With internet security treats popping left and right, choosing the best VPN service is important in ensuring that your business and your personal information are not hacked or maliciously distributed on the web. But with a number of options to choose from, how do you select the best VPN service? What should you be looking for when scouting a brand for the VPN services that it offers?

In the succeeding paragraphs, we will simplify this geek-sounding task into something that the average Joe can follow. The goal is to be able to teach any internet-literate individual with the basics of VPN selection in order to ensure that you are protected from all sorts of malicious attacks on the internet.

1. Start by looking at the server selections being offered. A VPN service is a secure connection that shields your network from hacks. It does this by re-routing all your information to the VPN server where it gets checked for integrity and security before being transmitted to your computer. You are essentially insulating yourself by limiting all the connections through VPN service provider.

So what this does mean in layman’s terms? Well, it means that you should have access to servers in locations where you want to watch a feed from. Consider this basic example: suppose you are an expat on assignment in Europe and you want to continue watching Netflix videos through a secure stream; you will need a US VPN server to give you secure access to Netflix servers located in the US. If you are using a UK server, there would be no way for you to view Netflix streams. The same concept applies for all other websites that you wish to view – you will need a VPN service provider which has a partner server in the countries where your destination websites are hosted from.

If you find all these considerations to be tedious and confusing, you can alternatively pick an NL VPN network to allow you to browse the internet anonymously. It is a little less secure but with fewer hassles, you wouldn’t have to think about too many things regarding your service.

2. A big determinant of the price that you end up paying for the VPN service is bandwidth. For example, if you want an iPad 2 VPN purely for browsing purposes, you can select a service with a lower bandwidth offer than if you wanted to stream Netflix movies. For everyday use, 2GB bandwidth should be sufficient.

If you do not want to be restricted in your usage by having fixed bandwidth, look for VPN services that have unlimited bandwidth. This will cost you more but it would eliminate the need to worry about whether you are about to exceed your VPN plan limits or not.

3. Compatibility with your chosen device is also very important. Again, if you plan to use iPad 2 VPN services, make sure to explicitly ask for the service. Most people choose the cheapest service available only to realize later that the VPN plan they just bought can only be used on their old, clunky desktops. It is always best to ask if an offer is compatible with your preferred device so you are sure of what you are getting.

4. Extra. These correspond to other features in the offer that may or may not need. As such, it is important to ask. For example, you might want your selection for best VPN provider to allow P2P usage. You wouldn’t want to find yourself in a situation where you are safe from malicious internet attacks but you can’t do the things that you want to do on the internet because your VPN service is blocking the websites that you want to visit. As a rule, ask the provider when you are in doubt.

From these tips, you should be able to narrow down your selection to a few brands. A list of three to four potential VPN service providers is ideal.

The last thing you need to do is to put these considerations together. The best way to do this is to read reviews regarding your shortlisted companies. Remember that there is no way to plan for everything when it comes to VPN so reading about other people’s experiences will help you find information such as service reliability, promotions, and security straight from the perspective of the user. These intangibles are not always visible in the offer brochure.

Your best VPN should have the backing of many other users, not just a select few who have very narrowed specifications and requirements. It also isn’t always the most expensive, not necessarily the fastest, or the most sophisticated. Tailor your chosen services to your exact needs so you can maximize what you are getting from the company without paying too much.

To do this, make sure to run through a list of your basic expectations before narrowing your list further a few brands. From there, you can then begin the more detailed task of comparing offers and prices and specifications until you come up with the best VPN service that suits your needs just right.