Introduction
Traveling nowadays involves more than just the usual things like flights, hotels, and sightseeing. Having internet access has become an indispensable part of modern travel. People can use the internet to do almost everything – checking their bank accounts, communicating with colleagues, accessing work tools, or simply watching TV shows. Online connectivity while traveling abroad is very important. In addition, a lot of people rely on messaging apps and social media platforms to keep in touch with family and friends when they are on a trip.
Unfortunately, it is not guaranteed that you will be able to access your favorite online services once you are in a different country. Websites, streaming platforms, and apps may be restricted or geo-blocked depending on the region where you are. In other words, things that you use every day may suddenly become the services that you will not be able to use once you cross a border.
One of the best solutions is to resort to using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). VPNs offer users a possibility of connecting through servers in different locations – in this way, they can maintain their privacy as well as get access to the services that they require. However, there is a big mistake a lot of people make – forgetting to test your VPN before even leaving the country. Ensuring that your VPN is running smoothly beforehand can prevent you from experiencing severe troubles with getting connected on your trip.
Understanding Geo-Restrictions While Traveling
Geo-restrictions, or geo-blocking, in short, is a practice of denying access to certain online content to users based on their geographic location. Our websites and other services online, through us as users, get our location information from our IP address; after that, they decide on which content can be accessed or not from that particular region. It is a system that companies have been using extensively and for several reasons such as licensing agreements, regulations to local regions, and also as measures of security.
Streaming platforms are probably the first that come to mind when one thinks of geo-blocking. A lot of streaming services have different sets of contents available for different countries in their libraries. A film or a series that you can watch in one region might be unavailable to you in another because of the rights distribution and licensing issues. So, in a way your favorite shows may turn out to be inaccessible while you are on a trip abroad.
Besides entertainment, restrictions even extend to certain news websites and digital publications. Some Western-style news outlets or platforms may in some cases be restricted simply because of one’s country’s own policies/regulations to govern the online space. So, there is a possibility that even while using the sources that you trust, you may not be able to stay informed while abroad.
Apart from that fact, foreign logins to bank accounts and work-related platforms are also typically considered as suspicious which means even when one tries to access them from abroad, they may face security alert triggers, access blocks, or requests for additional verification. Usually, it is only when people arrive at their destinations that they realize that such situations prevail which, understandably, not only immediately complicate but at the same time cause them to further get stuck with simple online tasks which become just as big-time-consuming.
Why Travelers Depend on VPNs
Besides being used for other things, VPNs are great travel companions, digitally speaking. The main reason why most people keep on using their VPNs even when abroad is that they can never do without their home services such as online banking, work platforms, or streaming services. A VPN does a good job in enabling them to get connected to home servers and to bypass certain regional restrictions as well.
Secondly, it is also great for travelers who want to ensure that their data is well protected while utilizing public Wi-Fi networks. Places such as airports, hotels, cafes, etc., often have a lot of people accessing the Wi-Fi at the same time and in many cases, such networks remain unsecured. It is not uncommon for hackers to eavesdrop on public Wi-Fi in order to capture personal data such as passwords, emails, financial information, and the like. VPNs encrypt the user traffic such that any other people on the same Wi-Fi find it practically impossible to obtain any sensitive information from the user.
Privacy is also one of the reasons that makes one inclined to use a VPN for browsing on unfamiliar networks in other countries. Without a VPN, there is a possibility that your ISP and other third parties may keep a record of your online activities. VPNs allow you to stay anonymous by masking your IP address and overall, browsing becomes more private.
Furthermore, for those people who are digital nomads and business travelers, VPNs come in handy as they get secure access to company systems by simply connecting through a secured VPN tunnel. In this manner, they can gain access to work files, platforms, and even communications without having to worry about the compromise of their security.
The Risks of Not Testing Your VPN in Advance
The truth is, quite a few travelers get their VPN installed but do not even do the basic test of checking how well it works. In case you do it that way, you might be surprised at quite a few potential issues at the time you will be in another country. VPN testing is something that will definitely come in handy at the moment when you really need it if only it is done in advance.
One of the biggest risks is that your VPN might not be able to connect properly in some regions. There are countries that even go as far as limiting VPN traffic or, in extreme cases, even blocking certain VPN providers. Hence, if the first time you find out about it is when you have already landed, then most probably it will be quite challenging for you to find a quick fix, especially if even access to the provider’s website or support resources is limited.
Another issue that one can easily run into is related to streaming platforms. To make sure that their regional licensing rules are upheld, many such services actively block VPN servers that are known. Therefore, it is quite likely that if your VPN server has been flagged already, you may not be able to get to the content that you had planned to watch on your trip. However, testing prior to the trip gives you an opportunity to discover which servers function most reliably.
The speed of your Internet connection is also something that you should consider. Having to wait while a video is buffering or having your video call cut off in the middle of what is an important work meeting can be quite frustrating. Therefore, you should not leave it to the last minute to think about testing your VPN to ensure that the performance is adequately meeting your needs. Options and steps for finding the fastest servers can be tried during the time of testing.
You might have to deal with cases such as when you attempt to access online banking or work platforms, and your account gets temporarily suspended for security reasons that come from the detection of foreign IP logins or VPN usage. If you are already abroad when this happens, it is very likely that you may be left with some sleepless nights sorting out the problem and going through the verification process.
All things considered, testing your VPN before you even leave home can help you detect and deal with these issues, thereby saving you unnecessary stress and a lot of wasted time while on your trip.
How to Properly Test Your VPN Before Traveling
Given that testing your VPN is setting you up for a less stressful trip, this is why it has become very clear that it is good not only to install a VPN before your trip but also to check in the time beforehand that it is actually going to work the way you want it to. Sticking to a few simple tests can help the travelers by significantly decreasing the risk of the VPN being a cause of major problems for them during their travels.
1. Test Connection Stability
The connection stability test goes like this: you attempt to connect to a few different VPN server locations. Most VPN providers have servers in several countries, and each one may vary in quality. Besides trying to connect to the servers in the country where you live, also pick a few foreign ones.
Consider the speed of the VPN’s initial connection and whether it is a stable one throughout the entire duration. Frequent disconnections and slowest connections can be the issues that can get you in trouble while traveling. Getting familiar with the servers that work best is helpful in case you ever need to tell which one you should decide on during your trip.
2. Verify Streaming Access
Using a VPN is the go-to method for a lot of people when it comes to gaining access to streaming platforms or specific websites that they keep on using at home. Once you have your VPN working in your living room, do a quick check if the streaming platforms or online mediums such as Netflix, Hulu, or even BBC iPlayer that you are planning to use are accessible while you are connected to the VPN.
This piece of information can be very helpful in the event you are going to be traveling to a place where your normal internet usage is quite different from what you are used to at home. Additionally, a lot of the platforms are on the lookout for users who are using certain VPN servers so you could get caught and blocked if the service provider has that particular server on its blacklist and you are logged in at the time of the test.
3. Check Speed Performance
You will only end up getting sick of the whole VPN idea if you have constantly to wait for ages for your VPN to connect or even worse – keep on getting disconnected. Such results would be even more frustrating if you were genuinely expecting a speedy connection that resulted from your planning and hence the need for testing.
First do a speed test with only your normal internet connection and then do the same test with the VPN turned on. This way you can get quite an accurate feel of how much work the VPN is doing in the background and how big the differences in performance are for you, constantly connected with the VPN or not.
4. Test Multiple Devices
On your trip, you will most probably have multiple gadgets with you. One device can be a laptop for your working times, another gadget can be a mobile phone for your communication times, and maybe a third device can be a tablet for those moments when you just want to listen to music or watch a movie.
Make sure that the VPN apps work perfectly fine on every single tool that you have picked for your journey. This way, you will know that even when you switch from one device to another during your travels, you won’t be facing painful surprises related to your VPN.
5. Confirm Important Websites Work
After all the other tests, some that are extra on top of the ones already discussed, can be verifying that logging to your account for banking, dashboard for work, and email can still be done without any trouble even with VPN being connected.
Knowing that your work-related and personal accounts are secured and accessible via VPN before you even step foot out of your house will be quite reassuring to you.
Features to Look for in a Travel-Friendly VPN
Obviously, this is not the case with every VPN. The result you get from very popular VPNs can be somewhat different from their less trendy competitors and among other things, this is because of the way it has been developed and intended to be used.
The latter should be quite explanatory though in some cases it doesn’t mean only that they just offer unblocking capabilities but also that they integrate well with the features that the travelers need the most such as changing locations or IP address very efficiently and with ease without any interruptions.
Large Global Server Network
If a VPN service provider doesn’t have that many servers distributed around different countries in the world, in that case, a customer may not only be frustrated by the lack of choice but also by the fact that a certain server that a customer wants to connect to is temporarily inaccessible or works very slowly because it is overcrowded with users at the same time.
Connecting to the server in your home country will be something you will be able to do even if you like to switch to a different one now and then for some of your digital nomad needs. More servers globally also usually mean speedier and more reliable connections because the chances of overpopulated servers are lower.
Reliable Kill Switch
Interruptions in VPN services are not uncommon but this is not a reason for a user’s online activities to be exposed due to a VPN connection drop. Hence, the role of the kill switch which is basically a convenience extender in addition to the security protector. A kill switch will be set up to work such as turning off the internet traffic completely until the VPN re-establishes the secure connection. It is an extra precautionary step that travelers can use when they are on unknown networks in a foreign country.
Strong Encryption
Encryption is a measure that a VPN uses to ensure that the data that travels between your device and the internet is encoded in such a way that it is very difficult to decipher, even for someone who may attempt to intercept it. This is an absolutely necessary safety feature if you want to use public Wi-Fi especially in places like airports, hotels, or cafés because such networks are generally more vulnerable to snooping and other cyber threats.
Fast Connection Speeds
Working with or without a VPN at work and home, you will expect to see the difference in your daily routine activities of watching videos, making calls over the Internet, and even browsing various sites reduced to the minimum possible. Having a reliable VPN at your fingertips is allowing you to have an experience as if you were working from your bedroom or office. Also, being fast means that you are not the only one who has minimum annoyance from the interruptions.
Apps for Multiple Devices
When it comes to device type, not everyone is the same so the product must cater to various kinds. Whether your gadgets come from a single brand or are a mixed lot, you can always rest assured when your VPN provider has dedicated apps for different operating systems.
Servers Optimized for Streaming
Servers aimed specifically at streaming offer an excellent level of performance especially when you consider the complexity with which streaming platforms try to detect and block VPN users, not to mention the ability of these servers to maintain a steady connection speed and avoidance of certain restrictions. Thus, being a traveler who can always access the shows and content libraries that they want marches in the hands of the servers whose focus and emphasis has been fully put on the streaming feature.
Common VPN Problems Travelers Face
VPNs can be a very handy tool to travelers but still are prone to a few troubles that users suffer sometimes. Being unfamiliar with what sort of glitches a VPN can throw at you and, more importantly, not testing it before your travels is a cause of these being overlooked very often. Sometimes one of the things that happens is that it turns out that VPN services are blocked or restricted in certain countries or regions. Hence travelers may end up looking for their VPN server connections quite useless or may find that the connection does not go through at all.
Slow or unstable internet connections that may be caused from being on the Wi-Fi of hotels, airports, or cafes are a very common complaint. If the internet connection is almost at the point of being unusable and then you add on top of it the VPN resourcing, it would be expected that the VPN speeds may drop even further or the user may find that the VPN drops more regularly. So, the use of VPN has to be looked at in such instances with more caution.
Many times, in the case when a message is sent on security to users while they are checking their bank or online work accounts, it is understood that for some reason this may be quite an irritant and very inconvenient but not to be the cause of major security concerns instead. By the way, this is the usual and best way of preventing any unauthorized users from having access to your most important accounts when you come from another country or IP address.
Somewhat technical, but still worth noting, is the issue of a DNS leak, which on a VPN can reveal the real location of the user. This accidentally reveals the masked location that VPN is supposed to be providing for privacy or unblocking purposes. Test your VPN before departure so that you can identify the possible issues and understand how to choose the right settings, better servers, or troubleshoot glaring issues.
Simple Troubleshooting Tips Before Your Trip
Preparing your VPN for travel use should not be something you go through when you are already travelling and faced with a poor connection or no connection at all. It is strongly advised to do the necessary checkup well before the trip. One thing that you can do to guarantee that it will function properly is to keep your VPN application up to date at the latest version. New versions will from time to time include new features, improved security, and fixes to problems that may have been also with connections.
Make sure to test your VPN app by connecting and disconnecting to servers from different geographic locations. This will give you a better understanding of what is available to you when you travel. Most probably you are going to have a bunch of devices with you so it is better to set them all up with a VPN before you get to the destination. Include server locations outside the main list and remember to save them in the VPN app for quick easy access. Failing troubleshooting can turn into constant headaches if you don’t do them before your trip.
Conclusion
It is fair to say that unexpected roadblocks in the digital world can turn your wonderfully planned travel to a nightmare. Planning ahead with regard to your online connectivity is the most essential step for a less stressful and smooth travel experience.
A VPN is definitely among the topmost tools for ensuring online privacy and access to one’s usual home services but to get the maximum from it, a user must have already assured that the VPN can fully function as expected by carrying out some testing beforehand. On-the-go secure browsing on public networks, streaming platforms, banking and work sites will be your secured access, hardly interrupted, after you have tested your VPN. Moreover, a test run of your VPN will assist you in uncovering such potential issues as slow connections, blocked servers, and login alerts that will certainly give you time to troubleshoot and find workable solutions beforehand.
Therefore, a little preparation is fundamentally a step ahead as it is a big step saving one from wander, jam, and woes. Having your VPN tested and ready is a way to save a lot of hours of stress and interruptions. It is but a simple matter of fact that you should be able to enjoy your trip without a second thought as to the continuity of your security and access to essential services.
