Frequently Asked Questions

Most free VPNs are not safe. They often log your data, inject ads, sell your bandwidth, or even infect devices with malware. The only free VPN we recommend is Proton VPN, which offers a genuinely useful free tier with no data caps, no logging, and no ads — supported by its paid subscribers. For any sensitive use case, a paid VPN is strongly recommended.

Yes. Countries like China, Russia, Iran, and the UAE employ deep packet inspection (DPI) to detect and block VPN traffic. Some VPNs use obfuscation techniques to disguise traffic as regular HTTPS. Streaming services also block known VPN IP addresses. Premium VPNs with large IP pools and obfuscation features are better equipped to evade blocking.

No. A VPN hides your IP address and encrypts your traffic, but it does not make you completely anonymous. Websites can still track you through cookies, browser fingerprinting, and logged-in accounts. Your VPN provider can also see your traffic if they keep logs — which is why choosing a verified no-logs provider is important.

A no-logs policy means the VPN provider does not collect or store records of your online activity, connection timestamps, IP addresses, or bandwidth usage. This matters because if the provider doesn't have your data, they can't be compelled to hand it over to authorities or hackers. The best no-logs policies are independently audited by third-party firms like PwC, Deloitte, or Assured AB.

Many VPNs can bypass geo-restrictions by making it appear you're connecting from a different country. However, streaming services like Netflix actively block VPN IP addresses. Not all VPNs can bypass these blocks — services like ExpressVPN and NordVPN invest heavily in staying ahead of streaming blocks, while others like Mullvad explicitly do not support streaming unblocking.

Yes, a VPN will always add some overhead due to encryption and routing traffic through an additional server. A good VPN with a modern protocol like WireGuard will reduce your speed by 10-20% on a fast connection. Older protocols or congested servers can reduce speeds by 50% or more. Premium VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN minimize this impact with optimized protocols and server infrastructure.

Most VPNs support torrenting, but some restrict it to specific servers or block it entirely. NordVPN and ExpressVPN offer P2P-optimized servers with strong leak protection. Features like port forwarding (useful for better torrent speeds) are available with providers like Proton VPN and OVPN. Always use a VPN with a verified no-logs policy when torrenting.

The number of simultaneous connections varies by provider: Surfshark offers unlimited connections, NordVPN allows 10, Proton VPN allows 10, ExpressVPN allows 8, and Mullvad allows 5. If you need to protect every device in a household, Surfshark's unlimited plan is the most practical option.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and a remote server. All your internet traffic is routed through this tunnel, hiding your IP address and encrypting your data. This prevents your ISP, hackers on public Wi-Fi, and other third parties from seeing your online activity.

Connect to your VPN, then visit ipleak.net or dnsleaktest.com. These sites will show the IP address and DNS servers your browser is actually using. If you see your real IP address or your ISP's DNS servers, your VPN is leaking. Most reputable VPNs have built-in leak protection, but it's good practice to verify after connection. Check for DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks specifically.

In most cases, you should use WireGuard. It's faster, more secure (modern cryptography), and has a smaller codebase that's easier to audit. Use OpenVPN if you need advanced obfuscation to bypass firewalls, need TCP transport to work around UDP blocking, or are using a device that doesn't support WireGuard.

A kill switch is a safety feature that automatically blocks all internet traffic if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly. Without a kill switch, your real IP address could be exposed for the split second between losing the VPN connection and the application reconnecting. Kill switches are essential for privacy-sensitive activities like torrenting or accessing restricted content.