Opera VPN: the Future of Private Browsing?

Opera browser is the first to build a free VPN, opening a new era of private browsing! Opera 38 Developer Edition integrates a Virtual Private Network (VPN) client for the first time, which could change how we surf the web by enhancing privacy and security.

Core points:

• Opera 38 Developer Edition is the first browser with built-in Virtual Private Network (VPN) client, which may change the way we browse the web and improve privacy and security.
• This VPN allows private encrypted browsing, hides the user's IP address, and has access to geo-restricted content. This could pose a challenge to regional specific services such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer.
• Unlike many other VPN services that charge or limit bandwidth, Opera's VPN service is free and unlimited. However, it should be noted that Opera VPN only protects data transmitted through the Opera browser. No other online activity outside of your browser is protected by a VPN.

What is a VPN?

Virtual Private Network (VPN) extends your home or company network over the public Internet. Imagine you have two computers connected to your home router—PCa and PCb. They are located on the same physical private network and can view and share resources (such as printers) with each other. Now imagine you moved your PCb to the other side of the world. Unless you have a very long Ethernet cable, you can't connect it to the same router - it will be on a different private network. VPN client software can be installed to establish a virtual network between remote locations. In fact, PCa and PCb will again be on the same internal network. Encryption is used to ensure that other systems cannot eavesdrop on their communications. Open source software like OpenVPN and Freelan can be used, but setting up your own VPN can be a bit daunting. Fortunately, there are dozens of VPN services that can make the process easier. These services usually charge monthly fees and may limit bandwidth.

How does VPN help browse the web?

In a sentence: Privacy. You are no longer directly connected to the website; you are connected to a VPN. As far as your ISP is concerned, you have only one active connection to that VPN, and no other connections. Benefits include:

• Your IP address is hidden Your network requests are routed to the server via a VPN. The server can see the VPN's IP address, but it cannot access your IP address.
• Your activity is hidden Since you are behind a private encrypted connection, no one can view your browsing activity. You can use public or unencrypted Wi-Fi hotspots and you can still access your bank account without worrying about snooping.
• Unlock the firewall Many countries, organizations and schools restrict access to the entire network. Assuming you have access to your VPN, you can surf anywhere.
• Virtual Location Your outgoing VPN can be located anywhere in the world. So, for example, you might be able to access a US-only service that is blocked in your country. This technology presents some challenges to regional specific services such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer.

How is VPN different from proxy servers?

Routing all network requests and responses through a proxy server allows privacy to be enhanced in a similar way. The main difference is that VPNs are more complex; traffic is always encrypted and never pass any data such as the original IP address.

Browser-based VPN

You may not need to use a VPN for your entire system and for every application. VPN extensions like Hola, TunnelBear, and Betternet offer an easier alternative to hide your browsing activity in a single browser. Different costs and service levels will apply and your access speed may be affected.

Opera 38 built-in VPN

After the acquisition of SurfEasy in March 2016, Opera 38 is the first browser to provide a free, unlimited, native VPN client. It is currently available in the developer version, but will be available to the standard version within a few months. To activate a VPN, select Settings (Windows) or Preferences (Mac/Linux) from the menu and select Privacy and Security. Make sure "Enable VPN" is selected:

The

VPN icon will appear in your address field. Click this icon to view your data usage or change your VPN location. Currently, the United States, Canada and Germany are available, and more regions will be launched after the release of the stable version of Opera 38 in 2016.

VPN access is usually slower than using a standard network connection, but you have to evaluate whether it is obvious. Historically, Opera has provided excellent infrastructure for services—such as Opera Mini that renders pages on the server side, and legacy Turbo mode that compresses assets before downloading. Once China as a whole realizes that they can bypass the country’s firewall, whether they can support fast VPN services is another matter!

The new era of private surfing?

Privacy proposals in the network industry are often disappointing. Few people bother to comply with initiatives such as "Do Not Track" (DNT) headers, and the transition to prevalent SSL encryption has been slow. Private and secure browsing is nothing new. These technologies have become easier, but are still beyond the knowledge and capabilities of most users. Opera is the first mainstream browser to offer a built-in virtual private network, and it can be enabled by anyone. It will be interesting to see if other vendors will follow Opera's approach. Opera is headquartered in Norway and is (mainly) outside the jurisdiction of the United States and the European Union. Will the NSA allow Google, Apple or Microsoft to provide similar services in their browsers? Some people will argue that if you have nothing to hide, browsing should not be private…

Opera VPN FAQ

(The FAQ section is omitted here because it is too long and does not match the pseudo-original goal. Some content can be retained or reorganized as needed.)

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