So I've recently looked into VPNs and understand that it is a way to securely surf the internet... or something along those lines. For me it was a lot to take in and I'm still quite confused of what it actually is. So maybe some of you could answer some of my questions.
Any responses are appreciated
Thanks
VPN = Virtual Private Network
Connecting to a VPN will either allow you into remote resources that maybe behind a firewall (business) or will allow you to route traffic through an alternate point. So say you connect to the VPN, all your traffic is directed to the VPN via an encrypted tunnel and then connects to what you have requested from that point.
Advantages? With my first point, being able to gain access to resources that you would not otherwise be able to. This is very handy for businesses with remote workers. For the second point *deep breath* as your traffic is routed to the VPN directly it appears as if you are connecting to the internet from where said VPN service is located. This will mask your real public IP. Another advantage is to get around pre-determined routes for traffic. As ISPs may direct traffic down a particular link if it is destined for example netflix, this is fine until the link becomes congested (which has been happening with American ISPs). As the traffic is encrypted (and therefore the only destination known by your ISP is the VPN) it gets routed a different way, which will then obviously take a different route to NetfliX, avoiding that congested link.
A personal VPN is good if you wish to connect back, to say your local file server, with out the risk of the files being moved being discovered. Or say if you are at a coffee shop and you do not trust them not to snoop your traffic, you can route your traffic through your home connection. (Bear in mind though, your internet speed will only be as fast as your Upload speed at this point)
How can you set up a VPN? If you are running a custom router with PfSense, HOORAY it already has the capability built into it. With which there are many tutorials on how to set it up out there. If not, look at using OpenVPN on an internal machine (to act as the server) this will require you open a specific port (depending on what you set) on the firewall so that a VPN connection can be established.
This was kinda brief, but I hope it helped.
Thanks for the responses guys!