VPNs Explained: Do You Really Need One?
In the spring of 2014, I sat in a dimly lit hotel room in Istanbul, laptop open on a wobbly table, trying to file a story while connected to the hotel’s free Wi-Fi. My editor was waiting, but every few minutes the connection dropped, and I noticed odd redirects when I tried to load news sites.
A colleague down the hall had already warned me: the network felt “off.” I fired up a VPN I had installed months earlier on a whim, switched to a server in Germany, and suddenly everything loaded cleanly, no throttling, no funny business.
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That night, the VPN wasn’t a luxury; it was the difference between getting the piece in on deadline and staring at a blank screen while my data potentially leaked to whoever ran that network.
I’ve been working with networks, security, and online privacy for over a decade, testing dozens of services, watching providers rise and fall, and advising friends, family, and clients on when a VPN actually matters.
The question people ask most often is simple: Do I really need one? The honest answer, after all these years and into 2026, is that it depends on how you use the internet, but for a growing number of people, the answer leans toward yes more than ever.
What a VPN Actually Does in Everyday Use
A virtual private network, or VPN, creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and a remote server. Your internet traffic routes through that server instead of directly from your ISP, hiding your real IP address and scrambling what you do online from local snoops.
Skip the metaphors: in practice, it stops your ISP from seeing every site you visit, every search you make, and in many places it prevents them from selling that data or handing it over without much fuss.
Advertisers track you across the web with cookies and device fingerprints. Governments, depending on where you live, monitor traffic for all sorts of reasons. A solid VPN encrypts your connection and masks your location, cutting off much of that visibility.
I once helped a freelance journalist in a restrictive country stay connected to sources without raising flags. We chose a provider with a strict no-logs policy, audited independently, and servers outside the jurisdiction’s reach. It worked, but only because we vetted it carefully.
The Streaming and Travel Lifesaver
Most people first try a VPN for streaming. You want to watch a show on Netflix that’s only available in the UK, or catch a sports match blacked out in your region. A good service can still make that happen, though streaming platforms have gotten much better at detecting and blocking VPN traffic.
I’ve spent evenings cycling through servers on ExpressVPN or NordVPN, landing on one that works for BBC iPlayer or Hulu, only to have it fail the next week. Patience is part of the game now, and not every provider delivers consistently.
The best VPNs for streaming in 2026 tend to be those with large server networks and dedicated teams that fight those detection algorithms, like ExpressVPN or NordVPN.
Public Wi-Fi remains one of the clearest cases for using a VPN. Coffee shops, airports, hotels, these networks are convenient and notoriously insecure. I’ve seen friends’ logins phished on airport Wi-Fi because they skipped protection.
A VPN encrypts your traffic so that even if someone is running a man-in-the-middle attack, they get gibberish. During a trip last year, I connected to a cafe network in Lisbon without a second thought, turned on my VPN, and later read reports of credential thefts on that very hotspot. No drama on my end.
The Privacy Reality Check
Privacy is the deeper draw, and it’s only gotten more urgent. Your online privacy is disappearing fast, with ISPs logging habits, advertisers building detailed profiles, and new threats from AI-driven tracking.
A VPN privacy setup helps by encrypting your connection and masking your location. But VPNs aren’t magic. They won’t make you fully anonymous. If you log into Gmail or Facebook, those companies still know it’s you. They don’t stop malware, phishing, or bad decisions like clicking suspicious links.
And speed? Expect a hit, sometimes minor, sometimes noticeable, especially on distant servers. I remember testing a budget service years ago that promised blazing speeds, only to watch YouTube buffer endlessly. Lesson learned: pay for quality if you want reliability. Modern protocols like WireGuard help minimize the slowdown.
Common Mistakes I’ve Seen (and Made)
Choosing the right one matters more than ever. Free VPNs often come with strings: weak encryption, data selling, or worse, malware. I avoid them entirely now.
Reputable paid options, repeatedly ranked among the best VPN services, invest in audits, modern protocols, and features such as kill switches that cut your internet if the connection drops.
Mistakes happen when people pick based solely on ads. One client insisted on a flashy, no-name provider because it was cheap, then complained about constant disconnects and leaked IP addresses. We switched him to a proven service, and the difference was night and day.
Another time, I overlooked a provider’s logging policy during a rush job, only to realize later it wasn’t as ironclad as advertised. Always check for independent audits.
In 2026, top contenders include NordVPN for overall performance and features, Surfshark for unlimited devices at a sharp price, Proton VPN for strong privacy focus with open-source apps, ExpressVPN for reliable streaming, and Mullvad for those who prioritize anonymity above all.
So, Do You Really Need One?
If you rarely leave home Wi-Fi, stick to HTTPS sites, and don’t mind your ISP logging your habits, you can probably skip it.
But if you travel, use public networks, stream internationally, torrent occasionally, or simply want to limit how much personal data leaks out in an era of rampant tracking and tightening surveillance, a VPN adds meaningful protection.
I’ve seen the tool save time, protect sources, and give peace of mind. I’ve also seen people waste money on overhyped services or feel falsely invincible. The key is realistic expectations and choosing wisely.
If that sounds like your situation, start with one of the well-reviewed providers, test it on your devices, and see how it fits your life. For many of us, it’s become as routine as locking the front door.
