7 Reasons Why You Should Use a VPN at Home!

Here are ten reasons why you should use a VPN at home:

• Bypass speed throttling
• Unrestricted streaming
• Maintain top-notch privacy
• Using a VPN for security
• Bypass geo-block/censorship
• Enjoy uninterrupted gaming
• Block pesky ads and trackers

Home is where your heart is! It’s where you can chill out on Netflix with your friends and spend quality time with your family. But it’s also where your office is, especially now that we’re living in the “Work-From-Home” era since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent research by 99 Firms has shown that remote workers have increased by 159% by 2023 since 2009. Around 61% of workers are ready to accept a pay cut for a WFH (work-from-home) model. Moreover, around 72% of workers prefer the hybrid to the fully work-from-home model for better productivity. 

Source: 99 Firms

Furthermore, the research shows that almost 90% of remote workers claim they have the same or higher productivity level when working from home.

Source: 99 Firms 

So, in today’s modern era, most of your internet activities, including streaming, browsing, video calls, and file transfer, now happen from the comfort of your home. 

It makes your home network vulnerable to hacking, phishing, and other cyber attacks. A VPN can protect your home network from all kinds of online threats. It hides your IP address and secures your connection with strong encryption. 

As a result, no third party can access your data, and your ISP cannot see what you’re doing online. So, read on to find out why you should use a VPN at home.

Source: PandaVPN

1. Bypass Speed Throttling

Oftentimes, your internet service provider can throttle or limit your internet speed during heavy usage like downloading torrents, movies, playing or streaming games, etc. However, you can easily bypass speed throttle by using a VPN. 

VPN hides your online activities from ISPs; they can see that you’re using a VPN but cannot see what you’re doing with it since all your activities stay hidden. Another widespread misconception is that VPN slows down your internet speed, but that’s not true; VPNs can increase your speed. 

2. Unrestricted Content Streaming

Streaming online videos is something we often do on our home internet connection daily. For example, you regularly use streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc. In that case, you are probably already familiar with error messages telling you that specific content is unavailable in your region. 

Moreover, a good VPN service can eliminate such geographical restrictions by simply streaming through one of its fast and encrypted servers where the geo-restriction is inapplicable. As a result, you can stream anything you want, whenever you want, and wherever you want, from your preferred streaming services if you use a VPN at home.

3. Protect Your Security and Privacy 

You are probably sharing a confidential office file online from the apparent safety of your home internet, thinking your data would reach the other side safely and sound. 

But would it? Just because someone is not ‘always’ peeping at your online activity every time you download/upload or share something does not necessarily mean they cannot do so if they want to. 

Your own Internet Service Provider (ISP) can monitor everything you do on the Internet, including your search history, social media activity, browsing history, streaming record, and even the files stored on your PC if it has network access.

Of course, you may boast that you don’t do anything illegal and have nothing to hide. Still, free VPNs can access all your credentials, including your name, address, hobbies, etc.; they will sell that data to third-party advertisers, violating your privacy. That’s why using a secure VPN is recommended.

Source: Mi-IT

4. Secure Your Remote Working Experience

As much as we enjoy the flexible timing and comfort of being home and working remotely, we should be concerned about privacy and data security. Unfortunately, VPNs have no alternatives to safely access email, Skype messages, user data, and personal information processing. 

Why? Remote work is a security risk in many ways, especially as it presents new vulnerabilities for cybercriminals. For example, hackers can intercept unencrypted connections to steal passwords, banking details, and sensitive.

You can connect to your employer’s secure VPN network, and you can work with confidence. But if you work independently, a premium VPN service for your home can give you encrypted connections and secured internet browsing. 

Keeping your camera and other internal or external devices connected to the Internet exposes them to potential hacks and sensitive audiovisual data breaches. Furthermore, modern smart home devices such as doorbells, CCTV, baby monitors, and even doors and windows may be hacked if they are not connected to a secure network. 

If you set up your router with a VPN service, all your devices connected to your home network would be secure, and you can leave your home to the safe, fast, and secure ‘hands’ of the AI while you are adventuring outdoors.

Source: Clean Browsing

5. Getting Past Firewalls and Network Restrictions

When browsing online at home, you do not want to be disrupted by any network restriction. You want your online browsing horizon to be widened, not confined. A VPN allows you to bypass firewalls set up by governments and universities. 

To restrict online movement, these organizations must see the specified movement in real-time. A VPN can mask your activity to get through the firewall easily.

Some VPNs may disconnect and show your activity immediately. That is why premium VPNs like Symlex VPN have a built-in kill switch to prevent IP leaks. This feature will automatically disconnect your internet connection if your data is not secure and only reconnect when the VPN is re-enabled.

Source: Robots.Net

6. Enjoy Safe & Uninterrupted Gaming

DDoS attacks are widespread in online games such as World of Warcraft and Call of Duty. DDoS can interrupt live streaming, ruin your gaming experience, and even cost your career if you’re a professional gamer.

However, a VPN with dedicated DDoS protection can prevent DDoS attacks and protect you from all cyber threats. In other words, the world of online games is full of risks, such as hackers, phishing scams, and viruses, all of which can endanger your device and personal information. 

So, to enjoy online games at home, you must use a VPN. Not only does it improve connectivity and stability, but it also protects against potential cyber-attacks.

7. Avoiding Targeted Advertisements

Remember when you browse your favorite shopping site or search for a specific item on Google and find ads popping up everywhere? These are targeted ads that help websites make the most of their money. This is done through cookies and a tracking code that tracks you on the web. Pretty scary, right?

You can avoid this with a secure VPN setup at home. Of course, not all VPNs can overcome cookies and tracking, but most anonymous premium VPNs do. Free VPNs use ads to make money, meaning user data may be shared without consent.

For users, this is frustrating because ads can slow down their internet connection or trick them into downloading malware. Free VPNs often push banner ads/ fullscreen ads and adult or gambling ads within the app, which can be a privacy issue and embarrass you in public places.

Premium-paid VPNs include integrated ad-blocking technology to block all those pesky ads and trackers to provide a clean internet browsing experience.

How to Set Up a VPN at Home?

Most premium VPNs offer a seamless, hassle-free setup process for users. As the best VPN in the UAE, Symlex VPN provides only a few simple steps. If you want to set up Symlex VPN on your device, follow the below steps:

1. Download Symlex VPN for your desired device
2. Install and sign up, and log in if you already have an account.
3. After login, open the app and tap to connect.

You’re done! Now, enjoy a secure home network without any interruptions. Symlex VPN offers competitive and affordable prices. You can choose the one that suits you best. Symlex VPN is compatible with all major devices. 

Its active kill switch will protect you from IP leaks, and AES-256-bit encryption is defaulted on all servers for maximum security and privacy. So, with Symlex VPN, complete security of your digital life is guaranteed.

Final Verdict

Devices on your home network are interconnected. A data breach on one device can disrupt an entire network. No matter how careful you are, just one careless online action by your housemate can put your privacy at risk.

So, if it’s a question regarding whether or not you should invest in a fast and secure premium VPN service at home, the answer will always be yes! Using a VPN at home is as vital as installing an antivirus — it is critical protection. Of course, the number one reason for a VPN is safety and privacy; however, they are undoubtedly versatile.