What does a VPN do?
A VPN or Virtual Private Network is a service that provides a safe and secure way to anonymously surf the Internet. They accomplish this by hiding your computer’s IP address so that it cannot be tracked or hacked into. VPN services use a high-grade encryption technology which is what prevents even your ISP (Internet Service Provider) from tracking your computer’s IP. A typical VPN service will completely encrypt your computer’s data as soon as it connects to its service and then encrypts the data as you connect to your desired websites.
What is the Opera VPN Service?
Not all VPN services are created equal or use the same technology and you always carefully consider everything before you make a decision on which service to go with. While most VPN services charge a monthly fee to be a subscriber or member of its service, there are, however, free VPN services that provide their services at no cost. One of those free VPN services is Opera VPN. If you think it sounds familiar, it should, Opera is one of the more popular Internet browsers and it has a built-in VPN service, referred to as Opera VPN. It functions much like most other VPN services, except that it only encrypts traffic within the Browser window.
Is the Opera VPN Service Safe?
So, the big question is, how safe is Opera VPN Service or is the Opera VPN Service safe to use? The answer to that is, yes it is a safe method of surfing the Internet. It uses similar military-grade 256-bit encryption technology to protect your computer’s actual IP address while using the browser. This is the inherent limitation of a browser-based VPN service that doesn’t use a tunnel connection between your computer and the websites that you desire to visit.
However, the limitation does not mean that when you are surfing and using the Opera browser with the VPN active that you are not safe from prying eyes. You are still safe to visit websites without having to worry about whether or not your IP address is visible. This also means that you don’t have to worry about whether all your data is safe from a hacker being able to steal it.
How fast is the Opera VPN service?
The amount of available bandwidth for your computer to connect to is the major determining factor for the speed at which it will operate. This means that you will want to be connected to the fastest servers that are available to you when you connect to the Intranet. This is why you have a couple of options when using the Opera VPN to protect yourself when online. As soon as you hit the button to activate the VPN feature on your Opera browser it will automatically attempt to connect to the fastest available server location. With servers in three different regions of the world, you will be able to change the VPN settings and select another region; Europe, Asia, and America. So, if you are worried about how fast the Opera VPN is and how does it stack up against other services, it seems to be on equal footing with many of the other well-known paid VPN services.
Is a free VPN service a good option?
While there are so many VPN services available these days that offer a wide variety of benefits and features. However, they do come at a cost, so, it begs the question, can you get quality results from a free service like Opera VPN? The simple answer to a complex question like that is YES. Their many caveats that go along with that yes, there are limitations, advantages, and disadvantages that you should be aware of before you get started. For this article, we decided to list the top 5 advantages and disadvantages that you will want to know upfront.
Advantages of Opera VPN Service
Top 5 Advantages to using Opera VPN service
- It doesn’t require any special software to be installed as it is built into the Opera browser
- Opera has built a very strong reputation over the years of being a really good Internet browser
- There are no worries about any bandwidth restriction with the Opera VPN
- It is a very fast and very reliable service with little to no downtime
- Your private information is totally safe and there is never a concern that your information will be sold
Disadvantages of Opera VPN Service
Top 5 Disadvantages to using Opera VPN service
- It only offers the safety and protection of your computer within the browser
- Since there is no bandwidth limitation there tends to be a little issue with instability
- Its servers are regionally located instead of country-based, which is different from typical VPN services
- The speed limitation of the browser-based VPN is too slow to be used with video or movie streaming
- Also not optimal to be used for large scale file transferring
Final Thoughts
With more and more people conducting so much of their personal business online, including banking, purchasing, and paying bills. This means, your computer contains most of your valuable personal information. Having so much information on your computer means that you are also vulnerable to hackers who want to get their hands on it.
Fortunately, today’s technology has advanced to a level that makes it easier to keep your computer and data safe while online. One of the most powerful tools is a VPN or Virtual Private Network. This basically cloaks your computer in secrecy and allows you to conduct business in total anonymity. The high-grade encryption technology keeps your IP address invisible and therefore untrackable. The Opera VPN is a free version of the powerful VPN technology and it offers lots of benefits, but, at the same time, it does have limitations.
It is built-in to the Opera browser and can be turned on and off at will. It does offer high-grade encryption protection and while you are on the browser your computer is completely invisible. So, if you are looking to use your computer to do your banking, surfing for information, it would be a really good option, however, if you are looking to stream music, movies, and other content, it will likely leave you disappointed. So, keep all of this in mind when you are making your decision and you should be in great shape.