A virtual private network, or VPN, is one of the smartest and simplest ways to take control of your privacy online. We did the tests, and these are the best VPNs for your Mac.
So here's how to use a VPN. It's actually very simple and it should be somewhat automatic once you have it installed. So I've installed a VPN here. I'm using one called Cloak and it's at getcloak.com This isn't necessarily one that I've determined is the best. I've tried a few. This one works really well so I've stuck with it. This plan that I'm using applies to all my Macs and my iOS devices as well.
So I'm able to just have one plan and then use it for all of them. Once I've installed Cloak, I've downloaded and installed it, at the top here I've got this little icon here that gives me access to Cloak. Right now I'm connected to WiFi and you can see I'm using a trusted network. So my own home network I've indicated to Cloak in the Preferences that it's trusted and there's no need to use VPN. But as soon as I connect to another WiFi connection, like say one at a hotel or coffeeshop something like that, then automatically it's going to try to secure my connection. Now I can manually try to secure it right here by clicking the Secure My Connection button to over override my preference not to use it there.
But I can also go in and change how things work. So right now, for instance, under Networks, I've got several networks here that I've listed as being totally okay and I have various other things. Like for instance I can say I want to connect to a VPN only in the United States.
It has all these different VPNs. So they have different servers all around the world. The default would be to set to fastest available. The downside to using the fastest available is sometimes the fastest available is one that maybe outside the country.
Especially if you're traveling. So what happens then is your IP address that servers think that you have and when they try to locate you it seems to be from somewhere else.
So, for instance, if I was hooked up to Japan I would automatically get the Japanese version of some websites because it determines that I'm in Japan. But if I stick with the United States that means my connection is going to go from Japan, all the way back to the United States, and it will appear as if I'm in the US. It's kind of a nice thing there because then I get the English language version of websites. It doesn't confuse the site by making them think I'm in Japan or somewhere else. So it's kind of a nice benefit. If I was not using VPN that would be automatic. If I'm connecting from Japan it would think I'm in Japan, which I am, and I may get the wrong language on the website.
I've got my Account information. I've got Updates. There's some Advanced settings. Things like that. But in general once you have it setup, and if your network is not listed here, then you can count on the fact that it will connect automatically. So you don't have to do anything. You just simply connect to the WiFi at a coffeeshop.
It will then automatically start connecting here. You'll see some dots. Then it will come up with a checkmark that it's connected. So let's try securing my connection here now. Then you can see it attempting to do it and I don't even have to have that open.
You can see that it changed there and now I've got this blue icon here and it tells me by notification that my connection is secured. So now I'm actually using a VPN just like I showed you in yesterday's video. My connection is secured between myself and Cloak and then Cloak then goes out to the internet.
So my ISP, the WiFi router, or anything or any other steps there, they're not going to know where I'm going or what information I'm sending. That's secret information between me and the VPN server, in this case Cloak, and of course I'm trusting Cloak because I'm paying them and I've looked into them and I've decided I will trust them although not necessarily trust the ISP that is say is at the coffeeshop at the hotel. That's the idea behind VPN. It's really easy to install.
They all kind of install and run automatically. Most of them have trials.
You can just search for Mac VPN and come up with different plans, different prices, different features. You know I like how this little interface works here so it's another plus for me for Cloak. But some may actually have a better interface. So you may want to just give some a try. If you've tried a VPN and you like it please leave a mention in the Comments because it would be nice for other people to see which other VPNs people recommend.
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