I understand the end result. “Oh hey, I’m not at work but now I can access work’s network and things.” But how does it WORK?
In: Technology
VPNs do many thing, I reply assuming you ask how can they prevent tracking and allow you to stream content not available in your region.
Internet is a web of networks, each network and everyone on these networks can talk to each other in theory. It is not direct though, your computer talks to your router, router to modem, modem to your ISP, ISP to the site you visit, etc.. the thing is these devices keep track of who send the request so they can carry the response back the correct recipient, meaning you. A VPN is just another device you add before the site you visit and the ISP. The difference with VPN is they can choose not to send tracking information to the website you visit but act like they are the ones who made the request, so the target cannot identify you. The communication between you and VPN is encrypted so ISP does not know what you say to the VPN, and government cannot use this data since it is encrypted. They collect it even so. It is a lot like buying something using your name and money and your address and then after receiving the packet, you taking package to your friend and getting paid for the package and the services.
Now how they let you stream from another region? Your modem’s IP address is assigned by your ISP, they cannot assign you any address, but only from addresses they own. We know every ISP and their IP addresses so we can see which ISP you use and which country/city you are from. It is public, you can see it. The clever thing with VPN is they have servers in different parts of the world, so they have addresses from many countries/cities. When you want to streak from US Netflix from your country, your VPN makes the request from a server they own in US so Netflix thinks you are in US. Netflix lets you do this, because you can move around the world with same account.
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