Do I need a VPN?

[MeltingPoint]

I'd like to get the added security of a VPN but I;m wondering if it is necessary in my case.

 

I tried tracing my IP at ip-tracker.org and other sites and the results point to a location that is likely the main office of my ISP. It is of course in the same country as mine but it is nowhere near my actual location. 

 

So why is this and will I get any benefit from using a VPN?

[z123killer]

I don't know a lot about networking but if your ip shows somewhere that is not your location that is good because you don't want people to know your location, I generally use a vpn when I am torrenting because you are basically sharing a download and people can view your ip address 

[jnmbhj]

In short, NO. You do not need a VPN. 

 

Unless you are in a location where you get services blocked. Like syria where you cannot talk about politics. Otherwise it will just slow down you connection and make your ping much higher. 

[aLemonNation]

I'd like to get the added security of a VPN but I;m wondering if it is necessary in my case.

 

I tried tracing my IP at ip-tracker.org and other sites and the results point to a location that is likely the main office of my ISP. It is of course in the same country as mine but it is nowhere near my actual location. 

 

So why is this and will I get any benefit from using a VPN?

depends on why you need a vpn. I only use my vpn when I'm accessing blocked websites in school or something related to my ip. When it comes to gaming, it creates a high ping and latency.

[Tmt97]

It doesnt hurt if you like privacy.

[MeltingPoint]

Well it looks like my ISP has done something good, but it is still shit. I'll just use a VPN when I deal with sensitive matters. 

[AnAverageName]

Do you need a VPN? In short, no. However, it is still a good idea. The first thing a VPN does is mask your location. Since that doesn't seem to be a problem for you, we'll move on.

 

Next, a VPN can serve as a way to protect yourself online. A good example of this is the infamous DDoS attack. With a VPN, you are usually able to ride out whatever an individual can throw at you since the servers that your traffic is routed through have DDoS mitigation.

 

Finally, it acts as a way to protect your data. If you've ever used a network protocol analyzer, such as Wireshark, you know just how scary sending your data over the internet can be. Imagine you're sitting on an open Wi-Fi network, or your nosey neighbor who wants to go through your Facebook has managed to get on your network using Aircrack or something. This person is hoping to grab your username and password using Wireshark. You log in and if they are sniffing traffic they now have your username and something called a hash. This hash is your password encrypted by the website on your end before it is sent to Facebook's servers to log you in. Unfortunately for you, your password is rather weak and they break it quickly with hash cracking software, probably John the Ripper. If you had been using a VPN the person trying to get your password would have had a significantly harder time since the entire packet would be safe and encrypted inside of the packet generated by the VPN.

 

Note that VPNs do generate lag, and are probably not an always use this thing, but they are good to have around, just in case. 

[Goat]

No. A VPN basically allows you to fake your online location. So if I connect to an European VPN, websites will think that I'm from Europe. This is good if you want to access content that is restricted in your region.