Is Comodo Dragon's browser a VPN service?
Apparently not.
Chromium is an open source spinoff of Google's Chrome browser, which means that anyone can make their own version of Chromium, as the code is freely available. Chrome and Chromium are very similar and keep up with each other in versions; Chromium is more modifiable and Chrome is more closed.
Comodo Dragon boasts what's called "Incognito Mode," which allows you to surf with all cookies turned off, no download tracking, and no other trace of your existence.
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Most, if not all, browsers today offer similar functions to Dragon's "Incognito Mode". Internet Explorer has
InPrivate Browsing; Opera has
Private Browsing; Firefox also calls it
Private Browsing.
DNS is not the same as VPN.
DNS stands for “domain name system.” Domain names are the human-readable website addresses we use every day. For example, Google’s domain name is google.com. If you want to visit Google, you just need to enter google.com into your web browser’s address bar.
However, your computer doesn’t understand where “google.com” is. Behind the scenes, the Internet and other networks use numerical IP addresses (“Internet protocol” addresses). Google.com is located at the IP address 173.194.39.78 on the Internet. If you typed this number into your web browser’s address bar, you’d also end up at Google’s website.
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Each web browser uses a DNS so you can connect to all the websites you visit. But you don't have to use the DNS provided by your browser. There are other
free DNS sites that you could use. You may find that some offer faster connections, some offer enhanced security features such as blocking certain sites, but I don't think any will provide a Virtual Private Network (VPN), although I could be wrong.
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, allows you to create a secure connection to another network over the Internet. VPNs can be used to access region-restricted websites, shield your browsing activity from prying eyes on public Wi-Fi, and more.
When you connect your computer (or another device, such as a smartphone or tablet) to a VPN, the computer acts as if it’s on the same local network as the VPN. All your network traffic is sent over a secure connection to the VPN. Because your computer behaves as if it’s on the network, this allows you to securely access local network resources even when you’re on the other side of the world. You’ll also be able to use the Internet as if you were present at the VPN’s location, which has some benefits if you’re using pubic Wi-Fi or want to access geo-blocked websites.
When you browse the web while connected to a VPN, your computer contacts the website through the encrypted VPN connection. The VPN forwards the request for you and forwards the response from the website back through the secure connection. If you’re using a USA-based VPN to access Netflix, Netflix will see your connection as coming from within the USA.
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IMHO, if you're using a home computer that's connected to a modem/router you probably don't need a VPN. But for unsecured WiFi locations, a VPN is a wise choice. I've used Hotspot Shield free for a few years without any issues. Connectivity is a little slower and you have to put up with some ads and banners, but I feel that's a small price to pay for the added security. Hope some of this helps.
