Anyone use a VPN?

[Fleebag]

Typical use of a VPN as some have mentioned, Allows you as the "client" PC to connect to the remote "server" and establish an encrypted connection to the server. You will have to log in using credentials that allow you to access the network the the server resides on. (Typically, your office). Once connected you are using you office network to go back out into the internet. You can also access shared network drives on the office network as well.

I doubt that you could use a VPN for online banking, Facebook, Etc., as that is a service they do not provide. So, even if you used a VPN to connect to your office, you're using your office network to go to the internet for anything. You mentioned you have no internet at home. That being the case a VPN would not work for you.

Thanks for the explanation, seems like a lot of people don't understand how they work, me included, and think it's some kind of magic tunnel. If a 'home base' server is needed then it's worthless to me. I'm also coming go the conclusion that the biggest threat is unsecured wifi connections as pilgrim mentioned above, which I will avoid like the plague from now on and just use my cell phone despite it's inconvenience compared to a laptop.

 

[ZonieBass]

You're welcome I'm glad I could help. Keep in-mind, if you use WiFi on your cell phone (not 3G/4G) It's the same connection that your laptop would use.

 

[s0c9]

VPN is basically a secure point-to-point connection. A client app (PC side) connects over an https connection to an end-point server.
If you are at work, you would to go outside your work network using a vpn client (port is probably blocker, or should be if not) to connect to an externally located VPN server [somewhere]. That server would then need to be connected to the internet to do what you want to do.
Even then, it's IP address will be tracked as yours is currently.. so while masking the originating IP, you'll still get tracked.
The only WAY around that is using some form of anonymizer/TOR software package - which is only useful from home - and probably violates most corporate "appropriate use" policies.

You cannot VPN into banks and online retailers - at least not that Iu know of.
More info here..
Virtual private network - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia