When we are connected to a public WiFi network it is normal that, when we are concerned about our privacy on the network, we wonder to what extent someone could see our online activity. Luckily, with the help of a VPN (virtual private network) we could protect information from prying eyes and at least regain some privacy online.
When we connect to the Internet through a VPN, a kind of encrypted tunnel is generated between us and a remote server, which is the one operated by a VPN service . Thus, all our Internet traffic is routed through that particular tunnel .
Thanks to this, our data would be safe from prying eyes on the road. In this way, since our traffic leaves the VPN server, our computer seems to have the IP address of said server, which helps us to mask both identity and location .
To understand the advantages that the use of a VPN could provide us when connecting to the Internet, we can take as an example a public WiFi network , a cafeteria, an airport or a shopping center, to which we can connect for free.
The most common is that we connect to the network without thinking twice. And what is even worse: we risk accessing our personal email, social media account or even bank accounts. In these cases, could we think that this network, although public, is one hundred percent secure?
If we connect to that same network, but through a VPN, we can be sure that no one present on that network will be able to intercept our data , or any other user who is snooping for possible virtual victims.
When we are at home, although it is true that we do not have to worry that someone is spying on the WiFi network, precisely when it has security (password) and we are the owner of the network, a VPN can also provide us with certain advantages , helping us, for example, to prevent our Internet Service Provider (ISP) from knowing what we do online.
Setting up and using a VPN on Mac using a third-party app
Today there is a huge variety of VPN services , which have specialized in offering VPN connections for really low prices, through a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual subscription (with interesting discounts in this regard).
Therefore, it is evident that the simplest and simplest thing is to proceed to contract one of these services , download the application they have designed to connect us to your network quickly and comfortably (as long as it is compatible with our operating system), and connect immediately.
We just have to choose the VPN service that interests us the most (although there are many options on the market, ExpressVPN or NordVPN are the most popular options, and in fact they tend to work better), select the plan and proceed to payment , for later Go to the Downloads page , where we will find the app compatible with our OS (in this case, macOS ).
We must proceed to install the VPN application , and when it has been installed, we simply must enter the code that administers the service through our personal account, or enter our username and password. Select the server we want to connect to , depending on its location, or simply click on Connect so that the app selects the most efficient server based on our location. Clever!
In this way, once we are connected to the VPN, we are ready to start browsing the web safely and privately. In addition, it is possible to configure the app so that the Internet connection is disconnected automatically if, at some point, the VPN service fails or goes down, so that our original IP address does not become visible at times.
And to deactivate the Internet connection through the VPN we simply have to press the Disconnect or Shutdown button that we will find in the application.
