proXPN

proXPN is a free tool that allows you to connect to a VPN server. There are two different accounts that you can get when signing up for the service: a free one and a paid one.

The free one limits your server choices to the USA (Miami), and it imposes a speed limit on you. When you register for a paid account, you get three different countries to choose from, but the service costs $7.95 a month.

With proXPN and other solutions that connect you to a VPN server, what you get is the added security that VPN encryption gives you. All your web traffic is routed through a VPN server and the traffic is encrypted. So, if you are connected to a network that might not be secure, all you need to do is connect to a VPN to add a layer of security. This also means that no website or anyone capturing traffic will know where you are really connecting from.

I did my testing with the free option. I created my account and then followed instructions to activate it. After downloading and running the app, I was connected to a VPN server in Miami. I then proceeded to Hulu.com to see how the connection was and if I was really in the USA. Hulu streamed the content to me - the server really was located in the USA. The speed wasn't great, but I was able to stream a whole video after pausing the video for a while and letting it buffer. Web browsing was fast enough for me and the connection was stable during the time I remained connected.