VPN and Changing Location
A VPN is not only a way to ensure online security. Using a virtual private network, we can also change location. See why this is a useful solution and what the advantages are. How do you change your location using a VPN?
Our location on the network versus a VPN
If we want to take advantage of changing our location, we will need a VPN. This is a virtual private network, which primarily offers anonymity and security on the Internet. When we want to connect to the network, we do so using our ISP. Our IP address reveals our approximate location. Using VPN technology, we connect our device (e.g. a smartphone or laptop) to a specific VPN server, located in a selected location. A tunnel is created between our device and the said server. This makes the connection encrypted. Thus, we connect to the Internet through the VPN server, which can be located in various places around the world. This means that our location will be changed – in an instant we can make our device-detectable as if we were in Europe, Asia, or the US. So choose a VPN, change location and enjoy the great possibilities of this solution.
How to change location using a VPN?
We want to change our location on the Internet. So we use a VPN – how do we go about it? Firstly, you need to download the appropriate application onto your device. An example would be Surfshark. Secondly, you need to create an account and choose a subscription plan and make a payment. It is worth choosing paid VPN solutions. Free VPN service providers may often sell our data or do not offer a sufficiently high level of security.
Once we have a VPN service subscription plan selected and purchased, we log into the app on our device. All that remains is for us to connect to the network through the VPN server of our choice. We can do this automatically (we will be assigned to a randomly selected location). One click and we’ve done – our place on the Internet has been changed.
It is worth remembering that we will find many countries in the list of servers. We can also connect to the appropriate server on our own. How do we do this? Using the Surfshark application, we log into our account and then enter the “location” tab. A reliable VPN provider should offer servers from many countries around the world and different locations within a country as well. Once we find a convenient server, all we have to do is connect to it and we’re done – our device will be located in the place we indicated. It is worth knowing that there are tools to check the location of the IP address. This way we can make sure our VPN works and has changed our virtual location. If the test shows our real location, then let’s check if we have connected to the VPN server correctly.
Advantages of changing location through a VPN
We know that with a VPN we will change our location. Let’s see what such a change provides us in practice and what the advantages are. First and foremost is privacy. The IP address shows our location, among others, to various websites. In this way, many entities can track us. With a VPN, we can change this and connect to a server located in another country or even on another continent. Such a change means that we will be detected as if we were in a completely different place than we are.
Changing location also involves circumventing GeoErrors and Internet censorship. There are times that we can’t access content because it is only available in a specific location. This applies, for example, to movies and TV shows on streaming services. Changing our virtual location via VPN will make the above content available to us wherever we are. Bypassing geoblocks makes it possible, for example, to make online purchases in stores dedicated to specific countries. Changing your location also affects the search results you get. They will be much more dedicated to our chosen country.
Changing the location will also make it easier for us to browse the web while abroad. Suppose we are on another continent, and we want to follow web content available only in our country. All we have to do is select the VPN server of our native country and we’re done. During such a trip, we will be able to stay up to date with all the news from our country that we follow regularly.
Change of location and legality
We may wonder whether changing location is a legal practice. Provided we are not breaking the laws in a particular country by doing so. It is worth checking this aspect before using a VPN. There are several countries in the world where VPNs cannot be used or the use of VPNs is restricted. Such countries include, for example, China, North Korea, Uganda, and Belarus. It is important to know that changing location does not make us unpunished when breaking the law. We should not use VPNs for illegal practices.
It is worth knowing that we should also not use VPNs and location-shifting functions for games that rely on our real-world location. This may involve violating the terms of use of the game/service in question. Such practices may result in, for example, the banning of an account in such a game.
