Just the other week, I had issues with my Internet Service Provider (ISP). I couldn’t access the Upwork website and I couldn’t use the Upwork tracker for over 24 hours. My husband, who is using the same ISP for work, also couldn’t access Slack for work and a few other websites. Our internet connection is delivering its promised speed, but it just couldn’t connect to selected websites.
We tried connecting to our 2 other backup ISPs, but we experienced the same issue with the websites. It must be our location. I heard too from my co-freelancers that a few other people using the same ISP is having issues connecting to Upwork. Oh, what to do?! I contacted customer support, but we had to wait for them to look into our connection and fix our issue.
So I had to resort to another way of connecting. We didn’t want to bother friends or relatives (going over to their place just so we can work), so we first looked into a solution that will not bother anyone. What we did, we subscribed to a VPN.
What is a VPN?
HowtoGeek defines VPN as this:
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, allows you to create a secure connection to another network over the Internet. VPNs can be used to access region-restricted websites, shield your browsing activity from prying eyes on public Wi-Fi, and more.
Simply, it is a third-party connection. You have a computer, you will connect to another computer, and you will use that computers internet so you can access internet sites that you can’t normally access with your own internet. Basically, you will be using a different IP address when connecting to other websites. It is like you are using a different ISP.
What is VPN for?
There are many things VPN can do, especially to freelancers. I’m sure you can find different uses of VPN when you search it on Google. But here are some of the important uses of VPN for freelancers.
- SEO – if you are working in SEO, it is important that you can check the rankings of a website in a local location. For example, you are here in the Philippines, and your client is in London, UK. When you try to do a google search in the Philippines, the ranking of the website your working on will be different. It will also be different when you do a search in UK and in other parts of the world.
- Social Media Management – Some social media platforms are very sensitive when it comes to IP addresses. They lock access to accounts when they sensed that there is someone is accessing from another country and another device.
- Accounting – Many online clients use VPN for giving access to their accounting books and platforms.
- Downloads and Videos – Certain countries do not give access to videos and downloads from other countries. A VPN will help you connect and watch or download videos easier.
- Online Marketing – If you are doing some competitive research for marketing, it is helpful that you have VPN too so the websites won’t suspect that you are off to something sneaky.
- Web Development – There will be some instances that you need a different IP address to solve issues related to web development.
Share how you use VPN in the comments section below. Personally, I use VPN to watch videos in Amazon because I can’t access the Amazon videos here in the Philippines. VPN just makes it possible for me. 🙂
Where to Get VPN Access?
Here’s my favorite. Hide My Ass. I have used this for years. I was given access by my previous client, and it has been my favorite VPN. It is affordable too. Head on to their website to check out their VPN services.
Please feel free to share this blog to your friends who might need VPN. Don’t forget to share your favorite VPN and your VPN experiences in the comments section below.
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