6 Important Things You Need To Know When Downloading From The Internet
Remember the times when we had terrible speed and low data. All we could do was wait and save all the internet for that one movie download!
Download accomplished for the entire day, and we were happy. Those were the simpler times when the internet hadn’t evolved. This was before the time of internet super speed and what all we could achieve from it. However, the internet became much better as time progressed, and downloads became faster. Now, we download hundreds of GB on the pirate bay in a day and still can go higher. Especially after the pandemic, online streaming and downloads have been such a huge element of our everyday monotonous lives.
Important Things You Need To Know When Downloading From The Internet
Do we get carried away with our downloads at times? What about the safety over the internet or the data that we are hogging while getting those large files. With all the other restrictions being eliminated, we tend to be less careful or thoughtful before downloading. Thus, here are the six most important things to know and remember when downloading from the internet.
1. Always Use A VPN
When you are browsing, your safety over the internet is the most important factor. However, it becomes even more crucial when you are downloading something because you are literally allowing a foreign file to enter your system. Using a VPN when you are downloading is mandatory because malware activities over the internet are common. This will help you protect your IP address when you are downloading, and the end-to-end encryption will block any unknown virus from entering your device.
2. Download Each File At Once
Have you been constantly facing slow download speed? Especially when you are downloading large files? Yes, it could be the weather or the Internet service provider throttling the speed. Or, it could be something very basic. How about you check the file size and the number of files you are downloading at once. Your internet cannot concentrate on one thing, and therefore the whole processing has gotten slow. Thus, when you download a large file, always make sure to download one file at a time.
3. Scan The Link For Virus
Before downloading the file, you can protect yourself from an unknown malware activity or virus invasion in your data. Then, all you have to do is to copy the link for the download and simply run it under an antivirus scan. Sometimes viruses can be detected from this, and you can skip the downloading, thus protecting your device and data. This is a compulsory step that you should remember whenever you are downloading anything from the internet. Especially some information that is free over a decentralized server.
4. Do Not Ignore The Warnings
Who doesn’t love getting free content? Getting something which others are paying for, free of cost! That is exciting! However, we can sometimes get a little carried away and download materials from shady websites. Our one device sometimes shows us warning signs regarding the upcoming download, but we simply ignore it. There are decentralized websites like pirate bay which provides all the content for free. This website doesn’t have any monetary gain from all the information that they are circulating, which makes it legal. However, there are websites that do not follow this rule, and they are also a hub of all malware activities. Therefore, if the website looks too good to be true, it probably is.
5. Antivirus Scan
Once you have downloaded the file from the internet and run installation, always make sure to run a quick antivirus scan. This is to ensure that the file download does not contain any harmful materials that can potentially damage the system. Plus, if you see your PC acting up. For example, downloads suddenly become slow, and the system is lagging. This could be a sign of a virus invasion, so do not forget the antivirus scan.
6. Use Credible Sites
Whenever you are downloading something, use sites that have been talked about. These sites will have the proper feedback from their already existing users. Do not go around downloading from websites you have no idea about. These will help you get a warning sign about certain activities before you embark on a downloaded disaster.
Final Note
Downloading is so fun to have the content always in your possession without having to use data for streaming. However, you are letting an external file enter your device. So, in terms of big files, do not be too sure all the time.
You have to be careful on the internet! You also have to be careful when you get something from the internet!
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