Using a VPN with VoIP Applications

A VPN is still one of the best ways to protect yourself online. This valuable tool helps to increase your online privacy through encrypted connections that are practically invisible to others. Many people around the world use VPN technology for a variety of purposes. They unblock websites and applications that are restricted in some areas, browse without revealing their IP address, and access VoIP services for inexpensive calls.

Using a VPN with VoIP platforms like Skype can be tricky. There are a few special considerations when it comes to using a VPN to carry VoIP traffic. Here are the important things that you should know.

VPNs and VoIP

People have different reasons for wanting to use a VPN with a VoIP service. The most common reason is increased security. No one wants to think about someone possibly spying on their calls when they are making them over an Internet connection.

Most VoIP providers do a poor job of providing a secure environment. The protocol that supports VoIP, Session Initiation Protocol, has long been criticized for its security vulnerabilities. It only makes sense that anyone using a VoIP would want to take measures to improve privacy. Using a VPN will accomplish that simple task without a hassle.

If you ask most individuals what their concern is when it comes to VPN and VoIP, the most common answer is performance. Because a VPN creates a secure connection that exists between your device and the Internet, reductions in data speed are not uncommon. These can be minimal when you choose a provider like VPNAccounts. With other services that are promoted as “free” but contain ads, the speed of your connection can be reduced in a noticeable way.

What does this mean for you? If you are only using Skype or WhatsApp to make an occasional voice call, there probably won’t be much of an issue with less performance. The occasional dropped call or lost connection might not be such a big deal. But what if you are dependent upon VoIP for more intensive use? That might require you to take a look at a VPN that is especially suited for VoIP traffic.

Latency and Jitter

The two big problems with VoIP technology and VPNs are referred to as latency and jitter. These problems are related to one another and can affect the overall quality of the calls you are making with VoIP.

Latency is essentially the lag between the time data packets are sent to your computer network and the time you receive them. In most cases latency is so minimal on today’s fast networks that you never even notice it happening. We’re talking milliseconds here.

What does that have to do with VoIP? It’s a phone call, right? Well, yes and no. It is a phone call, but not one that is made with traditional landline processes. The voice that you hear when you make a call with a VoIP is essentially a form of data transfer. Therefore, latency can come into play. If this latency increases to a point where it is noticeable, the quality of your calls can be affected.

Jitter happens when the data packets that are sent to your network arrive in a jumbled order due to variance in latency. Some parts of a conversation may become unintelligible while other calls might be dropped entirely. When latency increases, the risk of jitter goes up.

How to Avoid VoIP VPN Problems

Thankfully, the fix for latency and jitter when using a VPN for VoIP is pretty simple. If you plan on using your VPN to make VoIP calls then you will need to consider a reputable paid provider for your VPN service.

It is easy to be led astray by VPN services that are promoted as free. The truth is that they are anything but free. You might not be paying money each month to access a free VPN, but you will pay in latency and jitter. This is because most free VPN services do not have the capital to maintain or expand their networks.

Free VPNs may be limited on server locations, meaning that more of the servers they do have are handling the brunt of traffic on the network. This can create slower speeds. Slower speeds will increase latency, cause jitter, and make it difficult for you to use VoIP.

A paid VPN service will generally provide more server locations. It will also use greater security protocols. There will not be any ads or other malware that your computer might have to contend with when using the paid VPN service.

Therefore, if your business depends upon the use of VoIP you will probably need to consider a reasonable paid VPN plan. We have many affordable VPN plans to choose from, and our service has a reputation for fast connection speeds.

Remember, your communications are a big part of your business. Don’t risk losing customers or contacts by depending on a free VPN to carry VoIP traffic.