What Is A VPN?
Before we discuss its benefits, let’s look at what exactly a VPN is. It’s a way of concealing your IP.
The program bounces your connection to a foreign computer. The server may be in your country or abroad.
The way your data is sent is decided by the protocol used. And as the data is traveling, it’s encrypted. The number of encryptions available is immense. Your best bet is a military one. It’s impossible to decode.
With that said, you might have guessed a couple of its uses. Let’s take a look at them in-depth because there are some VPN services that are providing these for free.
Best Free VPN Services in Australia
Here is a list with the best VPN services that are available in Australia:
Name | Offer |
---|---|
ExpressVPN | 3 Months Free |
NordVPN | 30 Day Money Back Guarantee |
VyprVPN | Free Trial |
Surfshark | 83% Off |
Windscribe | 11 Location |
You’re Protecting Your Privacy
Not to alarm you, but you’re most likely being watched. Countries are known to collect data about their citizens. There are even surveillance networks, like the 14-eyes that share data. You won’t like to hear this, but Australia is a member of the organization. The nation is known to have recently cranked up its surveillance.
When using a VPN, you’re protecting your privacy. Your data is sent to a server, not to your ISP. If you didn’t know, your ISP logs everything you do. Not only do they sell this information, but they give it to the government.
VPNs keep your safe, but you should be careful about the one you use. Some of them log your activity too. Use one that has a very strict no-logging policy.
If your VPN monitors what you do, they’re likely selling your information to third-party sites instead of giving it to the government. Totally free VPNs are notorious for their loggings. After all, they are free. By selling your data, they make cash.
There are free VPN software for Windows, Android, iOS or most other operating systems.
You can use VPNs on almost any device like: PC, MAC, Ipad, Smartphone and more.
You’re Being Secure Online
Remember how we mentioned encryptions? Your data is made into a code that cannot be cracked. A hacker will never be able to access your information. They won’t be able to IP-grab or DDos you either.
No matter where you are if you’re using public wi-fi, it’ll be easy to crack. Infiltrators will be able to access the information running through the network. If you have an encrypted connection, you’ll be safe.
As mentioned, there are various encryptions out there. Your best bet is a 256-bit one. It’s military level and is impossible to break. It isn’t commonly used in free VPNs, though.
When your data is sent to the server, it will be decoded with a key. Only your device and the server have access to it. This is great to know as cyber-attacks in Australia have been on the rise.
You Are Avoiding Restrictions
Geo-blocks are a nuisance. It’s when you can’t access a site due to the location, you’re in.
If you’re from Bangladesh or the Bahamas, you’ll realize that you can’t make a Netflix account. The streaming service is not available in certain countries due to licensing agreements. Not just Netflix, many streaming services are restricted by licensing. Disney+ is only available in a handful of places.
To get around this geo-block, you can use a VPN. It’ll channel your IP to a foreign server. This only works with paid VPNs. Free ones have a very limited number of servers. Sites like Netflix regularly find and black-list them. As free VPNs share their servers, none of them can by-pass the geo-block.
Paid VPNs offer a magnitude of servers. They also have the most encrypted connections, so Netflix will never know what you’re up to.
Even if the streaming service is available in your country, you’ll still find a VPN useful. Licensing agreements make the content libraries for each country differ. Netflix America has more shows than its Australian counterpart. By connecting to a server in the states, you’ll have access to their line-up.
You Are Avoiding Restrictions
Not only do sites restrict access, but countries do as well. Nations like China, Turkmenistan, and the UAE censor their internet. You can’t access Facebook or Twitter if you’re from China. As you can imagine, connecting to a VPN would get rid of this issue.
Just like with Netflix, not all VPNs will work. There is no chance a free VPN would be able to overcome China’s “Great Firewall”. Paid VPNs have a better chance, but not all of them can manage this. ExpressVPN should be your go-to. It’s amazing at overcoming censorships.
However, be careful. Countries that have restrictions have likely banned VPNs. Although you may not be jailed, you might have to pay a hefty fine. This is where VPNs like PrivateVPN come into play. They have stealth modes, making it impossible to detect that you’re using a virtual private network.
Have Faster Internet
Australian ISPs are known to throttle connections. This slows your internet down. They could have reasons, but a lot of the time, there are none. Many times, ISPs slow your connection to make you upgrade to a better internet package.
They also do this if you’re using a site they’re not partnered with. They may be in an agreement with Hulu, so when they see you watching Netflix, they’d throttle your connection. VPNs prevent such things from taking place as your data is not sent back to your ISP.
Not only will free VPNs be of no help, but they’d make your internet slower. Many of them sell your bandwidth.
Torrent In Peace
Who doesn’t love torrenting? It’s an easy way to download content you’d have to pay for. However, it is pirating, which is illegal. Pirating is an issue the authorities are cracking down on. Australia has blocked many torrenting sites.
When your data is sent to your ISP, they will know that you’re trying to torrent. This would cause the site to not load. If they manage to work, your ISP will throttle your connection so that you won’t be able to download anything.
In some countries, ISPs provide your information to the owners of the content. This could get ugly as the authorities may get involved.
Preventing your data from going back to your ISP would let you torrent in peace. And if the authorities ever get involved, they won’t be very successful. Good VPNs have no-log policies. When the authorities check their servers, they won’t find anything that would incriminate you.
This happened recently. The Turkish authorities investigated an ExpressVPN server. They were left disappointed as they found nothing on it.
What Do You Look for In A VPN?
Since you now know why VPNs are so useful, let’s look at all the features that a good one should have:
No-Log Policy
You want to stay anonymous online. With a no-log policy, your activity won’t be tracked.
Military Encryptions
The types of encryptions out there differ. Your best bet is a military one. It’ll leave your data uncrackable.
Split-Tunneling
This is when you send some of your data back to your ISP. This lets you access foreign content as well as local ones. You’ll also be able to access LAN devices.
Kill-Switches
If your VPN ever goes offline, your data would be sent back to your ISP. With a kill-switch, you’re sent offline instead of connecting to your ISP.
A Large Number of Servers
The best VPNs would have a large number of servers. The best ones have over 1000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there free vpn unlimited data? VPN software come with some restrictions. If you get unlimited data, you won’t be able to switch the VPN server to another country.
Is a VPN an ip blocker? No. A vpn software just hides your real address and gives you a temporary “fake” IP address. This also means that if your IP is blocked on a website due to country restrictions, you will be able to access that website with a VPN.
How can I get a vpn free? Just pick a VPN service from the list above.
Are there free vpn apps for iphone, mac or ipad? Of course. Most services listed on this page, work with these devices.
Are VPNs good for gaming? This really depends on your internet connection, on the quality of the VPN service and the game you are playing. If you are playing competitive FPS games, a VPN is probably not a good idea, beause you may get a higher ping.
Are free VPNs good for torrenting? I don’t recommend free VPNs if privacy is the most important factor for using one.
Are VPNs Worth It?
Whether you’re from Australia or not, using a VPN is worth it. It is a way of hiding your IP. It will bounce your connection to a server of your choice. When this is done, the data traveling through it is encrypted. This prevents anyone from getting access to it.
VPNs are useful as they:
- Keep your safe
- Ensure your privacy
- Bypass geo-blocks, censorships and throttling
- Let your torrent in peace
They keep you safe as hackers would not be able to crack their encryption. This is especially true if a 256-bit military lock is in place. VPNs are a must when connected to public Wi-Fi. You could otherwise be hacked.
As you’ll be connected to a foreign server, your data will not be sent back to your ISP. This would keep you safe as they wouldn’t be logging your activity. Moreover, VPNs have no-logging policies. This prevents them from tracking what you do, which would keep you anonymous online.
Because you’ll have a foreign IP, you’ll fool sites into thinking you’re from that location. This would let you bypass geographic blocks. Much of the time, they’re in place due to licensing agreements. This is especially true for streaming services.
You’ll also be able to by-pass censorships. Countries like China have blocked Facebook and Twitter.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, ISPs throttle your connection. They may have a reason for this, but it is a nuisance at the end of the day. As you can imagine, preventing your data from going back to them would avoid such a thing. You’ll also be able to torrent. Torrenting is illegal, which is why many pirating sites are blocked in Australia. By not having an Australian IP, you’ll be able to access them.
Overall, VPNs are useful. However, avoid free VPNs as they offer nothing in terms of safeguarding your data.