Most people have a passing knowledge of what a VPN is and what it does. The simplest way to explain it for those completely out of the loop is to say that a VPN (virtual private network) adds a further level of protection for people sending data across a public network, by treating it like a private one.
VPNs can have a multitude of uses, but could they benefit online gaming?Here are four ways in which VPNs may prove useful for those gaming online at non Gamstop sites..
VPNs Offer Security
Cybercrime is a concern of many who game online – especially when sensitive personal information or financial data is involved. VPNs are used by those who might want an additional level of security that they feel standard encryption doesn’t give them. The VPN scrambles any existing encryption to deter criminals from attempting to steal data and giving you peace of mind when using personal information as you game online.
VPNs Can Bypass Firewalls
Some locations have firewalls. Businesses often place capricious firewalls to prevent workers from accessing social media during working hours. The same could be true for gaming sites that they deem might interfere with work. VPNs can help bypass these as your IP address is hidden. IP bans can often occur when online gaming too – such as with Fortnite. VPNs can help to circumvent these random bans and allow you to continue playing the games you enjoy without having to worry.
VPNs Can Bypass Geo-Blocks
One of the major reasons for using a VPN when gaming is that it can bypass some of the arbitrary geo-blocks that might prevent you from accessing a gaming service while out of the country or territory you are normally in.
For example, those wanting to play Speedy Spel Casino might benefit from a VPN if they want to continue playing some of the 2,000 games they usually engage with – such as Gonzo’s Quest – out of the region they typically play in. International travel, in this modern age, shouldn’t mean we can’t access some of our usual gaming sites due to indiscriminate geo-blocks.
VPNs Offer Greater Speed
The talk of 5G has excited many and suggests that current internet provision isn’t fast enough. Indeed, peak times and congested areas are often subject to slower internet speeds. VPNs can prevent this bandwidth throttling by hiding from your ISP what exactly you are doing online.
Effectively, they won’t be able to tell if you are using “too much” bandwidth, so won’t be able to penalize you in order to try to sell you a different plan later on. Games can often take a lot of bandwidth, so VPNs could be useful when gaming.
VPNs essentially provide peace of mind for an internet user. When gaming, you might not want everything you do or say online to be easily discoverable. You may be inputting sensitive information, which you want to keep private. Or you may simply want to game in peace without ISPs clamping down on the fact you are using too much bandwidth. If these issues sound familiar, you might benefit from using a VPN while gaming.