What is a VPN? Comprehensive Guide to VPNs and Privacy

VPNs are appearing on more and more internet-connected devices every day. It isn't surprising when you consider the assaults on internet privacy around the world and the attempts by corporations and governments to control what you see and think.

VPNs help you fight against these trends by boosting your privacy and security while helping you evade censorship and get access to the content you want, regardless of where in the world it is available. In this 8,000+ word mega-guide, we'll explain what VPNs are and how they work, talk about all the reasons to use them, and answer common questions about VPNs.

Before you dive into this, let's go over some terms that will pop up again and again (and again) throughout this guide.

VPN terminology you should know

Knowing the meanings of a few key terms will make this whole guide a lot easier to follow.

VPN — VPN is an acronym for Virtual Private Network. A virtual private network consists of hardware and software that collectively establish a private and anonymous link between you and the internet, keeping your actions and location secret. It does this by encrypting communication between the VPN client on your computer or other device and a VPN server. The encryption makes the messages secure against any unauthorized entity trying to read them.

VPN service — A VPN service (also known as a VPN provider) is the organization that controls the hardware and software of a VPN. You will typically pay the VPN service for a subscription and will get access to VPN apps (also known as VPN clients) that will connect your devices to the VPN.

VPN client — A VPN client (also known as a VPN app) is the software that you install on your devices to connect to the VPN.

VPN server — A VPN server is a physical or virtual server that your VPN client will connect to in order to encrypt your internet traffic and communicate with the rest of the internet.

VPN protocol — A VPN protocol is a set of rules that control how a VPN client connects to a VPN server. The most popular protocols in use are OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2/IPsec, and L2TP/IPsec.

IP address — An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is the address of a device on the internet. Every device (desktops, laptops, phones, routers, refrigerators, etc.) connected to the internet gets assigned an IP address. In addition to identifying a particular device, an IP address contains data about your physical location.

When you connect to a VPN server, your real IP address (assigned by your internet service provider) will be replaced by the VPN server's IP address. Every bit of information that passes through the internet contains both the IP address of the sender and the IP address of the recipient. Because the VPN replaces your IP address with its own, it looks like any message you send is coming from the VPN, not from you.

That's it. While you will encounter other technical terms as we go along, if you have a good handle on these six, things will be much easier from here on out.

How does a VPN work

VPNs create encrypted connections between the VPN clients on the subscriber's devices and the VPN servers provided by the service. The encryption functions like a virtual tunnel through the internet, preventing outsiders from accessing the messages flowing between a VPN client and a VPN server.

When a message from your device reaches the VPN server, the server decrypts it and sends it to the correct destination. However, the message goes out with the VPN server's IP address in the sender field instead of your own. As far as the recipient will be able to tell, the message originated on the VPN server, not on your device. And this makes all the difference.

The encrypted tunnel prevents hostile entities from reading messages flowing between your VPN client and the VPN server, so your connection is secure. And the substitution of the VPN server IP address for your address means no one can tell the messages are coming from your device, so your privacy is protected.

The best VPN providers have thousands of VPN servers located in dozens of countries around the world. If you connect your VPN client to a VPN server in a different country, the websites and services you visit will think that you are physically located in that country. This presents a number of benefits, which we will touch on shortly.

Why you need a VPN now more than ever

VPNs are great tools for online privacy and security. This is important because every day, the internet becomes more infested with entities that want to violate your privacy, exploit your data, and control what you see and do online. Here are some of the ways a VPN can protect you from these problems:

Encryption

A VPN adds a layer of encryption around your messages as they travel across the internet. This additional layer of security prevents any third parties — including your Internet Service Provider (ISP) — from reading those messages. If your messages are not secure, attackers may be able to extract crucial information from your connection.

This extra security is particularly important if you use public WiFi networks. These networks tend to have weak security and are favorite hunting grounds for hackers seeking easy targets. They may be able to bypass the WiFi network's security, but if you are using a VPN, all that they will see is the encrypted form of your messages — basically unintelligible gibberish.

Throttling prevention

ISPs often throttle bandwidth based on specific types of data usage, such as streaming or downloading large files. By using a VPN, the data you transmit is hidden from your ISP, preventing it from identifying and selectively slowing down your connection. This ensures a consistent internet experience for you without interruptions or slowdowns caused by throttling.

Anonymity

VPNs also give their users valuable capabilities that non-VPN users simply can't match. Many websites use geo-blocking systems to control who can view their content. The systems use your IP address to determine your approximate physical location. Based on your location, they then decide whether or not you are allowed to view their content. The best VPNs can defeat geo-blocks, allowing you to view content anywhere in the world.

A VPN can also have real benefits for viewing content that is not geo-blocked. In certain situations, you might prefer to keep your online activities private. For example, when shopping online, a VPN can prevent e-commerce sites from tracking your purchasing behavior and serving you targeted ads. Additionally, journalists and activists often use VPNs to communicate securely and access information in countries with strict internet censorship, ensuring their online activities remain anonymous and protected from government surveillance.

Access to better deals

Finally, using a VPN and connecting to certain websites from different locations could save you money. The airline industry is famous for offering different prices for the same seat to people from different locations. When you visit a travel website, you might find one price for a ticket if you use a VPN server located in Chicago, USA, and a different price if you log in using a server in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Online shopping sites are also known to offer different prices depending on where your IP address says you are located.

Now that we’ve covered some of the best reasons to use a VPN, let's get right to the heart of the matter.

The criteria I used to find the best VPNs

Based on our testing, I've listed the best VPNs available today. In choosing them, I used the following criteria:

• Excellent security — The best VPNs use strong encryption and have built-in leak protection.
• Privacy-friendly jurisdiction — A VPN provider must abide by the laws of the country it is based in. VPNs based in countries like the US or UK could be forced to disclose information about their users by the local government. That's why I prefer VPNs based in privacy-friendly jurisdictions like Panama or the British Virgin Islands (BVI).
• Solid reputation — A VPN needs to be backed by a solid company and have a record of protecting their users' privacy. If you can't trust the company behind the VPN, you are putting your privacy at risk.
• A full suite of apps — A VPN is useless (to you) if it doesn't have apps that will work on the devices you use. All the VPNs we recommend have apps for the major mobile and desktop operating systems, along with more than a few of the less common systems and devices.
• Ease of use — A VPN needs to be user-friendly without requiring you to be an expert in the intricacies of virtual private networks.
• Streaming and torrenting — The best VPNs are capable of defeating the geo-blocking systems used by major streaming media. They are also fast and protect your privacy when you use them for streaming or torrenting.
• Excellent performance — All VPNs slow down your web browsing to some extent. But if the VPN impacts your speed too much, you won't use it.
• 24/7 live technical support — If you ever have a problem with your VPN, you'll want instant support to get back online. That means the VPN service needs to provide 24/7 live chat support.
• 30-day money-back guarantee — While all of my recommended VPNs are excellent services, you'll still want to test them out for yourself. Considering that none of them give free trials, you can take advantage of their 30-day money-back guarantees to give them a solid test drive before making a long-term commitment.

The 3 Best VPNs in 2025

Based on these criteria, here are the top three VPNs available today:

1. NordVPN
2. Surfshark
3. ExpressVPN

All three VPNs listed boast a network of diskless servers. These servers operate entirely on volatile memory (RAM) rather than traditional hard drives, meaning all data is stored temporarily and wiped clean every time the server is rebooted or powered off. This ensures enhanced privacy and security as no user data is stored permanently, significantly reducing the risk of data breaches.

In the next few sections, I will provide a quick overview of each of these VPN services. While all three are good options, the overviews should help you choose the one that is best for you.

1. NordVPN — A top choice for online privacy and security

NordVPN stands out as one of the best VPN services on the market. With over 6,400 servers spread across 111 countries, NordVPN offers a robust network that ensures you can always find a reliable connection. Its specialized servers, including Double VPN, P2P, and Onion Over VPN, provide tailored solutions for different needs, making it easier for you to enjoy secure and unrestricted internet access.

With multiple VPN protocols, NordVPN lets you choose the one that best fits your needs. Among them, its proprietary NordLynx protocol stands out as a game-changer. Built around the WireGuard protocol, NordLynx offers an optimal balance between speed and security, making it an excellent choice for various online activities without compromising on performance or privacy.

Speed is another area where NordVPN excels. Its high-speed servers let me stream content from popular platforms like Max, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ without any lag. NordVPN also tops our list of the best VPNs for Netflix. Additionally, the SmartPlay feature merges VPN and Smart DNS technologies to allow secure access to content that might be restricted in your region. This lets you enjoy your favorite streaming platforms from anywhere without the need for manual setup.

When it comes to privacy and security, NordVPN leaves no stone unturned. It employs AES-256 encryption, one of the most secure encryption standards available, when using the OpenVPN or IKEv2/IPsec protocol, and ChaCha20 for NordLynx. Additionally, it has a strict no-logs policy which has been verified in third-party audits, ensuring that your data and activity logs are never stored. Features like Threat Protection, which blocks ads and malware, and a Kill Switch, which protects your data if the VPN connection drops, add extra layers of security, making NordVPN a trustworthy choice for safeguarding your online activities.

I found that NordVPN's apps are sufficiently user-friendly, being easy to set up and navigate. These apps are available on a wide range of devices, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and more. NordVPN even works on many popular routers.

You can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously, making it convenient for families or individuals with multiple gadgets. This flexibility ensures that you can maintain your privacy and security across all your devices.

In terms of subscription options, NordVPN offers several plans to fit different budgets. The monthly plan is currently priced at $12.99, while the one-year plan costs $4.99 per month. The best value comes with the two-year plan here, priced at just $3.39 per month. All subscription options come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try the service risk-free. When I requested a refund via live chat, it got processed within minutes and I received my money back in just a few days.

See our NordVPN review for more test results and info.

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2. Surfshark — A reliable and affordable VPN for global access

Surfshark is a robust and versatile VPN service that boasts over 3,200 servers across 100+ countries. This extensive network ensures that you can always find a fast and reliable server, no matter your location. With Surfshark, you can easily bypass geo-restrictions and enjoy unrestricted access to content from around the globe.

With its proprietary Nexus technology, Surfshark connects you to a network of servers rather than a single server, which allows for seamless switching between servers without interrupting the connection. This results in improved speed, stability, and security. By routing your traffic through multiple servers, Nexus also makes it harder for anyone to track your online activities, providing an extra layer of privacy.

Surfshark excels in delivering speedy connections on both local and distant servers, making it ideal for streaming and torrenting. You can enjoy buffer-free streaming of your favorite shows and movies, as well as quick downloads of large files. Additionally, its high-speed connections make it an excellent choice for online gaming, providing a smooth and responsive gaming experience.

Placing a strong emphasis on privacy and security, Surfshark employs military-grade AES-256 encryption, an independently audited no-logs policy, and features like CleanWeb, which blocks ads, trackers, and malware. These robust measures ensure that your online activities remain private and secure, giving you peace of mind while you explore the digital world.

The user-friendly apps are available on a wide range of devices, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and even smart TVs and gaming consoles. The intuitive interface makes it easy for users of all technical levels to navigate and configure their VPN settings. Additionally, Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous connections, meaning you can protect all your devices with a single subscription.

Despite being headquartered in the Netherlands, a country that is part of the 9-Eyes intelligence alliance, Surfshark adheres to a rigorous no-logs policy. This means that your personal data is neither collected, stored, nor shared, guaranteeing your online privacy. The 9-Eyes jurisdiction involves a coalition of countries that collaborate on intelligence sharing, which can raise privacy concerns for users.

You can choose from several subscription options, with the current pricing starting at $2.19 per month for a 2-year plan (+3 extra months) and going as high as $15.45 for the monthly plan. Surfshark also provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it without risk.

See our Surfshark review for more in-depth info. See also our NordVPN vs Surfshark comparison.

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3. ExpressVPN — A strong choice for online security and privacy

ExpressVPN is renowned for its robust security and privacy features, making it a top choice for users worldwide. One of its standout features is TrustedServer Technology, which ensures that its servers run entirely on RAM. This means that all data is wiped with every reboot, leaving no logs behind. It also boasts an impressive network of over 3,000 servers spread across 105 countries.

Another outstanding feature of ExpressVPN is its Lightway Protocol, designed to provide fast and secure connections. Unlike traditional VPN protocols, Lightway is lightweight and efficient, resulting in quicker connection times, as well as reduced battery consumption on mobile devices.

While some VPNs restrict P2P traffic to specific servers, ExpressVPN supports P2P file sharing on all its servers, which is great for torrenting enthusiasts. This flexibility allowed me to always find a fast and reliable server for downloading and uploading files during my tests.

If you're in a region with heavy internet censorship, ExpressVPN's servers can help you access online services reliably. By default, all of its servers apply obfuscation, disguising your VPN traffic as regular internet traffic, making it harder for network administrators and government agencies to detect and block your connection.

Security and privacy are at the core of ExpressVPN's offerings. It employs AES-256 encryption, the same standard used by governments and security experts worldwide. Additionally, ExpressVPN has undergone several independent audits to verify its no-logs policy, ensuring that your online activities remain private. It also offers features like leak protection, kill switch, and split tunneling. There's even a free password manager included with all subscription plans.

I found ExpressVPN's apps easy to set up and use. Best of all, they are available for a wide range of devices, including mobile and desktop operating systems, routers, smart home devices, and even select game consoles.

While ExpressVPN offers a plethora of benefits, it does come at a higher price point compared to some competitors. However, the premium cost is justified by its comprehensive feature set, above-average performance, and reliable customer support.

There are various subscription plans to suit different needs, with significant savings for long-term commitments. You can choose from monthly, six-month, or annual plans, with the latter offering the best value at $6.67 (+3 months free). With these higher prices, we can see that ExpressVPN is not a cheap VPN service, but it still remains a top performer.

Additionally, ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can buy in confidence.

See our ExpressVPN review for test results and our analysis. We also have ExpressVPN comparisons:

• ExpressVPN vs NordVPN
• ExpressVPN vs Surfshark

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What you need to know about VPN protocols and encryption

We touched on VPN protocols earlier. Now, we need to talk about them in a little more detail. Most VPNs support several protocols and allow you to choose which one they will use at your discretion. To do that intelligently, you'll need to know a little bit about each.

We'll also discuss encryption. This is not an attempt to explain it but simply to familiarize you with the types of encryption used in VPN protocols.

VPN protocols

While all VPN protocols exist to make a secure and encrypted connection between your device and a VPN server, there are tradeoffs in doing so. I'm just going to give you a short summary of each of the current protocols, along with its pros and cons. That way, you'll be able to choose between them if necessary.

OpenVPN

OpenVPN has been the most popular and secure VPN protocol for some time. It is open-source software that supports several different authentication methods and a wide range of devices.

OpenVPN also has a lot of features, including support for both UDP and TCP. Unfortunately, implementing such a versatile protocol has required hundreds of thousands of lines of code. This makes OpenVPN a big target for hackers. It's also not as fast as you might like.

WireGuard

WireGuard is a newer VPN protocol that provides better security and performance (is faster) than OpenVPN and other VPN protocols. WireGuard by itself doesn't provide the level of privacy that no-logs VPNs promise. But VPN services have found ways to address the issue. NordVPN's custom VPN protocol — NordLynx — combines the speed and security of WireGuard, but with a privacy fix that eliminates privacy concerns.

What kind of speed advantage does WireGuard have over OpenVPN? Testing shows that it provides speeds up to 3.2 times faster than OpenVPN.

Proprietary protocols

Some VPNs offer proprietary protocols that are designed to provide unique advantages not available with commercial protocols. For instance, NordLynx, developed by NordVPN, is based on the WireGuard protocol and provides a perfect balance between speed and security, making it ideal for high-performance needs. Similarly, Hotspot Shield's Hydra protocol focuses on delivering both high-speed connections and robust protection. Lightway, introduced by ExpressVPN, is engineered for faster connection times and improved reliability, ensuring a seamless browsing experience even on unstable networks.

IKEv2/IPSec

IKEv2/IPSec (Internet Protocol Security with Internet Key Exchange version 2) is another fast, secure VPN protocol that is built into several leading operating system. It is automatically pre-configured in many operating systems, such as Windows, Mac OS, and iOS. One of IKEv2/IPSec's talents is quickly reconnecting to a network, something particularly valuable for mobile usage. Unfortunately, IKEv2's developer companies, Cisco and Microsoft, have not made the code open source.

L2TP/IPSec

L2TP/IPSec (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol with Internet Protocol Security) is built into many operating systems and is frequently used on mobile devices. It is secure, but not particularly fast.

Sometimes other protocols may show up as options in your VPN client. But unless you have some very unusual circumstances, I recommend that you choose one of the protocols I have listed here.

Encryption

There are lots of encryption algorithms in use around the world, but fortunately for us, only two main ones you are likely to run into in VPNs these days.

AES

AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is the #1 cryptographic cipher used for VPNs today. It is a symmetric type of encryption highly regarded for its robustness and efficiency in protecting sensitive information. One of its primary advantages is its ability to support various key lengths — 128, 192, or 256 bits — offering flexible levels of security based on the requirements. This encryption method converts data into an unreadable format using a secret key, ensuring that only someone with the correct key can decrypt and read the information. Due to its strong security features and efficiency, AES is widely used across different sectors. In government, it safeguards classified information, while in the industry, it protects sensitive customer data and financial transactions, and is commonly employed in securing wireless communications, VPNs, and encrypted messaging applications.

RSA

RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman encryption) is an asymmetric encryption method that uses a pair of keys: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption, unlike AES, which is symmetric and uses the same key for both processes. In RSA, data is encrypted with the recipient's public key and decrypted with their private key, making it ideal for secure communications without prior key exchange. The security of RSA relies on the difficulty of factoring large prime numbers, requiring longer key lengths (often 2048 bits or more) compared to AES. While AES is faster and more efficient for encrypting large data volumes, RSA is typically used to securely exchange keys and establish secure communications.

Streaming and Torrenting – Getting the content you need safely

Streaming and torrenting are two of the most popular uses for VPNs. The question is, since you can do both of those activities without a VPN, why bother with a VPN? Let me explain.

Streaming

You would use a VPN for streaming because it can give you access to content that is censored or geo-blocked. The ability to defeat impediments like these makes a strong streaming VPN a great tool for getting the content you need, wherever it is located around the world. Getting a little more specific, here are some of the most common streaming activities for VPN users:

• Streaming content from Netflix, Disney+, Max, and other streaming media services. These services use geo-blocking to control who can view their content. A good streaming VPN can outsmart the geo-blocking system and give you access to the specific content you want, regardless of the location of the library that contains it.
• Streaming content from Kodi. Many Kodi add-ons are only available in specific regions of the world. Using a VPN that works well with Kodi will let you benefit from all of Kodi's add-ons.
• Streaming sporting events and TV specials. Some sporting events, TV specials, and other useful content is geo-blocked too. A VPN can get you around those blocks.
• Hiding your streaming activity from your internet service provider (ISP). Some ISPs log your online activities. Others put limits on the streaming activities of their users. In either case, when you use a VPN to stream, your ISP won't know what you are doing. All it will know is that you are using a VPN. That means it won't be able to log or interfere with your streaming activities.

Torrenting

It is clear that a VPN can help with streaming. But what about torrenting? Here the goal is safety. In some locations, it is illegal to download (or torrent) certain kinds of files. Also, downloading copyrighted material can get you in deep trouble. We're not just talking about some hit song or the latest Fast & Furious movie. Software and university textbooks are other kinds of copyrighted content that people download from torrents or P2P file-sharing sites.

That being said, you still need to use a VPN when downloading torrents. For one, you could inadvertently download a copyrighted file and end up facing legal action. Furthermore, there are all sorts of cybercriminals lurking on P2P networks. The best way to protect yourself in these situations is to always use a VPN when torrenting since your real IP address never gets exposed to the swarm.

VPN logs — a major threat to your privacy

Previously, I pointed out that all three of my picks for best VPN are no-log VPNs. Let's talk about the various types of logs. You'll quickly see why this is an important topic.

Here are the types of VPN logs:

Usage (browsing) logs

Usage logs are something you definitely want to avoid. This type of log can include a huge amount of information about your online activities, such as browsing history, log-on and log-off times, your IP address and those of the sites you visit, metadata, and so on. If you are concerned about your online privacy, you should avoid any VPN that generates usage logs.

Connection logs

Connection logs are not as bad as usage logs. Connection logs typically include dates and times of VPN use, connection data, and perhaps IP addresses. A VPN has good reasons for generating connection logs. They can use the data for things like optimizing their network of VPN servers, as well as for dealing with user problems and other issues. If a VPN keeps this kind of log, you should question them about how securely the logs are stored and how often they delete the log information.

No logs

A no-logs VPN doesn't keep usage logs or connection logs and is the best way to go to protect your privacy. Unfortunately, there are many VPNs out there that claim to be ‘no-logs’ but actually do keep logs. They might reveal the fact that they are logging data somewhere buried in the Terms of Service or Privacy Policy. Or they might be flat-out lying. I know of three cases where “no-logs” VPNs were apparently able to provide enough user information to police to make an arrest possible.

Your best bet for finding a real no-logs VPN is to select one that has been audited by a third-party testing organization — like the three VPNs we're talking about in this article.

VPN speed — the issue no one wants to talk about

Using a VPN almost always results in lost speed. Here are the reasons why:

• VPNs encrypt your data to ensure privacy and security. This encryption process requires additional computational power and time, which can slow down your internet speed.
• Data can only travel so fast through the internet. While we seldom think about it, the internet is made up of countless miles of copper wire and optical fiber. It takes data some time to travel through all this physical infrastructure. Depending on the location of the VPN server relative to your device and the server that houses the website you connect to, using a VPN could add thousands of miles to the overall distance your messages must travel. Those miles inevitably cause a slowdown.

How to increase your speed when using a VPN

What can you do to minimize the speed impact of a VPN? I have two suggestions:

1. Choose the closest server that meets your needs. Say you are in France and want to stream videos from a geo-blocked service in the United States. You need to use a VPN server that is located in the United States, but there are lots of servers to choose from. You'll get the best results if you select a VPN server in New York, rather than one in Texas because New York is closer to France than Texas. Doing this should minimize the overall length of the connection and give you the best speed.
2. Choose a fast VPN. For whatever reason, some VPNs are faster than others. A fast VPN might cost you 5% or 10% of the speed of your connection, while a slow VPN can cost you 50% or more. Since introducing its NordLynx protocol, NordVPN has become the fastest VPN I have ever seen. Here's a result from one test using a 900 Mbps fiber optic internet connection.

We understand the importance of VPN speeds, so we always test for download and upload performance. The best VPNs not only offer fast speeds, but the speeds are consistent across their VPN server network.

With a fast VPN, you shouldn't notice any speed loss while doing basic computer tasks like sending email or using chat apps. You should also find that you can view streaming media without any issues. Most VPNs don't measure up to this standard, but our three recommended VPNs do.

VPN leaks — How to deal with them

Some VPNs have problems with leaks. That is, they leak data onto the internet when that data should be safely protected inside the VPN tunnel. Here are the three types of leaks that plague lower-end VPN services:

• DNS leaks — Many VPNs provide their own DNS service. Instead of sending DNS requests to the DNS service preferred by your internet service provider, they pass the requests through the VPN tunnel and use a private DNS. This prevents your ISP (or anyone else) from monitoring your DNS requests and IP address and using that information to log the websites you visit. A DNS leak occurs when your DNS requests get passed to the DNS your internet service provider wants you to use.
• IP address leaks — IP address leaks are similar in that they expose personal information (your IP address) to the internet instead of keeping your address shielded within the VPN tunnel. These can occur if something happens to your connection to the VPN and the VPN client doesn't stop the leak with a kill switch. This kind of leak can be a short-term temporary problem or a long-term continuous leak. VPNs that don't handle IPv6 addresses properly can have long-term IP address leaks.
• WebRTC leaks — WebRTC leaks affect web browsers. They expose your IP address even if you are using a leak-free VPN. Many popular browsers are susceptible to this problem, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera, and others.

None of the VPNs I recommend in this article had any leaks during testing. That said, it is worthwhile to test your system every so often. Your test results will look something like this:

I suggest using ipleak.net for this. In just a few seconds this site can tell you if your VPN / browser combination is subject to any of the leaks we just discussed.

How you can defeat VPN blocks

Some countries don't want their people to use VPNs. Fortunately, only a few of them, such as China and some Middle Eastern nations, go this far.

While using a VPN is legal throughout most of the world, there are still circumstances where you might find yourself blocked from using one. These include:

• School networks — Schools sometimes block VPNs. One reason is that they want to monitor their students' online activities. Another is that they want to prevent students from streaming, torrenting, or otherwise using up a lot of bandwidth on the school network.
• Work networks — Work networks sometimes block VPNs too. They might have the same reasons as schools. In addition, they might be concerned about industrial espionage, where an employee sends company secrets to a competitor.

Obfuscation is the best way to defeat VPN blocking. A VPN's obfuscation feature makes VPN traffic look like HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) traffic. Because the vast majority of websites these days support or require browsers to connect using HTTPS, censors can't block this kind of traffic.

All three of my recommended VPNs offer obfuscation features. While NordVPN provides dedicated obfuscated servers, ExpressVPN offers built-in obfuscation on all its servers. Surfshark also offers obfuscation, although they call it Camouflage mode.

Using a VPN on Android and iOS devices

Using a VPN on an Android or iOS device is a great idea. Most people's smartphones are chock full of important personal information. We use these incredible devices constantly, for everything from talking with friends to managing our finances.

However, we also love to use them in coffee shops, restaurants, public parks, and anywhere that someone is offering free WiFi. This whole scenario is a privacy nightmare.

I might go so far as to say that using a VPN on Android and iOS devices is even more important than doing so on the devices in your home. Your mobile devices are exposed to more different networks and sources of danger in a day than your home computer sees in a month. Maybe even in a year.

Installing a VPN on a router

When you subscribe to NordVPN or ExpressVPN, you are limited in the number of simultaneous connections to their network you can have. One way around this problem is to install the VPN on your router. This extends VPN protection to every device connected to the router.

Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN can be installed on various routers. Each has a section of its website dedicated to helping you set this up. You can either buy a router with the VPN preinstalled or install it on your current router (if the VPN provider supports that router). Whichever way you go, your entire network will be protected.

Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN have lists of recommended routers, but even those represent something of a compromise since most consumer-grade routers don't have a powerful enough CPU (Central Processing Unit) to let your VPN run at full speed.

If you are planning to set up a VPN router and have more than a handful of devices you would like to connect, I recommend you check out the Vilfo VPN router. Designed by the Swedish creators of OVPN, this router packs plenty of processing power and comes with NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and numerous others preinstalled. Although I haven't done a formal review of it yet, I have had one of these in my lab for over a year now, and it handles whatever I throw at it.

VPNs and Tor — how you can use them together

Tor is another online privacy tool but it works very differently than a VPN. You can use them together to increase your privacy, but before I explain how we need to cover a little background info.

Tor stands for The Onion Router. It is a network of specialized servers with a custom web browser designed to allow users to browse the internet anonymously. Conceptually, this is great. And for the time that it was created (2002), Tor was a real boon.

However, there are several things that should concern you about Tor. You should know about them before we get into using Tor together with a VPN.

Issues to consider when using Tor

First off, Tor was created by the US government to allow its agents to communicate anonymously. Even today, Tor still gets much of its funding from the US government. Considering the extent of the United States efforts to surveil everyone everywhere all the time, there seems to be a big conflict of interest here.

Beyond the involvement of the US government in Tor, there are a few other issues to consider:

• The Tor network may have been compromised. In a 2016 court case, it was revealed that Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) had been hired in 2014 by the US Department of Defense to break Tor.
• Microsoft’s DRM and simply viewing PDF documents can cause your identity to leak while using Tor.
• End-to-end timing attacks could be used to identify individual users by an entity with sufficient resources (like the US government), due to the relatively small size and number of users of the Tor network.
• There have also been reports of malicious Tor nodes and servers being used to spy on Tor users rather than protect their identities. According to a 2016 ZDNet article, researchers identified more than 100 Tor nodes that appeared to be spying on network activity.
• Tor is extremely slow, making it impractical for most uses.

Using Tor with a VPN

If you are still interested in using Tor, consider pairing it with a VPN to reduce some of the risks. There are two good ways to do so:

1. The Tor-over-VPN approach. To do this, you simply start your VPN and connect it to a VPN server. Then, you open the Tor browser and use Tor normally. This works because the Tor network never sees your IP address. Anyone spying on the network will see the VPN server's IP address rather than yours. You can do this with any of the VPNs I recommend in this report.
2. Use NordVPN's Onion Over VPN feature. This feature gives you the “anonymity” of Tor with the security of NordVPN, without you having to do anything other than use the correct NordVPN server. Unlike using a regular VPN with the Tor browser, this built-in feature lets you access the Tor network with any browser, while keeping your data encrypted and your IP address hidden.

Whichever approach you choose, including a VPN in the mix if you use Tor is a good defensive move.

FAQs about VPNs

Conclusion

The world is a scary place for anyone who believes in privacy. Major Western governments are turning into surveillance states, expending vast amounts of treasudre trying to spy on everyone all the time. Places like China are even worse, with their AI-powered “social scoring” system that not only records everything, but uses what it records to make your life hell if you don't do exactly what the government wants.

In a world like this, it makes sense to protect your privacy wherever possible. Using a quality VPN like the ones I currently recommend is a simple step you can take to protect yourself. And leaving aside the nightmare “Big Brother” scenarios, VPNs can protect you from all sorts of snoops and troublemakers.

The use of VPNs is booming around the world. It is one trend you should probably join yourself.

This in-depth guide to VPNs was last updated on December 28, 2024.