What is VPN? Concept and classification of VPN networks, their construction

Previously, the state had a rather mediocre understanding of the Internet, so it did not legally interfere with users. Today, while walking on the World Wide Web, you can increasingly come across the phrase: “This site is included in the register of prohibited sites” or “Your ISP has blocked access.”

So, if you want to return complete freedom activities on the Internet and acquire another level of protection, then you definitely need to familiarize yourself with the technology of virtual private networks - VPN.

VPN: term and principle of operation

Virtual Private Network (VPN) is the name of a technology that allows the creation and overlay of one or more networks on top of any other user network.

Now, how exactly does a VPN work? Your computer has a specific IP address that blocks access to certain sites. You enable VPN technology through some program or extension. VPN changes your address to an address from a server in another country (for example, Holland or Germany).

Next, a security connection is created, which cannot be blocked by the provider. As a result, you get a secure protocol through which you can freely visit any Internet site, and completely anonymously.

Structure and types of technology

The whole technology works in two layers. The first one is internal network, the second is external. When you connect to the technology, the system identifies your network and then sends an authentication request. This technology very similar to authorization in some social network, only here everything is carried out through secure protocols and without the participation of the provider.

Sami virtual networks are also divided into several categories. The main classification is based on the degree of protection, that is, the user can use both paid VPNs, and free.

The difference between them is the secure connection. For example, subscription systems will give you secure protocols such as PPTP, IPSec and others. While free VPNs often provide only “trusted” channels. That is, your network itself must be highly protected, and a VPN will only enhance the level of protection.

To be honest, the biggest disadvantage of free VPN services not even security, but stability and connection speed. Through free VPN The Internet will most likely work very slowly, and not always stable.

A subscription to paid VPNs does not exceed $10 per month, but not every user needs it. For ordinary tasks, there is no point in purchasing Premium accounts; standard capabilities are sufficient.

Reasons to use a VPN

enjoy VPN technology necessary for every user, and here's why:

Data protection. Especially suitable for those users who like to connect to a neighbor’s “free” Wi-Fi connection, and then discover that their card data has been stolen. Such situations include gatherings in cafes and generally in any places with free Wi-Fi.
Complete anonymity. When you open new tab with the site - this action will be displayed on the provider’s server, so that your journey on the Internet can be tracked by any employee of the company. By turning on a VPN, you will hide your browsing history because you are using a different IP address.
The ability to surf the Internet without obstacles. Bookmakers, online casinos, torrents, forums, sites for adults - all the “underground” of the Internet is again available to you, everything is like in the old days.
Use of foreign resources. It is, of course, unlikely that you will use English-language services such as hulu.com, but still, you are provided with full access to all popular sites around the world.

How to use VPN on a computer?

Let's consider a situation where we use a regular browser and want to visit blocked sites. In this situation, you can go two ways:

install the VPN client (program) on your PC;
add a browser extension via Webstore.

Either the first or the second option - they are easily implemented, but for the full picture, let’s consider both.

You can also use the free one.

To install a VPN client, you need to download a program on the Internet, for example, “Betternet”. Let's launch installation file and install the client. We launch it, click: “Connect” and that’s it. The problem is that the program automatically gives us a random IP address, and we cannot select a country, but by pressing just one button we are already using a VPN. And one more disadvantage is the need to constantly launch the program, however, some clients have the ability to launch it simultaneously with the OS.

The second way is to add an extension. The downside here is that, most often, registration is required to use it, plus the extensions have the ability to crash. But the extension is much easier to use - click on the icon in the browser, select the country and profit. On this moment There are thousands of similar programs, you can choose any of them, for example, “Hotspot Shield”. Add the extension to your browser, register and no more technical points will not be.

For example, this is how the ZenMate VPN extension works in the browser:

ABOUT VPN extensions For different browsers we wrote in the article: .

How to use VPN on mobile devices?

We will look at those devices that have popular operating systems on board, for example, iOS or Android.

Using a VPN on smartphones or tablets is also quite simple, namely through mobile applications. The problem is that some programs require root rights, and these are additional hassles, plus the possibility of turning the phone into a “brick”. So look for programs that do not require you to have root rights. On Android, for example, it is OpenVPN, and on iOS it is Cloak. You can also use the free and proven one on iPhone and iPad. I use it myself sometimes, it works great.

The download technology is very simple: download the application from Play Market or AppStore, install it on your device. Next, we activate the VPN, select a profile (from where we will get the IP address), then make a connection and that’s all. Now you are surfing the Internet through a VPN, which the application you are using will tell you about.

Now you understand how VPN connection technology is implemented, and now your online experience will become more secure, anonymous, and most importantly - accessible and unlimited.

Imagine a scene from an action-packed movie in which the villain escapes the crime scene along the highway in a sports car. He is being pursued by a police helicopter. The car enters a tunnel that has several exits. The helicopter pilot does not know which exit the car will appear from, and the villain escapes the chase.

VPN is a tunnel connecting many roads. No one from the outside knows where the cars entering it will end up. No one from the outside knows what is happening in the tunnel.

You've probably heard about VPN more than once. Lifehacker also talks about this thing. Most often, a VPN is recommended because using the network you can access geo-blocked content and generally increase security when using the Internet. The truth is that accessing the Internet through a VPN can be no less dangerous than directly.

How does a VPN work?

Most likely, you have a Wi-Fi router at home. Devices connected to it can exchange data even without the Internet. It turns out that you have your own private network, but in order to connect to it, you need to be physically within reach of the router’s signal.

VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a virtual private network. It runs on top of the Internet, so you can connect to it from anywhere.

For example, the company you work for may use a virtual private network for remote workers. WITH using VPN they connect to the work network. At the same time, their computers, smartphones or tablets are virtually transferred to the office and connected to the network from the inside. To log into a virtual private network, you need to know the VPN server address, login and password.

Using a VPN is quite simple. Usually a company installs a VPN server somewhere on local computer, server or data center, and connection to it occurs using a VPN client on the user device.

Nowadays, all current devices have built-in VPN clients. operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux.

The VPN connection between the client and the server is usually encrypted.

So VPN is good?

Yes, if you are a business owner and want to secure corporate data and services. Letting employees into work environment only via VPN and accounts, you will always know who did and is doing what.

Moreover, the VPN owner can monitor and control all traffic that goes between the server and the user.

Do your employees spend a lot of time on VKontakte? You can block access to this service. Does Gennady Andreevich spend half his working day on sites with memes? All his activity is automatically recorded in logs and will become an ironclad argument for dismissal.

Why VPN then?

VPN allows you to bypass geographic and legal restrictions.

For example, you are in Russia and want. We regret to learn that this service is not available from the Russian Federation. You can use it only by accessing the Internet through a VPN server in the country in which Spotify operates.

In some countries, there is Internet censorship that restricts access to certain sites. You want to access some resource, but it is blocked in Russia. You can open the site only by accessing the Internet through a VPN server of a country in which it is not blocked, that is, from almost any country except the Russian Federation.

VPN is useful and required technology, which copes well with a certain range of tasks. But the security of personal data still depends on the integrity of the VPN service provider, your common sense, attentiveness and Internet literacy.

VPN is a feature available on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, which allows you to change the device’s IP address when accessing the Internet. There are several ways to use it.

Why do you need a VPN?

Using a VPN leads to the fact that when you access the Internet, all sites and other objects requesting your IP will receive not your individual number, which records from which location you are accessing the network, but another one, tied to another location or another country .

This function can be useful in cases where you need to access a site that is blocked in your country, or log into any resource blocked by the settings of the Wi-Fi network through which the connection is made. VPN provides anonymity, that is, no one will know that it was from your device that you entered a particular Internet resource.

That is, if you are, for example, in Russia, then with the help of a VPN you can set an IP for your connection, thanks to which it will be displayed everywhere that you are, for example, in Italy.

The use of VPN is officially prohibited in Russia.

How to use a VPN

On iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, there are two ways to use VPN services: through the device's built-in settings or through a third-party application.

Using VPN through built-in settings

To use this method, you will have to find a site that provides VPN services in advance and create an account on it.

Expand device settings. Open your Apple device settings
Go to main settings. Opening Apple's main settings
Select "Network". Go to the “Network” section
Select the VPN sub-item. Select the VPN subsection in the “Network” tab
Start creating new configuration. Click on the “Add configuration” button
Please indicate that you want to use the PPTP protocol. Fill out all the fields: “Server” - the site that you found in advance, “Description” - can be obtained on the site, “ Account" - the name of your account, RSA - leave the factory value, "Password" - the code for the account, if there is one, "Encryption" - none. After filling in all the cells, save the entered data. Fill in empty cells configurations
Make sure the settings you create are selected as default. Setting the default configuration
Return to general settings and activate using a VPN. If you want to interrupt the connection via VPN, then click on the slider again so that the function becomes inactive. Enable VPN in device settings

Video: setting up a VPN using the system

Using a VPN through a third-party app

There are many programs that provide a VPN connection. One of the best is Betternet, it can be installed for free from App Store. To connect and VPN disconnection You only need to press one button, and the time you can use the VPN is not limited. That is, you don’t have to manually enter settings, create accounts or use any other additional services. Just install the application, go into it and press the Connect button to connect and Disconnect to disconnect.

Connecting or disconnecting from a VPN via Betternet

You can also choose which country the VPN will link you to.

Choose VPN server via Betternet

Video: Setting up a VPN with Betternet

What to do if the VPN icon disappears

If the device is connected to the network via VPN, then an icon will indicate this. top panel notifications. The disappearance of this icon means that you are still connected to the Internet, but redirection via the VPN has ended. That is, the VPN connection is interrupted, it may deactivate on its own due to unstable connection with the Internet or problems with the server providing VPN services. In this case, you must manually reconnect to the VPN using one of the methods described above. You may need to reboot your device first before reconnecting.

VPN icon in notification bar

What to do if VPN doesn't work

A VPN connection may not work for two reasons: an unstable Internet connection or a problem with the server that provides VPN services. First, check if your connection to mobile internet or Wi-Fi networks. Secondly, check the correctness of the entered settings if you used the first method described above, or install any other application other than the one described above in the second method, if you used it.

The best way to get rid of the VPN connection problem is to choose a different service or application. The main thing is to choose a VPN that will work in your area.

A VPN allows you to use services that are blocked in your area. You can use it through the settings of your Apple device or a third-party application.

The development of mobile Internet technologies has made it possible to fully use phones and tablets for surfing the Internet. Mobile gadgets are used not only for search necessary information, with their help: communicate in social communities, make purchases, spend financial operations, work in corporate networks.

But what about a reliable, secure, anonymous Internet connection? The answer is simple - use a VPN, for example https://colander.pro/servers.

What is a VPN and why do you need it on your phone?

Technologies that allow you to create a logical network with one or many connections are collectively called Virtual Private Network (abbreviated as VPN). Literally translated, this expression sounds like a virtual private network.

Its essence is to create a secure connection over or inside another network (a kind of tunnel) through which, thanks to the application installed on the gadget, the client can access the VPN server. Within such a connection, all transmitted data is modified, encrypted and protected.

Why have services that provide the opportunity to use such virtual networks become so popular and is it really necessary to have them on a tablet or smartphone?

During tourist and business trips there is often a need to use the Internet: to enter mobile office, business correspondence, ordering and paying for tickets and communicating via Skype, etc. It’s convenient to check your email, analyze quotes, and study news using the device at hand. But for this you have to resort to Wi-Fi, which is now free in many train stations, airports, cafes and hotels.

Of course, the ability to access the Internet anywhere is a useful and convenient thing, but how safe is it? Experts involved in information security claim that through an unsecured Wi-Fi connection you can simply and without much difficulty gain access to all the data located on the gadget.

In this case, the choice of VPN services will be the most best opportunity protect the user from theft of his confidential information. However, these virtual networks can be used for more than just security. Their use allows you to access a web resource that is not available in a certain region and bypass the restriction corporate network, And so on.

Features of mobile technologies

So that owners of mobile gadgets can take advantage of these cloud technologies many VPN servers have been adapted to work with such devices. The communication channels used by smartphones and tablets to access the Internet often change, it could be Wi-Fi, and then a 3G or 4G connection. This greatly complicates the ability of a regular VPN server to maintain a stable connection on a dedicated channel.

This happens due to the fact that he sees gadgets accessing him from different subnets and IP addresses, which leads to the loss of applications installed on devices. active connection. To avoid this, on specially adapted servers equipped with VPN technology, they began to use special methods authorization. Which make it possible to carry out two-way data transfer from the server to wearable gadgets, where the devices periodically change network settings.

How to properly use VPN capabilities on your phone

There are services paid VPN servers and them free analogues. What is better to choose is up to each user to decide individually. If you manage to decide on the choice of service and server, you need to move on to configuration. Most popular now mobile gadgets are iPhone and Android devices.

Activating VPN on iPhone

There are two ways to set up your iPhone to use these technologies. The first is to select the most suitable application for this from the App Store and install it. Then perform the following actions:

Visit the settings section.
Open the VPN tab and activate it with the slider.
Then select the installed service.

The second is to configure the VPN manually. To do this, you need to carry out the following manipulations:

By entering the settings section of the device, activate the VPN and click on the “add configuration” icon.
Then select the security type: L2TP, IPSec or IKEv2 and activate the required configuration.
Then you should fill in the settings information private network: description of the remote identifier, server and fill in the information necessary for registration - nickname, password.
If you have a proxy server, you should choose based on your preferences whether to use it: automatic or manual.
By clicking the "Done" button and switching to desired position status slider, you can start surfing the Internet.

Now all traffic from the iPhone will go through the VPN.

Setting up a VPN on Android

Here it is much easier to connect the selected VPN service; for this you need to:

Activate the “Settings” section, where in the line “ Wireless network» Click on the inscription: “Advanced”.
After which, after opening the “VPN” subsection and clicking on the + sign, information about the available protocols for connecting such services will be provided.
Selecting and saving required connection, all that remains is to enter and create the credentials necessary for work: login and password.

Of course to construction sites different smartphones may differ, but the basic steps are largely similar.

Conclusion

It's hard to argue that using a VPN in mobile devices becoming a service increasingly in demand. Thanks to such services, a lot of opportunities open up for users: when traveling, they have the opportunity not to break away from the work process, knowing that all their data is always protected, while being in another region, gain access to the necessary resources and other preferences.