or iOS) or desktop (Mac or Windows), you can proceed to the device’s respective marketplace (Play Store for Android and App Store for iOS)
On the marketplace, search for VPNs by simply inputting ‘VPN’ or ‘virtual Private Network’ in the search tab
When the results pop up, search for the VPN you prefer using the considerations listed above
Click the ‘Install’ button to start the download process
Once the installation process completes, click the ‘Open’ button to open the VPN. Note that for future purposes, you will need to click the VPN icon which automatically is placed on your device’s home screen.

Download Via the Website

In some instances, you may know the exact name of the VPN you want to download. Possibly a friend recommended one or you were impressed by a VPN you read online. If this is the case, you can download the VPN directly from the website of the company that designed it. The first step you need to take therefore is to visit the website
Once you land on the homepage, proceed to search for the ‘Download’ button. often, you can readily find it on the header tab or menu bar that is, at the top of the screen. Note that in some cases, you are required to first register an account on the website before downloading the VPN app while on other websites, you can download the VPN without undertaking the registration process
After the download process completes, proceed to install the VPN app on your device
Open the VPN app and proceed to search the web in complete privacy.

VPN App Uses

There are two main uses of a VPN. These are as follows:

The first use of a VPN is to guarantee the privacy of the internet user when searching the web. A VPN hides the IP address and other info of the internet user hence rendering this info unreadable to internet service providers as well as other snoopers. In essence, everything that one does online will be a complete mystery to other third parties.
Another use of a VPN which is equally important is that it allows internet users to bypass many restrictions oftentimes location (jurisdiction) restrictions. This in essence makes VPNs highly appealing to internet users such as online casino players, sports punters, and fans of streaming live sports, films and movies among many others. Thanks to VPNs, the IP address of one’s device can easily be switched such that a website which restricts users from a certain jurisdiction will have its restrictions circumvented by choosing an IP address from a permitted location. With a VPN installed on your device, you have the power of surfing the web from every corner of the world!