Smart.

Safe.
Simple.
The Easy-to-Read Guide to Online Safety.
 Smart. Safe. Simple.
A WhatIsMyIPAddress.com Book

PUBLISHING HISTORY

WhatIsMyIPAddress.com ebook edition published in September 2014

All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2014 by WhatIsMyIPAddress.com

Written by Michael Hernandez

Cover design by The Engine Room

Photos by iStock

No part of this ebook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system
without permission in writing from the publisher.
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 A Message From the Content Director of
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 Table of Contents
I. How to Be Safe Online in Public Places

II. Is It Time to Change Passwords?

III. How to Stay Anonymous Online

IV. Scam Ahead! Proceed with Caution

V. Online Shopping Safety Tips

Bonus Chapters
VI. What to Think About Before Donating Your Computer

VII. Confessions of a First-Time VPN User

 ONE

How to Be Safe Online in Public Places

Most people love the convenience of going online at the local coffee shop, the airport or
the hotel lobby. But most people don’t know that going on the Internet in those places
(called “hotspots”) isn’t as secure as you might think—or as safe as you need it to be.

The reason? A public Wi-Fi/wireless connection is designed to provide an easy way for
anyone in the immediate area who wants to go online to do so. To make that happen,
the security measures aren’t as tight. In many places, you don’t need a password. In other
places, there might be a password, but just about anyone can get ahold of it.

What’s a hotspot? A hotspot is any location where a wireless network (also called Wi-
Fi) provides Internet access to the public—places like airports, hotels and coffee shops.
Hotspots have grown in number, and grown more important, as more people have
shifted to laptops and smartphones.

Are you always at risk?

The answer is yes, and no. If you’re online in a coffee shop, surfing away without much
concern about security, you’re safe if everyone else online there is a nice person, just
enjoying free Internet. (And quite honestly, that could often be the case.)

But that all changes for the worse if there’s just one person logged in to that same wireless
network who is 1) savvy about network security (or the lack of it) and 2) actively preying
on people who don’t know their information is up for grabs. It’s not personal—it’s simply
fun and games for them.
 How to Be Safe Online in Public Places / 2

Make no mistake about it: There ARE a lot people who think it’s okay to intrude on your
privacy and see what you’re doing online. Some snoops do it with computer technology.
Others will actually (and quietly) video your computer usage with their smartphone!

Here’s what it comes down to: If there’s a Wi-Fi snooper nearby, most anything you do
online can be seen and captured by his or her computer. Your Google searches, your
usernames, your private emails…it’s all out there for the taking. So, if you sit down and
go online at the wrong place and the wrong time, you might be telling your secrets to the
nice-looking young man (or woman) next to you.

How to protect yourself.

With your personal information and privacy at risk, here are some tips for what you
should and shouldn’t do when you’re online at a public hotspot:

1. Name that Wi-Fi. This is important. In a hotspot, be suspicious of wireless networks

on your device that show up with names like “Free Wi-Fi” or “Free Hotel Wi-Fi.”
Some hackers set up their own wireless networks with fake names to trick you into
logging on. Find out the name of the hotel or airport’s Wi-Fi network ahead of time
and log on to it.

2. Avoid using passwords. According to the experts, hackers can track your keyboard
activity and get your passwords, even though they can’t actually see them. There are
software programs you can download designed to hide your passwords (look for
them online), but it might be better to avoid activities where you’re using passwords
to log in to your most sensitive or important accounts.

3. Don’t let your guard down. You might be lucky and not run into online snoopers
when you’re in a public hotspot. But your luck could run out one day. ANYTIME
you’re online in public, your data is out there for an online intruder to see. Think
of it like talking on the phone: You wouldn’t give out private information so others
around you could hear you. Do the same online—be discreet!

4. Let your computer help out. Both Windows and Mac OS X (those computers’
operation systems) come with security features that can help protect you. Find the
 How to Be Safe Online in Public Places / 3

computer’s security settings and take steps to enable your firewall (which is like
putting up an invisible fence). This will actually help block out all incoming traffic,
keeping intruders out.

5. Look for the “s” for security. Any time you’re on a Web page, look at the address bar
(above the Web page) and the website’s name. If you see “https” at the beginning, that
website is encrypted, which means your data can’t be read in transmission. If you see
only “http,” that site isn’t secure. You might also see a small “padlock” symbol in front
of the Web address, which is a good sign.

6. Save it for later. To totally eliminate any chance of being tracked, try to avoid banking
and looking at confidential information when using a public network. Why take any
chances? If you must, make sure the sites are secure. Remember, you can often do
banking transactions by phone. (Just don’t talk too loud!)

Virtual Private Networks.

If you don’t want to limit your online activity but still want to be extra safe, look into a
Virtual Private Network or VPN. By downloading VPN software, you will be protected
from hackers even if you’re online at an unsecured hotspot. You’ll pay a small fee for the
service, but the protection and peace of mind will likely be worth it.

And about your IP address…

In case you’re wondering about the IP address you’re using at a hotspot, it’s whatever
the IP address is for that wireless network…and everyone using that particular Wi-Fi is
sharing the same IP address.

Next time you’re at a hotspot, visit WhatIsMyIPAddress.com to see the IP address you’re
actually using.
 How to Be Safe Online in Public Places / 4

Keeping safety simple.

We mentioned not using passwords on wireless networks. As it turns out, your use of
passwords has a lot to do with staying safe online. In the following chapter, you’ll find
out simply managing all passwords can help you avoid online troubles.
 TWO

Is It Time to Change Passwords?

Your IP address, along with your computer and Internet browser, is your connection
to the Internet. But that only gets you connected.

What really makes the Internet come to life, and have value for us, is all of the websites
where we can connect to our world—our favorite websites; our bank accounts; Facebook
and LinkedIn; Twitter and Instagram; and the hundreds of retail, news and personal-
interest sites out there.

And just about every one of them requires a password.

At the end of 2013, a report came out that revealed that some two million passwords
belonging to customers of Google, Yahoo, and Facebook were stolen by hackers. Almost
all of the accounts were in the Netherlands (which was probably the hackers’ main
target). Other countries targeted were Thailand, Germany, Singapore and Indonesia.
Not too many accounts were in the U.S.

Weak passwords (super-simple passwords, to be honest) probably made it easy in some

cases for hackers to bust into accounts. Almost 80% of the passwords that were stolen
were average or very weak, such as “password,” “abc123” and “admin.”

Hard to believe it, but a lot of people have those types of “passwords,” although it’s hard
to call them that. Maybe they quickly keyed in a simple password, thinking it was no
big deal. Or perhaps some people just can’t imagine someone wanting to steal their
password.
 Is It Time to Change Passwords? / 6

Fact: Hackers DO steal passwords.

Today, hackers don’t need to be peeking over your shoulder to steal your password—
they’ll use the latest high-tech tricks to get it. And in some cases, the easier it is for them
to figure out or guess your password, the easy it is for them to do their tricks. Businesses
do not want intruders having access to company information, which they might get with
just one stolen password.

That’s why corporate policy at most workplaces requires you to change your password
every now and then, usually once every few months. But at home, we tend to forget
about password security or we simply put it very low on our priority list.

But that would change in an instant if someone hacked your computer (or tablet or
smartphone) and made your life miserable until you 1) realized what had happened, and
2) got it all straightened out.

You don’t want your password stolen.

Just think about this: Would you want anyone at any time to have access to your email
account and let them see your personal emails, finances, health updates or work
correspondence? Once they got into your personal email, they could request a new
password…and block you out totally.

None of us would want that to happen to anyone.

One problem: too many passwords!

One of the problems we all have is maintaining (and having to remember) all of the
many and different passwords we have! We have passwords at work, for banking, for
email (multiple accounts), to pay bills online, to check our online dating results, to read
insider news about our sports teams, and so on and so on.

It’s common for people to have a dozen or so accounts with passwords. A recent
independent survey (2012) said 60% of us have least 10 password accounts, and 30% have
more than 20! (There’s probably someone you know who has more than 100 passwords.)
 Is It Time to Change Passwords? / 7

It’s no wonder that a recent study showed that many of us ask websites for password help
at least once a month.

So here are some straightforward suggestions for making your password-crazy life
simpler while maintaining your online safety:

• Change your passwords if you haven’t changed them in more than

six months.

• Come up with passwords that aren’t easy to steal or guess. Think of

something out of the ordinary for most people, but meaningful to you.

• Try not to use the same password on different sites; or if you do, make
it a great one…and one you have a chance at remembering.

• Change your passwords every three or four months. Put a reminder to do

it on a yearly calendar so you don’t forget.

• Don’t fall for emails requesting you to change passwords unless you’re
sure it came from the website.

• Look into password manager programs (like LastPass, RoboForm and

Kasperky Password Manager) that help you keep track of your passwords
while keeping them safe.

Remember—if you ever forget your password to a website, you can either retrieve or reset
it by answering a few security questions you answered when you opened the account.

That inconvenience, taking just a few minutes, is a small price to pay for a secure
password to your online privacy.

It’s about staying anonymous.

The purpose of a password is to keep your name out of the mix. For some people, that’s
not enough. They want no traces of their online activities…
 THREE

How to Stay Anonymous Online

Most of us don’t think too much about being anonymous…in our everyday lives and
even when we’re online. That’s because over the years, especially in the U.S., people
have been conditioned to provide some personal information to companies in order
to do business.

Mail comes to our house, with our name and address on it. Our phone numbers are
“listed,” and our names are right next to them. And if we want to buy anything online,
we have to provide our name, address, and payment information.

Most of us are trusting souls. But that’s where trouble lies, and where more and more
of us are taking steps to be more invisible online. The word we used to describe that
is anonymous.

That’s not necessarily an everyday word, so here’s a definition refresher: When you
say a communication is anonymous, that means the person who sent it is unknown
by name. If you want to remain anonymous in some situation, you’re choosing not
to have your name attached to your message or action, whatever that is.

Internet anonymity is a little different. Why? Because we want to keep more than our
name from being known: We don’t want our personal, financial and computer “identity”
(from our IP address, to our city and state) known as well. And we don’t want any of it
hijacked by hackers and crooks.
 How to Stay Anonymous Online / 9

We can control only so much.

We do have some control when it comes to limiting our risk of exposure online.
After all, we can choose how much to tell anyone about ourselves, from people we email,
to businesses we do transactions with.

But after that, we lose a lot of control. Fact is, there are entities out there—businesses,
advertisers, hackers, thieves, police or government institutions—that will collect data
(legally or not) to watch what we’re doing.

Privacy rights.
For a growing number of people, Internet anonymity means we should be able to
conduct all or some activity on the Internet with anyone tracing that activity back to our
individual computers…and ultimately, to us personally. Especially when a person has
NOT given permission for anyone to do that.

Avoid problems…and crime.

Still, for most of us that just means we want to be treated decently and not have our
private information (or private/personal Internet activities) abused. We don’t want to
be victims of identity theft or other Internet scams. We might not like it (or even know)
that businesses are tracking our ZIP codes, or that online advertisers have captured our
IP address to send out custom ads, but we won’t get up in arms about it.

For others (some decent folks, some not, some paranoid, or activists), there’s the desire
to have NO traces of any kind, by anyone, on any of their Internet activity.

Anonymity advocates.
Supporters of total Internet anonymity argue that it is the most important aspect of free
speech on the Internet. Anonymity allows Internet users to express themselves freely
without worry of being discovered or tracked, ridiculed, or harassed. They would say
that is important to online discussions and forums, especially forums involving personal
questions or topics, such as sensitive medical issues.
 How to Stay Anonymous Online / 10

Advocates might also say that Internet anonymity is important when it comes to sharing
or giving information that really should remain anonymous, such as reporting illegal
activities through an online tip. Would you want someone (reporters, crooks, etc.) to
trace your police tips back to you?

On the other hand, it’s no secret (or you just found out by reading this) that there are
plenty of people who don’t want to be tracked because they’re into very illegal activities.
They might support anonymity for some of the right reasons, but they also don’t want
the authorities to shut down or interrupt their illegal activities.

What Should You Do?

If you went shopping at a mall, you wouldn’t give your name, address and phone
number to any store that asked for it. And you wouldn’t want someone following
you around the mall, watching what you buy, and seeing how much money you have
on you.

If you want to protect your privacy, limit how much personal information you post on
the Internet. Remember, if you’re on Facebook or LinkedIn, you’ve already given away
a lot of privacy.

How far you go to protect your privacy depends on how you feel about anonymity. With
a little research, you can find out how you can reduce what advertisers, marketers and
others can find out about you. And you can learn how to protect your Internet activity
by using a proxy or Virtual Private Network (VPN), such as hidemyass.com.

What about when someone is trying to fool you?

You might not be the only one trying to stay anonymous—there are a lot of dishonest
people online pretending to be someone else, with the sole intent of tricking you into
giving them money…
 FOUR

Scam Ahead! Proceed with Caution

(and Alert Your Friends and Family)

There’s a new twist on the old adage “Let the buyer beware” for the computer age. It’s
now “Let the Internet browser beware.” That’s because the most likely threat to our
online activity doesn’t come from a hacker (someone trying to break into a computer
network)—it comes from a scam artist trying to trick us, our friends or our family into
giving away our money, or our financial and personal information.

Now, maybe you’re too smart to fall for any of these scams, but that doesn’t mean a
friend or family member is safe. You need to make sure they’re aware of the scams that
are the most common, affecting hundreds of thousands of people.

Every day, hundreds of decent people get scammed out of their money. It’s not totally
their fault. They may be trusting souls, eager to help, or hurting for money and vulnerable.
That’s why they need to be alerted to and prepared for online scams.

The online con artist.

Behind every scam is a con artist whose goal it is to trick people into doing a variety
of things:

1. Investing money in some venture

2. Giving up their account username and password
3. Donating money for a “worthy,” timely cause
4. Loaning money to an individual in trouble (for a reward)
 Scam Ahead! Proceed with Caution / 12

Again, tell your friends, children and family members NOT to give money to an
individual or organizations they have been introduced to online. Let them know it is
better to do some research—or better yet, talk to a friend first—before they decide to
hand over money.

These are the most “popular” scams you should alert your friends to:

• Disaster relief scams. Right after natural disasters (earthquakes, fires, floods),
fraudulent organizations will send out emails to people asking for donations. It’s
easy to fall for this scam because we want to help others in distress. But con artists
are behind many charity scams. And if they get ahold of someone’s credit card
number, they can run up huge charges fast.

• “Nigerian” scams. You receive an email from someone in a foreign country (it
seems so sincere) who needs your help desperately. They have a lot of money that’s
locked up in red tape. If you can help them pay some fees, they will gladly reward
you with a lot of money. Yes…people fall for this and send money!

• “You won!” lottery scam. Many people (okay, most people) dream of winning
millions of dollars instantly in a legal lottery. Scammers know that and use it to their
advantage. They send out emails letting recipients know they’ve won the “big prize,”
and to get it all they have to do is send the required processing fee. When someone
sends their money, they soon find out the millions they “won” never come, and
never existed.

• Phony bank alerts. This is a very smart and dangerous con because it seems so
real and offers to protect us. An unsuspecting person gets an email from their bank
(they think) that says they must update their account information immediately to
protect themselves against fraudulent activity. The bank logo is there on the email,
but it’s not from the bank at all—instead it comes directly from a scam artist. And if
someone replies to the email with his or her account information, the scammer will
likely drain the account of money.

• Chain email scams. This scam moved from ordinary U.S. mail to the Internet. An
email tells you that if you give $5 to the email sender, and then forward the email to
friends, you will soon be making a lot of money. Thousands of people get this same
email and send their $5. Then they wait and wait for thousands of dollars that never
come. The scammer is the only one who makes all the money.
 Scam Ahead! Proceed with Caution / 13

• The lonely lover. This scam is born from the huge explosion in online dating. A
woman meets a guy through an online dating service and thinks she’s in love. The
man sounds honest in his emails, his picture looks nice…and in a short while, he
needs some cash for some emergency. How can this new girlfriend say “no”? She
doesn’t, and soon lover boy is long gone and so, sadly, is his girl’s cash.

The best advice for staying safe.

Pass along the advice in this article to your loved ones. Let them know that simply
talking to another person about a suspicious email may be all it takes to avoid being
scammed online. Also give them these three simple rules to follow:

1. Never give out bank account information in reply to an email. (Banks will
never ask for it!)

2. Never hand over money with the hope of making more money. (If it sounds
to good to be true, it is.)

3. Don’t donate money to a cause by giving your credit card information online
unless you’re 100% sure it’s a legitimate cause or website. Do your homework.

Don’t let your guard down.

So now you’re aware of some of the exotic Internet scams that are out there. But stay
alert: Danger lurks even when you’re doing something as ordinary as shopping online…
 FIVE

Online Shopping Safety Tips

As you probably know by now, you can buy just about anything online these days. Over
the past 10 years, online shopping has grown tremendously, to the point that most
everyone has shopped online for clothes, airline tickets, sporting events, concert events
or gifts.

It’s gotten so convenient that it’s easy to forget that we should be alert and take certain
precautions when we shop online to make sure our personal financial information
doesn’t wind up in the wrong hands. So here are a few reminders to those who are
somewhat new to online shopping, or aren’t aware of the dangers that lurk out there.

Don’t shop at public hotspots.

Online shopping is convenient, but you shouldn’t make it too convenient for someone to
hack your account while you’re shopping. So, avoid making online purchases when you
are in a public place (coffee shop, restaurant, shopping mall) and using their free wireless
Internet (“hotspot” or Wi-Fi). There’s no way to make sure that network is secure, and
hackers know this. The only time you should enter sensitive information using a public
Wi-Fi is if you’re using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Read about VPNs here.
 Online Shopping Safety Tips / 15

Use reputable and secure websites.

Before you type your card details into a website, ensure 1) the website is trustworthy and
2) that the site is secure. If you were lured to a website by a great offer—maybe one that
seems too good to be true—that site might be selling illegal or pirated items. If you’re
not familiar with the website, ask your tech-savvy, online shopping friends if they’ve
used or heard of the site. If they haven’t, do some online research to see what you can
find out.

When it comes to a site’s security, look for a small padlock symbol in the address bar
(or elsewhere in your browser window) and make sure the Web address begins with
“https://” (the “s” stands for “secure”).

Use strong passwords.

Most sites will have you set up an account before you’re able to make a purchase. This is
a good idea, since it means you’ll have a username and password and an account that is
set up for you and only you. You will want to use a strong password, one that isn’t easy
for anyone to figure out and that you won’t use for other online shopping sites (or any
other websites for that matter). That’s just a good practice to get into.

Additional payment security steps.

Websites, valid and trustworthy ones, may have one more layer of security for online
credit and debit card purchases, to protect you. You might be asked for another password
or piece of information. Visa’s “Verified by Visa” and MasterCard’s “SecureCode” are
examples of this.

Good websites also ask for your security number.

Just about anytime you use a credit card, you will be asked for the 3- or 4-digit number
that is on the back of your card. It’s called your card’s “security number” or, more
accurately, the “CVV2” code. CVV2 stands for “Card Verification Value 2.” It is an
 Online Shopping Safety Tips / 16

important security feature for major credit cards and credit card transactions made on
the Internet and over the phone. The code is located on the back of your card or above
your signature line.

What’s the purpose of this? Well, in theory, even if someone had captured your credit
card number somehow, but not this secret code, they wouldn’t be able to make an online
or phone purchase using just your credit card number.

Use PayPal for added privacy.

In other instances, an online website may be providing the service of a payment
“middleman” when you make a purchase on their website. You’ll typically see that at
auction websites such as eBay, where many people (referred to as “vendors”) are selling
their own merchandise to the public.

PayPal is one of these services (you’ve probably heard of them). You set up a PayPal
account first, and then you can make the payment for your purchase through PayPal.
In turn, PayPal passes your payment on to the merchandise seller. The seller doesn’t see
your actual bank account or credit card details, and you never have to key in your credit
card information, which could be important in some instances.

Shopping online can be relatively safe and stress-free if you follow these and other smart
safety tips. Fortunately for all of us, the media is very good about keeping us informed
and alert when it comes to being smart online shoppers.

One day, you might be shopping for a new computer online. But what do you do with
your old one? It’s important for you to delete your personal information before you
recycle or donate it…
 Six

What to Think About Before Donating Your Computer

Let’s say you’re upgrading to a new computer and you want to donate your old one
or even give it to someone else. Before you just hand it over, take a minute to think of
the life’s worth of information stored on it. You’ve created files, written personal and
business emails, stored pictures and videos…and explored interesting websites over the
years.

That may have all been in the past, but your computer still carries memories of it. Now
maybe the new owner will not try to see what’s on your hard drive, but what if the
PC gets donated again and winds up in someone else’s hands…someone with amazing
computer skills?

So, you might think twice before you simply hand over your computer.

Here are a few things you might want to think about before you put your PC in the
hands of anyone, friend or foe. We’re just going to mention the topics: You’ll be able to
find more information—and in many cases, special programs that are available to assist
you—with a little online research.

• Back up your documents

• Save important contact lists
• Transfer your most important emails to your new computer; then delete them
from your old one
• Delete everything you have downloaded
• Remove all installed software
 W h a t t o T h i n k A b o u t B e f o r e D o n a t i n g Yo u r C o m p u t e r / 18

• Remove memory
• Delete all photos
• Delete all videos
• Remove temporary files
• Clear all history
• Remove saved passwords
• Keep essential office programs
• Clear Internet files and cached websites from your browser

Keeping safe on your new computer.

Are you someone who’s very concerned about Internet privacy? If so, when you get your
new computer, you may want think about taking steps to keep tracking and prying eyes
to a minimum.

• There are features on most browsers that can block websites from tracking
your Web movements.

• There are add-on specialty programs that can help you keep everything
private while you’re using your computer and going online.

• Learn how to prevent unauthorized access to your PC, especially if you’re

around others in an office environment.

• Create a virtual “safe” on your hard drive—a personal vault for your
personal information that no one will be able to break into.

• Password-protect any “thumb” drives (USB) and keep those portable files
secure.

• Install the best antivirus programs you can find.

The next Chapter offers you insights from a first-time Virtual Private Network (VPN)
customer. Reading his account might encourage you to get more online security for
yourself and your family.
 SEVEN

Confessions of a First-Time VPN User

There are a lot of Internet users who are fairly tech-savvy but certainly aren’t information
technology (IT) or network experts. That’s most of us. So when the subject of VPNs
comes along, many people have at most a passing knowledge of what a Virtual Private
Network is. (Hopefully, WhatIsMyIPAddress.com has helped you learn more about
VPNs and other technical matters!)

Still, any high-tech product that’s relatively unknown and is not common knowledge
can be intimidating. But if you let that stop you from taking the next step—giving a VPN
a try—you could be missing out on privacy protection that’s easy to come by. One of the
best ways to lower your apprehension is to read about somebody who has taken the next
step and hear what they have to say. So that’s what we did for you.

A first-time user shares his experience.

“WhatIsMyIPAddress.com” talked to an email subscriber recently who had just signed
up for a VPN and asked him what his motivation was for opening his account and what
his personal experience was like. By reading about it here, you’ll see that it’s a pretty
straightforward experience, and it might encourage you to get past any indecision or
obstacles.

Q. What was your main reason for deciding to sign up for a VPN?
A. I am an independent contractor, so I work at home or anyplace where there’s an
 Confessions of a First-Time VPN User / 20

Internet connection. Since I find myself doing office-type work at coffee shops and
hotels with hotspots, I started to become more concerned about my privacy and Internet
vulnerability. A friend told me about the risks of unsecured wireless connections and
about Virtual Private Networks, so I decided to look into it. I ended up setting up a VPN
account.

Q. What made you choose your particular VPN provider?

A. I liked the look of their website, which was professional. The content was clear,
friendly and easy to understand. The website and copy came across as very credible and
professional.

They offered both a free option and a paid one. I am willing to pay for the service because
with the free option, I’d have to see banner ads while I browse online and I didn’t want
that. Plus the monthly fee I’m paying is pretty minimal, just a few dollars a month for a
six-month period. That sold me.

Q. What did you like about their offerings, or what impressed you most
about their website?
A. The VPN provider I chose didn’t have a bunch of packages or add-ons to choose
from, which can make it a harder decision. I like things simple. Sure, maybe I could get
have gotten some extra services with another provider, but I like it that they made it
seem very easy.

Q. Was it easy to sign up and set up your account?

A. Yes! In fact, I was surprised, and really pleased, at how simple it was to get started.
There was not a lot to it. It’s all done while you’re online, and you don’t need any
technical information about your computer or router or network to set it up. I think
that if everyone knew how easy these VPNs make it, they’d sign up. I literally clicked
to download the software and it ran by itself. I set up my profile by providing my email
address and phone number, and then picked a username and password. That’s it. I wish
I’d done it before.
 Confessions of a First-Time VPN User / 21

Q. Did you check your IP address once you were online to see if it had
changed?
A. I did, and I went to WhatIsMyIPAddress.com to do it. Plus, if you go to the VPN’s
website while you’re logged in, the dashboard has a button to click to verify that you’re
protected. When you click it, it goes to an IP address-detector website. You can easily
“pause” protection and refresh to see your IP changing.

Q. Did you notice any change in performance when you went online?
A. I didn’t and that was a relief. I had been wondering what my connection speed would
be like using a VPN, so I was very happy that there seemed to be no noticeable change
in surfing speed on the Internet.

Q. What problem, if any, have you come across?

A. There has been one hitch: For some reason, I’m unable to send email through my
normal email application. (I don’t use Webmail.) In doing a little online research, it
seems that email problems can occur with VPNs. Now, I can send email using a Web
browser like Gmail or Yahoo, but that’s not my preference. My email problem has yet to
be resolved. I’m still working on it.

Q. Are you happy with your choice? Do you think you’ll look at other
VPN providers?
A. I’m happy so far. At this point, I’m not sure if trying another VPN would solve my
email problem or not. If that issue turns into a headache, I might try out another VPN
provider if I know they have it fixed. But overall, I don’t have a real reason to switch
VPNs because I’m getting the Internet privacy and peace of mind I wanted.

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