您可能听说过VPN(VPNs)，但您很有可能不使用此类服务。我们认为您应该使用VPN，并且应该尽快使用。您现在可能看不到它的真正价值，但随着时间的推移，您可能会承认VPN与您的(VPNs)互联网连接(internet connection)一样重要。在本文中，我们将解释什么是VPN、VPN 的工作原理(VPNs work)以及您可以将它们用于什么用途。阅读本文以了解为什么在您的计算机和设备上使用VPN 服务如此重要：(VPN service)
什么是 VPN？定义
VPN 或虚拟专用网络是通过 Internet 与您所在网络之外的另一个网络建立的安全加密连接。(A VPN or Virtual Private Network is a secure encrypted connection to another network than the one you are in, made through the internet.)这意味着VPN将专用网络扩展到公共网络（在我们的例子中为互联网），它允许用户发送和接收敏感数据，就好像他们的计算机或设备直接连接到专用网络一样，即使在物理上，他们不在同一个网络中。
如果我们向您展示现实生活中的情况，这些信息可能更容易消化。假设您需要与同事/朋友交换大量信息，并且您必须用于此数据传输(data transfer)的程序要求您的两台计算机位于同一网络上。不幸的是，您的朋友/同事不在城里，不在他/她的电脑前。最简单的解决方案是让您配置VPN 访问(VPN access)您的网络，以便您的朋友/同事通过VPN连接到您的网络。这样一来，就好像你们都在同一个本地网络上，并且可以轻松完成信息交换。(information exchange)换句话说，VPN即使你们都只连接到互联网，也可以帮助您假装自己在本地网络上。
VPN如何工作？
为了进一步了解VPN(VPNs)的特性，让我们谈谈互联网流量(internet traffic)。当您使用本地网络从 Internet 访问各种服务时，网络请求的来源是您的局域网((area network) LAN )(LAN)。但是，如果您连接到VPN并且您的所有流量都通过那里，那么外界会将您视为VPN本地网络的一部分。因此，源查询(source query)不再是您的网络，而是您通过VPN连接的网络。这意味着您与之通信的网站和其他网络不再看到IP 地址(IP address)您的设备作为请求的来源，但您正在使用的VPN 。
此外，您的ISP（互联网服务提供商(Internet Service Provider)）只看到一个连接：您和您使用的VPN 服务(VPN service)之间设置的一个连接，当然，它是加密的。因此，您的ISP无法看到您在VPN 连接(VPN connection)中所做的事情，即使它在 Internet 上运行，也无法监控您。
但是，有一个问题：如果您使用的VPN的服务器位于您所在的国家/地区，并且也使用相同的ISP，那么互联网服务提供商(internet service provider)可能会看到您的网络流量(network traffic)。即便如此，它也不能推断它是您的，因为此流量的来源是VPN 服务器(VPN server)，而不是您的设备。
在某些方面，VPN的工作方式类似于代理，因为您的ISP只看到与代理的连接，而代理服务器(proxy server)是您请求的来源。主要区别在于您的ISP可以很容易地看到向您的代理发出的请求，因为它们没有加密。换句话说，在简单的搜索中，一切仍然可见。您可以在这篇文章中了解更多关于使用VPN(VPN)和代理服务器(proxy server)之间的区别：何时使用代理以及何时使用VPN？。
为了帮助您更容易理解我们上面解释的内容，我们还为您提供了两个图表。首先(First)，这里是在线导航在没有VPN的情况下是如何工作的：
以下是它与 VPN 的工作方式：
在上图中，我们添加了一个防火墙，它可能存在也可能不存在。尽管如此，我们还是有必要说明你们中的一些人可能遇到的另一个问题：当您的ISP、大学、公司或政府(company or government)有防火墙或代理(firewall or proxy)阻止您访问某些网站时会发生什么。这个问题很容易在VPN 服务(VPN service)的帮助下解决，它允许您访问任何在线服务并访问(service and access)所有网站，无论您连接到什么网络。防火墙/代理会看到您的计算机和VPN之间的连接(VPN)但是，由于此连接是加密的，它无法读取您交换的信息。因此，只要您保持与VPN 服务器(VPN server)的连接，您就不会被防火墙/代理阻止，您可以自由地在互联网上访问您想要的内容。
如何连接到 VPN
您可以通过多种可能的方式连接到VPN，但总体思路是您必须证明自己的身份。建立这种安全连接的最简单方法是使用用户名和密码(username and password)直接登录到VPN 服务器(VPN server)。如果您想在 Windows 中连接 VPN(VPN in Windows)，请使用此特定方法，我们建议您阅读以下教程之一：
- 如何在Windows 10中创建、配置、使用和删除(Windows 10)VPN 连接(VPN connection)
- 如何在Windows 7中创建和使用(Windows 7)VPN连接
- 如何在Windows 8和 8.1中创建、配置和使用VPN 连接(VPN Connection)
如果您想在 Android 智能手机上创建并连接 VPN(VPN on your Android smartphone)，我们在本指南中介绍了所有步骤：如何在Android中创建、配置和使用(Android)VPN 连接(VPN connection)。
如果您使用iPhone 或 iPad(iPhone or an iPad)并想在 iOS 设备上创建VPN 连接(VPN connection)，您可以阅读我们的指南：如何在 iPhone（或 iPad）上创建、配置和使用VPN 连接。(VPN connection)
注意：(NOTE:)您还可以安装允许您创建安全VPN 隧道(VPN tunnel)的特定软件。该VPN 应用程序(VPN app)处理数据的加密和解密(encryption and decryption)。与上述方法类似，它通常需要用户名和密码来确认您的身份。但是，您仍然可以选择是否更喜欢使用其他形式的身份验证，例如令牌或智能卡。使用令牌的优势在于它很难被破解，因此任何人几乎不可能窃取您的密码。此外，每个令牌都是唯一的，这意味着VPN 服务器(VPN server)可以立即识别其用户。
使用 VPN 的优势
以下是总结上述所有信息的列表，旨在向您展示使用虚拟专用(Virtual Private)网络的好处：
- 您与您使用的VPN 服务(VPN service)之间的所有流量均已加密，因此您的VPN 提供商(VPN provider)以外的其他人无法看到您在互联网上所做的事情
- 只要您连接到VPN，您就可以访问整个互联网而不受审查，否则可能会影响您
- 如果您使用位于提供这些服务或网站的区域的VPN 服务器，则您可以访问这些服务和受地理限制的网站(VPN server)
- 您在互联网上连接的服务器无法看到您的真实IP 地址(IP address)，只能看到VPN 服务器的 IP 地址(VPN server)
- 您可以上网、查看电子邮件或在公共网络上发送重要信息，而不会有其他人监视您的风险，而不是您的VPN 提供商(VPN provider)
哪些是最好的 VPN 服务？
我们已经测试了几种VPN服务，试图找出哪些是最好、最安全和最快的VPN(VPNs)。我们最喜欢的是CyberGhost、NordVPN(NordVPN)和F(CyberGhost) - Secure Freedome VPN(F-Secure Freedome VPN)。有关更多详细信息，请查看我们的评论：
- 回顾 CyberGhost(Review CyberGhost)：金钱可以买到的最好的 VPN 之一
- 每个人的安全 - 审查NordVPN
- 每个人的安全 - 审查 F-Secure Freedome VPN
你是如何使用VPN的？
VPN(VPNs)（虚拟专用网络(Virtual Private Networks)）已成为在线跟踪(online tracking)时代的必需品，特别是如果您想保护您的隐私并保护您的连接。VPN会创建一个私有隧道，这是一个无法被其他代理（例如您的互联网服务提供商(internet service provider)( ISP ) 或政府）解密的封闭连接。这意味着您发送的信息不容易被拦截。我们希望本文能帮助您更好地了解VPN是什么以及它是如何工作的。在结束本文之前，请告诉我们您是否在使用VPN、如何使用以及为什么。在下面发表评论，让我们辩论。
What is a VPN? What does a VPN do?
You have probably heard about VPNs, but there іs a big chance that yоu do nоt use this typе of service. We think that you should use a VPN, and you should do it as ѕoon as possible. You might not see its real value right nоw, but over time, you are likely to acknowledge that VPNs are just as important as your internet connection. In this article, we explaіn what a VPN іs, how VPNs work and what you can uѕe them for. Read this article to υnderstand why іt is so important for you to uѕe a VРN service on your computers and devices:
What is a VPN? The definition
A VPN or Virtual Private Network is a secure encrypted connection to another network than the one you are in, made through the internet. This means that a VPN extends a private network across a public network (in our case, the internet), which allows users to send and receive sensitive data as if their computers or devices were directly connected to the private network, even though, physically, they are not in the same network.
This information might be easier to digest if we showed you a real-life situation. Let's say that you need to exchange a large amount of information with a colleague/friend and the program you have to use for this data transfer requires that both of your computers are on the same network. Unfortunately, your friend/colleague is out of town and not at his/her computer. The simplest solution is for you to configure VPN access to your network so that your friend/colleague connects to your network through VPN. By doing so, it would seem as if you are both on the same local network and the information exchange can be completed easily. In other words, the VPN helps you pretend that you are on a local network even if you are both only connected to the internet.
How does a VPN work?
To go further into the characteristics of VPNs, let's talk a bit about internet traffic. When you use your local network to access various services from the internet, the source of your network requests is your local area network (LAN). However, if you are connected to a VPN and all of your traffic goes through there, then the outside world sees you as part of the VPN's local network. Therefore, the source query is no longer your network, but the one to which you are connected through VPN. This means that the websites and other networks with which you communicate no longer see the IP address of your device as the source of requests, but that of the VPN you are using.
Furthermore, your ISP (Internet Service Provider) only sees a single connection: the one set up between you and the VPN service you are using, which is, of course, encrypted. As such, your ISP cannot see what you are doing inside your VPN connection, even if it works over the internet and, therefore, it cannot monitor you.
However, there is a catch: if you use a VPN whose server is located in your country, that also uses the same ISP, then it's possible for the internet service provider to see your network traffic. Even so, it cannot deduce it is yours since the origin of this traffic is the VPN server and not your device.
In some ways, a VPN works similarly to a proxy because your ISP only sees the connection to the proxy and the proxy server is the source of your requests. The main difference is that your ISP can easily see the request made to your proxy since they are not encrypted. In other words, at a simple search, everything is still visible. You can read more about the differences between using a VPN and a proxy server, in this article: When to use a proxy and when to use a VPN?.
To help you understand more easily what we have explained above, we also offer you two diagrams. First, here is how online navigation works without VPN:
Here is how it works with VPN:
In the above diagrams, we have added a firewall, which may or may not be present. Still, it was necessary for us to illustrate another possible problem some of you might have: what happens when your ISP, university, company or government has a firewall or proxy that prevents you from accessing certain websites. This problem is easily solvable with the help of a VPN service, which allows you to access any online service and access all websites, regardless of the network you are connected to. The firewall/proxy sees the connection between your computer and your VPN but, since this connection is encrypted, it cannot read the information you exchange. Therefore, as long as you remain connected to the VPN server, you are not blocked by the firewall/proxy, and you are free to access what you want on the internet.
How to connect to a VPN
You can connect to a VPN in several possible ways, but the general idea is that you have to certify your identity. The simplest way to establish this secure connection is by logging in directly to the VPN server with a username and password. If you want to connect to a VPN in Windows, using this particular method, we recommend you read one of the following tutorials:
If you want to create and connect to a VPN on your Android smartphone, we covered all the steps, in this guide: How to create, configure and use a VPN connection in Android.
In case you use an iPhone or an iPad and want to create a VPN connection on your iOS device, you can read our guide: How to create, configure and use a VPN connection on an iPhone (or iPad).
NOTE: You can also install specific software that allows you to create a secure VPN tunnel. That VPN app handles the encryption and decryption of data. Similarly to the above method, it usually requires a username and password to confirm your identity. However, you can still choose whether you prefer using other forms of authentication, such as tokens or smart cards. The advantage of using a token is the fact that it is tough to hack and, as such, it is almost impossible for anyone to steal your password. Also, each token is unique, which means that the VPN server can instantly recognize its user.
The advantages of using a VPN
Here is a list that summarizes all the information above, in an attempt to show you the benefits of using Virtual Private Networks:
- All the traffic between you and the VPN service you use is encrypted, so it is impossible for someone else other than your VPN provider to see what you do on the internet
- As long as you are connected to your VPN, you have access to the whole internet without censorship that might affect you otherwise
- You can access services and geographically restricted websites if you use a VPN server that is located in a region where those services or websites are available
- The servers that you connect to on the internet cannot see your real IP address, just that of the VPN server
- You can surf the web, check your emails or send important information on public networks without the risk of someone else spying on you, other than your VPN provider
Which are the best VPN services?
We have tested several VPN services, to try and find out which are the best, most secure and fastest VPNs. The ones we liked best are CyberGhost, NordVPN, and F-Secure Freedome VPN. For more details check our reviews:
How are you using VPN?
VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) have become a necessity in the age of online tracking, especially if you want to protect your privacy and secure your connections. A VPN creates a private tunnel, a closed connection that cannot be decrypted by other agents, such as your internet service provider (ISP) or government, for example. That means that the information you send cannot be easily intercepted. We hope that this article helped you gain a better understanding of what a VPN is and how it works. Before closing this article, tell us whether you are using VPN, how, and why. Comment below and let's debate.
