How to Set up a VPN on your PC- Hide me

If, for any reason, you decide to set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) on your computer, then you have come to the right place. This article walks you through the process and shows you how to set up a VPN using the Hide Me VPN Service.

What is a VPN?

A VPN is a group of computers that are linked together privately over a public network. This gives people the ability to send and receive data privately, despite the fact that they are using public infrastructure. So, how does a VPN work? 

How does a VPN work?

VPN services providers create a secure, encrypted connection between your computer and their servers. This gives you a private, virtual connection to the internet.

Why use a VPN

There are a number of reasons why you may end up needing to use a Virtual Private Network. In my case, it was a simple matter of needing to see Google Search results as they were appearing to one of my clients. The client is based in Canada. The thing that you have to take note of here is the fact that search results tend to be different, depending on the location from which a query is made. So, in order to get the results that he was getting, I had to set up a VPN on my computer and choose Canada as my location. There are other reasons for using a VPN;

• You want to, for one reason or the other, hide your location
• You wish to use Peer to Peer networks anonymously
• You wish to have privacy on a public Wi-Fi connection (eg a hotel)
• To overcome workplace restriction (eg on using Facebook)
• To circumvent government restrictions, censorship and surveillance.
• You want to have private VOIP calls
• To anonymously use search engine
• You simply want to have privacy while surfing the internet

How to set up a VPN

There are many companies that offer VPN services out there. The one that I use on my computer is Hide Me. The company offers monthly subscription services. However, for those who love freebies, there is a free VPN service that allows you to choose any of the three default locations (Canada, Netherlands and Singapore). The great thing is that this is a completely no obligation signup. The company does not require you to provide a credit card when registering for the free service. To get started, all that you need is;

• Head over to the Hide Me website.
• Click on Sign up
• Enter you email address
• You will receive a confirmation email. Verify your account by clicking on the relevant link in your email
• The link takes you to another web page, where you are required to provide a username and password.
• After completing the registration process, the next thing that you need to do is download an app for your Operation System. My computer is on Windows 10, so I downloaded that.
• Install it on your computer
• Choose the country for which you wish the VPN to be set
• Click on the “Connect” button and you will be done

Search Results from my chosen location

Now as you can see in the image above, my browser is now showing me results for Canada and not my native Zimbabwe. This allows me to see Search Results exactly as they are being seen by my Canadian client. One thing that you need to note is that the Hide Me free VPN program is capped at 2GB data transfer every month.

Still here? Why not read our article on 7 essential software for Windows 10 for more tips and tricks? While you are at it, you should also check out our article on how to use a computer like a pro to get ahead of the pack.