Here is the Decentralized VPN vs Regular VPN comparison. Read on till the end to identify the one which is better for you?
What Are Decentralized VPNs?
A decentralized VPN, variously referred to as a dVPN, a P2P VPN, or, more rarely, a DPN is distinguished by the fact that it doesn’t actually connect you to a proprietary server, but a node that could be a server or any other electronic device such as a smartphone, laptop or PC.
The system works on the basis of providing peer benefits, i.e. if a user provides a node and lets his/ her system be used, it essentially acts as a routing address for traffic and in return, they get credits from the service provider. The node provider’s own system stays safe because no user is actually allowed access to the system, but only the privilege of routing their traffic through that system’s IP address.
The decentralized system is pretty self-sufficient, although many service providers continue to provide two different types of dVPN plans. One, where your traffic gets routed through nodes (and provides credit to node providers) and another, where users pay for access just as they do with a normal VPN. The benefit of a decentralized network structure is that it becomes difficult for specific regulatory or other organizations to collect information on specific users.
Most dVPNs are offered as dApps that are based on the Ethereum blockchain. Since it works on the blockchain technology, users are guaranteed a high degree of transparency in understanding exactly how the system works while all data is kept secure. IT Support Vermont can help you choose the best decentralized VPN for your business.
So to sum it all up, a decentralized VPN works exactly like a distributed VPN service. The service is distinguished from regular VPNs in that the servers are provided by volunteers across geographical locations instead of a single company – and typically paid by crypto. The same caveats as traditional VPN services apply – you need to trust that the service provider (in this case, thousands of nodes making up the VPN network) is not monitoring your traffic.
How Is A Decentralized VPN Better Than A Traditional VPN?
Better Efficiency
Given the large number of nodes (decentralized VPN devices) that any dVPN has access to, users can pretty much chart their own path to get to the content they want. This means better efficiency on the network compared to a traditional VPN.
The latter is also limited by the fact that even though users are given the choice to connect to specific servers at times, the choices are still pretty limited and the connection is still routed according to the service provider’s regulations. You can choose from a list of the most reputed decentralized VPN service providers at IT Consulting Vermont.
Better cost efficiencies
The value you derive from any VPN service is linked to how much you actually make use of it. Traditional VPN services are generally offered through a monthly or yearly subscription. In fact, subscriptions for six months or longer are made to look more tempting through discounts but only grow in size if you buy subscriptions for say, 3 to 4 years at one go.
While consumers may be tempted by the lowered monthly costs of long-term subscriptions, the fact is that the service is still contractual service with a money-back option that may or may not be honored at times along with lock-in periods as well. dVPN get rid of such complexities by letting users pay for only what they use in terms of actual bandwidth usage. They typically do not operate through subscriptions or lock-in periods.
Instead, there is a flat charge for every GB of data used. This is a much better offer for users because they get to use the service and decide if they like it or not without expensive lock-ins. In fact, this is particularly useful for users who only need a VPN service for intermittent usage, one-time usage or other specific use cases.
The reliability of blockchain
VPNs are based on blockchain. With Blockchain technology, users are pretty much guaranteed better efficiencies, transparency, and security. This kind of technology also allows the developers of the service to scale at ease and be transparent about the improvements to the underlying architecture through open-source tools and services. This also translates to faster bug fixes, the development of features and applications as demanded by the users on top of the existing infrastructure.
Democratic Participation
A traditional VPN service is offered by a company and users have no scope of participation in the process. They simply become a consumer of the company when they avail of the VPN service and pay subscription fees to the company on a regular basis. Decentralized VPNs, on the other hand, offer users a scope to become a part of the network.
If they want to, users have the choice of letting other peers connect to their system and offer their system as a node to other traffic on the network. They even earn incentives for their participation. This, in turn, makes incentivized nodes unique and can even lead to better security for the network as engaged users are typically far more dedicated to maintaining the systems and guarantee a high quality of service.
No single point of failure
Decentralized networks are not vulnerable to failures arising from a single point in the network. Since there is no master server controlling the network, users typically make payments directly to the nodes and get connected to the nodes. Even if that specific node comes under attack, the rest of the network or any other node will not be compromised.
No logging and sale of data
Decentralized systems are prevented from logging or tracking users and of course, cannot sell the user data. Since the browsing data is distributed across the network, it is simply not possible for any specific node to collect this data and sell it.
Traditional VPN services that typically operate through owned servers, and especially free VPN services, are often prone to data logging and selling that information to third parties. Empower your business with the Best Decentralized VPN with Cloud Services Vermont.
Note: This is a guest post by Steve Loyer.
