Surprising Reasons to Use a VPN at Home: More Than Just Privacy

✔️ Although a VPN service is probably not necessary at home, there are a few scenarios where you may want to consider it.

✔️ VPNs at home
Using a VPN at home may be useful if you don’t trust your ISP or if you want to appear as if you’re in another location. VPNs encrypt your internet activity, preventing snooping on both encrypted and unencrypted sites. For most home users, a VPN isn’t necessary.

Chapters
0:00 Use a VPN at Home
0:50 Connections, encryption, and “in the clear”
3:30 VPN usefulness
5:00 Content

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[msun]

Another use case is to host a VPN service at home to allow a friend or relative living abroad to connect and appear as if resident in the home country. A VPN server can be easily set up on some brands of routers. It can also allow secure access to one's own home network.

[fatbikejamie]

I know I'm an unusual case but here's one way *I* use one of my in-house VPNs from inside my house... My primary PC is configured to use a PiHole to block al manner of things I want blocked. On the rare occasion I wish to bypass the PiHole for some reason, I just connect to a VPN I have configured to go straight through to the web. Faster/easier than disbaling the PiHole's blocking for that duration... and also maintains the blocking for the other devices that rely on it. Outside the house I connect to my in-house VPNs - some are configured to utilise the PiHole (blocking outside the house is awesome!) or to bypass it depending on what I need.

great video. Cheers!

[sirjohng]

My VPN supplier uses RAM for its service which prevents hackers getting in to your system, no hard drives involved SO, a great security defence for your system. Why was this not mentioned about good VPN's? Then use a free private browser which deletes all your browsing history by default if you set it to when you leave it.

[randyriegel]

Few years ago my ISP gave me a warning about Paramount Pictures sending them a letter because I downloaded "Days of Thunder" (25 year old movie) off of Pirate Bay. I forgot to use my VPN to change my IP address LOL. Learned my lesson. Don't forget to use your vpn for certain things.

[michaelballance]

Netflix somehow always knows I'm using a VPN. A VPN here is useless for hiding my location.

[BillTxn]

I have used VPN for several years and have been quite satisfied with it. Recently, however, some websites refuse admittance if they detect the VPN in use, such as financial institutions. While they are HTTPS-encrypted, I am less comfortable when I must switch off my VPN to use those sites.

[a.ajeeli]

I love the way you explain things taking all scenarios and uses into account, great job, subscribed !

[richardpargot]

What about some sites not allowing access when they are aware you are using a VPN. Example - No Boring Cars says page can not be accessed. Turn off VPN and access allowed.

[liowyew]

Why some websites know we are using VPN and thus block our access?

[msc]

Another good use for a VPN is streaming radio stations online. There are some radio stations that will not be accessible unless you appear to be from their local area. One example is 93.6 Jam FM from Berlin, Germany thru Tune In app. I have to appear to be from Germany to listen to the station through that app, otherwise I will be blocked from listening to this station when I don't use VPN service from the United States of America.

[michaelcorcoran]

I'm irritated Google just got rid of the VPN as part of offering of Google one. It was a nice value add and now they're ending at June 20th. Then I have to decide if I want to keep using one. I got to go shopping. Choosing a VPN is rough because the deals are terrible unless you buy annually which locks you in

[tossedsalad]

I wouldn't admit if I had connected to my bank bank via an open Wi-Fi hotspot without vpn regardless of https. there are a larger variety of attacks possible. First someone might spoof the ssid. 2nd even if you connect to the correct ssid, others see your dns queries in the clear (even on https)... making you subject to dns spoofing. it's not safe.

[TheCrawler]

My VPN service allows 5 connections so I have one set up on my router and it has an option to switch individual hosts over to that connection. Then I run one on my NAS, if needed and have the connections available for use on mobile devices. I use the router VPN connection for geolocation purposes for connecting to Eurosport for bicycle and cross country ski racing which is not covered much by the US media. Also handy for that random YouTube video that pops up "not available in your location". Those are a bit tougher as you have to do some searching to find out what locations it's available in.

[montebont]

Thanks Leo. You pointed out the 2 use cases (public hotspot and geolocation) very well. That (IMHO) is all there is to it.

[stevencooper]

I regularly use a VPN at home because my ISP throttles my connection to some sights. However, I have found that some sites will not let me in if I'm using a VPN: lately I can't get to USPS tracking site if I'm using a VPN; and some sights block me based on which VPN server I'm connected through, eg. YouTube will not let me post comments if I'm connected to my VPN's Chicago server (I'm connected through San Diego right now). Using a VPN has become, is becoming, something of a two-edged sword.

[jjolla]

I can't believe that you omitted to mention that your VPN exit node is effectively your ISP too

[stigekalder]

Great walk-through right to the point - bravo !

[francosilvestri]

Thank you for the informative video, Leo. Do you speak Dutch?

[Flexin]

My isp gave me a router where i can put my vpn settings in it. Pretty cool.

[italy]

VPN is also useful to encrypt your email.