By Digital Editor 
VPN has gained traction in the last few years. Today 1/3rd of internet users use VPN; it is widely used for browsing as it protects our privacy. Here will discuss everything VPN and track down its implications, specifically on latency and ping rate.
What is VPN?
Virtual Private Network- If we break this down, it is split into two words; Virtual and Private Networks.
Private Network:
A private network is the opposite of a public network in that it can be only accessed by specific devices that are configured to specific settings. A private network is a connection with a specific network that is set up to establish a private setting for secure browsing.
Virtual:
The ability to access a server without physical proximity; connection to a server from afar is a virtual connection. The virtual private network uses a public network to connect to a remote server and ensure the information is encrypted.
Virtual Private Network(VPN) allows you to create a secure connection with another network through the internet. It can be used to access geography-restricted websites, private browsing, and so on. Precisely, when you use VPN, your smartphone, tablet, or computer is connected to a server, or another computer, and enables you to browse using that internet. If the server is in another country, you will be browsing as a resident of that location, apparently. In essence, you access the local resources which are not possible otherwise.
What are the Uses of VPN?
Incepted in 1996, VPN was widely used by businesses until 2010, when there was a buzz around surveillance sandals, including Netflix, and gave birth to the need of VPNs. The late 2000s and 2010s are considered the golden age of VPNs due to their heaping adaptability.
- Private Browsing
A large section of internet users uses VPNs for private browsing as it gives you anonymity. VPN enables you to hide from the Internet service provider(ISP), advertisers, and government to help you avoid censorships, geo-media blocks, and charges discrepancies.
The use of VPNs has become a mundane practice, for example, they are used to search for flight tickets, browse websites while traveling, etc.
- Fend off Cyber Criminals
Public networks are susceptible to cybercrimes. A hacker connected to your network can spy on your activity on the network. However, using a VPN in a public network serves as a shield that covers your identity and hides you from being found out, and prevents you from evil twin attacks.
- Netflix and Hulu
According to a study, 56% of VPN users access Netflix every month. It is not surprising given that Netflix streaming was one of the potential factors that raved VPN usage.
Users use VPN for Netflix to get access to Geo-blocked content, avoid bandwidth throttling, have safe streaming on public wifi, and use multiple devices for streaming.
Do VPNs Increase Internet Speed?
VPN does not increase internet speed most of the time, whether you are gaming or streaming entertainment, except for a few circumstances. Internet Service Providers (ISP) throttle specific kinds of traffic, for example, entertainment streaming services. In that case, a VPN can prevent throttling because the encryption will hide from ISP which services the user is communicating with.
However, it goes without saying that to enjoy browsing, gaming, and streaming with low ping and lag, HughesNet can be a great choice. It offers unlimited data which allows you to use streaming platforms without any lags or buffering. Check out the HughesNet Internet Plans to choose the suitable plan for yourself.
Why Do VPNs Increase Latency?
Latency, also known as ping, is the time taken for data to travel between two points. When you connect to a server and reroute your connection using a VPN, you extend the trip. The longer the trip the greater will be latency. Therefore, for a decreased latency, you must connect to a VPN server close to your geographical location.
What are Tips to Fix Increased Latency with VPN?
- Choose a Good VPN
Choosing a reputable VPN can help you with high pings as they have thousands of fast servers that guarantee unhampered gaming and streaming.
- Connect to a Fast VPN Server
You must choose an optimal VPN server through your paid VPN. The best approach is to choose a server that is close to your location because it is directly proportional to decreased latency.
- Change VPN Protocol
The higher the encryption, the worse the internet speed. You must go to VPN settings and choose OpenVPN UDP, or preferably, Wireguard protocol if your private network supports it.
- Change DNS Servers
The VPNs for gaming have exclusive DNS servers. DNS server might not directly impact the internet speed, but it can impact gaming in terms of download, upload, speeds, and lag that determines your gaming experience. Before you lunch the game, make sure you choose a propriety DNS server for the VPN service.
- Use a GPN
If you have been using VPN for gaming, you better switch to GPN(Gamers Private Network). Unlike VPN, it does not secret your activities but is focused on optimizing your game experience by increasing the speed of transferring data between your PC and gaming server.
Conclusion
VPNs are useful in many ways that encrypt information and facilitate secure browsing besides giving access to geo-restricted websites. However, it is noteworthy that with a distant VPN server comes greater latency. Internet speed is impeded by using VPN because it takes a lot of time to connect a PC and a distant server. The latency problem can then be fixed by choosing a reliable VPN and fast internet, changing the VPN protocol and DNS server, and using GPN instead of VPN, specifically for gaming.
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Editorialist Team 
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Adam