A VPN is the best way to get around blocking sites that your ISP has blocked. You can also hide information about yourself, change the IP-address and transfer data in encrypted form. But for ordinary users, VPN is primarily the ability to visit sites that have been blocked and inaccessible in a particular country.
I came across this in my own experience. I tested various VPN extensions (add-ons) for the four most popular browsers: Opera, Google Chrome, Yandex Browser and Firefox. I decided to share this useful information with you. Below we take a look at the best (in my opinion), free (though not all) VPN add-ons for browsers. I will also show you how to find and install them in each browser. After installing and activating these extensions, you will be able to visit blocked sites, social networks (VKontakte, Odnoklassniki) and other resources.
A free VPN can't be good quality. It is slow and unstable. Unfortunately this is the case. Especially in our time, when a heavy load has fallen on these free services. For permanent use, a free VPN is not suitable. I think you have already seen this.
Better, of course, to buy some kind of paid VPN.
A few words about what a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is and how it works. This is a virtual private network. If this does not mean anything to you, then now I will try to explain it in simple language. There are many VPN services, both free and paid. Using some kind of VPN service (configured through a browser extension, program for PC, Android, iOS), all our traffic goes through the server of this service. There can be a lot of such servers, in each country and several of them (it all depends on the specific VPN service).
We get the IP address of the server through which we connect. This allows us to enter blocked sites, since we change our location on the network, connecting through a server installed in another country (where certain sites are not blocked). All data that we transmit or receive is encrypted. Which gives us additional protection, especially when connecting through open Wi-Fi networks.
Sometimes, security when using a VPN can be deceiving. Since all our traffic goes through the servers of some kind of company, there is always a risk that this company will use the information that passes through its servers. Therefore, I advise you to use only the time-tested and most popular VPN browser extensions. I will talk about these in this article.
It's simple: if in your country the provider has blocked access to some sites (for example, as VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, Yandex and Mail.ru are now blocked in Ukraine), then simply install the VPN add-on in your browser, turn it on and we can go to the sites , to which we have been restricted from access.
Free VPN for Opera Browser
First of all, I'll tell you about the solution for the Opera browser. For the reason that I myself use this browser, and in this regard it is the best. Why? But because Opera does not need to install any third-party extensions to visit blocked sites. Opera has its own built-in free VPN that works just fine!
All we need is to install the latest browser version. Then go to "Menu" - "Settings", to the "Security" tab, and check the box next to "Enable VPN".
All that remains is to turn on the VPN, and you can go to the sites that your Internet provider has blocked.
You can change the virtual location. But I advise you to leave the "Optimal location".
The developers of the Opera browser are certainly great. Not only is the service free, but also with unlimited traffic and speed. And it is very convenient to use it. And most importantly, a company like Opera can be trusted. Anyway, it's better than some VPN services that were created a couple of days ago.
For more details, see the article: Free VPN in Opera Browser. Access to closed sites.
If you use the Opera browser, then the issue of bypassing the blocking of sites for you, I think, is solved.
Advice! If it is not very important for you which browser to use, then you can install Opera and visit the necessary sites through its VPN. In order not to search and install third-party extensions in other browsers.
VPN for Google Chrome
There are many different VPN extensions for the Google Chrome browser. They can be found and installed from the official store. Let me first show you how extensions are installed in the Chrome browser, and then I'll show you a few specific extensions that I personally tested in my work.
Open the menu, go to "More Tools" and select "Extensions". Then, at the bottom, click on "More extensions".
A new tab will open with a store of various add-ons for the Chrome browser. You can simply search for a VPN, and we will receive a list of required extensions.
It is enough to click on the "Install" button and the extension will be installed in the browser. Then, its icon will appear next to the "Menu" button.
Some VPN extensions for Chrome:
I tried many different ones. Each has its drawbacks. In any case, the download speed may drop.
- Hotspot Shield... There is a free mode. But if you want, you can test the paid version for 7 days (and buy if you like). In the extension store, search for "Hotspot Shield". Install it by confirming the installation.
The icon will appear next to the menu. Click on it. Select an operating mode (free or trial paid). Then click on the button to connect. The connection is established and the icon turns green. You can go to blocked sites.
You can change the country from which you want to visit sites. - Touch VPN Is a free VPN extension for Chrome browser. Find it through the search, install, click on the icon and activate.
It works well. Registration is not required. But it seemed to me that the speed drops very much. - Unlimited Free VPN - Hola... In the search, you can simply type "Hola" and install the add-on. By clicking on the icon, you need to enable work via VPN.
I checked it - everything works. - A few more options: friGate Light, TunnelBear (free version with limited traffic), ZenMate, Betternet Unlimited Free VPN Proxy.
The icon will appear next to the menu. Click on it. Select an operating mode (free or trial paid). Then click on the button to connect. The connection is established and the icon turns green. You can go to blocked sites.
You can change the country from which you want to visit sites.
It works well. Registration is not required. But it seemed to me that the speed drops very much.
I checked it - everything works.Installing VPN in Yandex Browser
First, update your browser to the latest version. In Yandex Browser, you can install add-ons, among which there are VPN services.
To install an add-on, open the menu, then select "Add-ons". Scroll down the page and click on the "Directory of extensions for Yandex Browser" button.
Enter "vpn" in the search. A list of the add-ons we need will appear.
To install what you need, select it and click on the "Add to Yandex Browser" button. I recommend trying: Hola Better Internet, ZenMate VPN, TunnelBear, DotVPN - better than VPN. After installation, the extension icon will appear near the address bar (on the right). Most likely, you will need to run the VPN in the add-on settings.
Installing friGate in Yandex Browser
I think this is the best solution. Everything works well, and it is possible to open through VPN only some of the sites that are blocked. You can create lists and add your sites there. Many blocked sites are added by default. Installing friGate as described above will fail. You need to download the extension file and install it.
- Follow the link: https://fri-gate.org/ru/ and click on "friGate for Opera". Plugin download will start. If Yandex Browser immediately prompts you to install friGate, confirm it.
- If the add-on does not install automatically, then just open the "Add-ons" in your browser, and drag the downloaded file there.
Confirm the installation of the add-on. - friGate will start working immediately. It will unblock sites that are added by default. If some site you need will not open, then you need to add it manually. Click on the "friGate" icon with the right mouse button and select "Settings". Then create a new list, go to it, and add the address of the desired site. For example vk.com, ok.ru, yandex, etc.
There are instructions in Russian. It's easy to figure it out. We just add the blocked site to the list, and it starts the opener via Yandex.Browser.
Confirm the installation of the add-on.
There are instructions in Russian. It's easy to figure it out. We just add the blocked site to the list, and it starts the opener via Yandex.Browser.friGate can be installed and configured in other browsers: Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Chrome.
VPN add-ons for Mozilla Firefox browser
You can also install the required extension in the Mozilla Firefox browser. Or configure friGate, which I wrote about above (the link is also above).
We go to "Menu" - "Add-ons".
On the extension tab, in the search bar, write "vpn", or the name of a specific extension.
You can go to the full list of extensions by clicking on the corresponding link below.
I have checked Hotspot Shield Free VPN Proxy, Hoxx VPN Proxy, ZenMate Security and Privacy & Unblock VPN.
Hotspot Shield works right after booting and turning on. Registration is required for Hoxx and ZenMate.
After installing VPN, blocked sites will open in Mozilla Firefox. If you don't like the download speed or stability, you can try another add-on.
Afterword
Don't get carried away with installing everything. Remember, this may not be safe! Look at the rating, reviews, the number of installations of the extension.
Of the free solutions, I liked the built-in VPN in the Opera browser, and friGate, which can be installed in almost every browser.
Whichever VPN service you use, this has its disadvantages and inconveniences. You need to monitor it (enable or disable), the speed and ping can also drop. It is possible that the server through which you are connecting may fail.
Don't forget to write comments. Share your advice, opinions, and ask questions.
