Public Wi-Fi is the worst kind of Internet connection. Data isn't encrypted as it flies through the air and, as , it's incredibly easy for others using the same network to grab your login details for sites like Facebook

One method of protecting yourself is to use a . This forces your browser to connect by default to a site's secure HTTPS server, but very few sites have one. You can also pay for VPN services but these can be slow.

In this tutorial I explain how to create a secure setup that'll stop anybody from snooping on your Wi-Fi-transmitted data, regardless of what type of Internet connection you're using. It won't cost a penny because we're going to use entirely free-of-charge software, although you'll need an old PC to act as a server and your Internet router will need to be able to work with a . (Most can, and if yours can't, you might find that a firmware update brings the functionality.)

The technique involves creating a server on the old computer at home or work, through which you'll do all your Web browsing via an encrypted tunnel across the Internet.

It's not a perfect solution because DNS lookups are still done via the public Wi-Fi connection. Somebody could theoretically find out what sites you've been visiting, but this is unlikely.