On many occasions, you have surely heard how recommended it is to use a VPN network in order to have greater privacy. In the case of our iPhone, we normally connect it to insecure WiFi networks if it is recommended to use a VPN. In this article we discuss the benefits and how to configure it.
What is a VPN
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network is a network of computers connected through the internet. In other words, it is like a local network like the one we have in our homes. But unlike this, we have a virtual link that is made through the internet. This makes the iPhone or any other equipment that is connected to the VPN act as if it were physically connected to the local network.
VPNs were created to allow connection to local networks even though the computer is not physically connected. All this process is achieved through tunneling to be able to send data packets through the internet to very distant points.
Uses of a VPN
The uses of these networks are varied, although the main one is to provide greater security when browsing the Internet. In this way, when using a VPN that is encrypted, you can browse without the router knowing what we are doing. This is useful when we are in a space where the internet connection is open and therefore insecure.
It is also being used above all to simulate that the iPhone is in a different region. This is useful for example in China where Google services are restricted, but thanks to a VPN we can ‘simulate’ that we are in Spain to have this access.
VPN problems
But not all are advantages, since we must also weigh that the connection speed is slower when having to do a longer route with the VPN server. And although the theory says that VPNs are secure, companies that offer this service can sometimes access this data. That is why we must always resort to fully trusted VPN services.
We can also suffer some kind of problem with the location, because it is increasingly common that the tracking is not done through the IP. To this we must add that we are not facing an anonymous route, that is, with a VPN you will not enjoy anonymous browsing. For this you have to resort to other services at the same time such as Tor.
Set up a VPN on iPhone
If you are computer savvy, it is possible to create a VPN server on a computer or NAS. In this way you will not have to resort to external companies that offer the service saving you money. If this is your case and you have all the data from your VPN, you simply must follow the following steps to configure:
- Go to Settings.
- Enter ‘General’.
- Scroll down to the ‘VPN near the bottom.
- When accessing, we will simply click on ‘Add VPN configuration’.
- Enter all the information it asks for, such as remote ID, username, password …
Once all these steps are done, the automatic connection to your personal VPN will be made, having access to all the data and all its advantages. As we have previously said, this removes the problem of price and also of security since our data will be on our server.
Third party VPN services
If you do not want to get into programming a VPN server on your PC or on a NAS, you can always go to third-party applications that offer this service. But obviously in this case we will have to pay a monthly or annual subscription for its use. It is true that we can have some free alternatives, but if we are looking for something safe and reliable, the main options are paid.
NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the most reliable services that we can find because they have more than 5700 servers available in 60 countries. There is no type of limit on bandwidth but in exchange you have to pay a subscription that exceeds 10 euros per month, although with the annual subscription it stays at € 86.99 .
VPN Proxy
Service backed by thousands of customers who have enjoyed a good experience, since it works with WiFi, LTE, 3G and all mobile data carriers, supporting iOS 8 onwards. It allows us to protect our traffic with the hotspot feature and includes a 7-day trial period.
