VPN Extension For Google Chrome: What It Is, How To Download, Install And Enable For Google Chrome

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

VPN extensions for Google Chrome: install, configure and enable

Nowadays, an increasing number of sites are blocked by various government agencies. To bypass the ban and gain access to the desired web resource in the Google Chrome browser there are special tools called VPN extensions.

What is VPN and what is it used for

VPN is the ability to work in one or several networks on top of another. In most cases, it is used based on an internet connection. VPN allows you to hide your real location from other network members. Also, the data transmitted over the encrypted tunnel cannot be tracked by the provider, which allows, for example, to go to sites blocked in your country.

I would like to note that VPNs are going to be banned at the legislative level in the Russian Federation, and in the near future, users will experience difficulties in gaining access to web services through VPN. I would advise you to keep this in mind if you are planning to purchase a premium account in one of the extensions.

Selecting a VPN extension for the Google Chrome browser and installing it

One of the easiest ways to get a working VPN connection is to install a browser extension that will allow you to use all the features of Internet resources.

Popular VPN Extensions

You can find a large number of VPN services in the Chrome extension store. Let's take a look at the most popular ones: TunnelBear, Hotspot Shield, ZenMate, friGate, Hola, anonymoX, and Touch VPN Chrome.

Table: comparison of popular VPN extensions

Name	The cost	Opportunities
TunnelBear	Shareware (subscription from $ 5 per month)	There are applications for mobile operating systems that are synchronized with the extension, 500 MB of traffic per month when using the free version, servers in 20 countries of the world
Hotspot Shield	From $ 5 per month	Built-in ad blocker, high speed of work, you can pay with cryptocurrency
ZenMate	From 250 rubles per month, two weeks trial period	Selection of servers in different countries (Romania, Germany, Hong Kong and the United States of America are presented in test mode), traffic limitation in the trial version (150 MB per day), high speed
friGate	Is free	Encrypts traffic, opens TOR (.onion) sites and supports EmerDNS
Hola	Shareware (subscription from $ 3.75 per month)	Choice of servers in different countries (Spain, USA, Canada and Germany), traffic limitation in the free version (350 MB per day)
anonymoX	Shareware (subscription from 5 euros per month)	Server in Germany, in the paid version speed up to 16 Mbps
Touch VPN Chrome	Is free	No traffic restrictions

Installing the VPN extension

The extension store is used to download any add-on in the Chrome browser. Let's take a look at the installation process using ZenMate as an example:

1. Click on the "Services" button in the bookmark bar and select "Chrome Web Store".

   

   To install any extension you need to go to the "Chrome Web Store"

2. In the store search bar, enter the name of the VPN extension you need.

   

   To quickly find the extension you need, you can use the store search bar

3. From the options that Chrome will offer you, select the one you need and click "Install".

   

   To install the extension, click on "Install" on the option you need

4. To start initializing the add-on, click on the "Install add-on" button.

   

   To start initializing the add-on, click on the "Install the add-on" button

5. In the case of ZenMate, you will have to register on the developer's website for the VPN function to work correctly.

   

   In the case of ZenMate, you will have to register on the developer's website for the VPN function to work correctly

6. Network settings are set automatically, but you can change the server location, for example, select Germany or Romania as your location in the "Change Location" extension window.

   

   To select the server you need, you need to click on the corresponding button opposite the desired country

Video: How to Install and Configure Hola Alternative VPN Extension

Enabling the VPN extension while working with web pages

Some VPN extensions allow you to enable tunneling only on the pages you want. Let's look at a similar case using the Chrome Touch VPN example:

1. Install the Touch VPN Chrome extension.

2. Click on its icon.

   

   To enable VPN you need to start the corresponding extension first

3. In the extension window, click on the "Connect" button.

   

   To start the extension, you need to click on the "Connect" button

4. You can go to a resource unavailable in your country.

   

   After starting the extension, you can go to the resource you need

5. To close the extension, you need to click on its icon, where you need to click on the "Stop" button.

   

   To exit Touch VPN Chrome, you need to press the "Stop" button

If you want the extension to work all the time, but at the same time the Internet speed on sites where blocking is not required does not drop, then you need to add these pages to a special list, the elements of which will be ignored by the add-on. For this you need:

1. Open the extension window and click on the “Exclude website” interface element.

   

   To add your sites to the whitelist, you need to click on the "Exclude website" item in the extension window at the moment when you are on the desired page

2. In the window that appears, enter the address you need and click on the "Add" button.

   

   To add any link to the white list, you need to enter the site address in the line and click on the "Add" button

3. After the completed operations, the address will appear in your list.

   

   After all the operations done, your list will be drawn up

I'd like to point out that it's best to keep multiple VPN extensions installed at once. If proxy servers are disabled for one extension, the other add-on will continue to work at the same time.

Regardless of whether the required web resource is blocked or not, you can always access it thanks to VPN extensions for the Google Chrome browser. Be careful, follow the instructions above to avoid problems and enjoy the Internet without restrictions.