HOW IT WORKS
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
Discover how VPNs and Private Relay help make your connection secure
YOU WILL LEARN
The difference between a VPN and Apple’s Private Relay
To prevent your ISP being able to see what you’re doing, VPNs provide you with internet access through their own servers
Key fact
Another benefit of VPNs is that they allow you to connect to the net through a wide range of servers based in different territories. If you choose to connect through a server in a different country, you appear to be resident there, which can unlock geo-restricted features. You could watch UK catch-up TV while holidaying abroad, for example.
How private is your internet connection? The simple answer is not very: data is sent and received over the internet in so-called ‘packets’. First, those packets can be linked to your computer, because they’re tagged with the public IP address allocated to your modem router by your internet provider. This enables data to transmit between servers without getting lost, but obviously means your internet activity can be traced back to your door.