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VPN guides: from beginner to expert
Learn how VPNs work and how to choose one, in five levels from the basics to reading measurement evidence. Every guide uses the archive's own data.
Start at level 0 if a VPN is new to you, or jump to the level that fits your question. Each guide is short, explains every term it uses, and links to the page of this site where you can check the figures yourself.
Level 0: Basics
What a VPN is, what it does, and whether you need one.
4 min readWhat is a VPN? Meaning, how it works, and what it hidesVPN meaning in plain words: what a VPN is, how it works, what it hides and what it does not, with a diagram and the archive's own figures.
3 min readYour IP address, explained: what websites can seeWhat an IP address is, what a website can learn from it, how a VPN changes it, and why the country shown is not always where the server is.
3 min readDo you need a VPN? Advantages and disadvantagesWhen a VPN helps, when it does not, and what it costs you in trust, speed, and money. A decision guide with the archive's figures.
3 min readIs it legal to use a VPN?Where using a VPN is legal, which countries restrict it, why legal does not mean allowed by every service, and what stays illegal with a VPN. With sources.
3 min readIs a free VPN safe? Free plans, trials, and refundsWhat a free VPN plan, a free trial, and a money-back guarantee give you, which providers here name a free plan, and how to judge a free VPN app.
3 min readVPN vs proxy: what is the difference?What a proxy and a VPN have in common, how they differ in encryption and in the apps they cover, which one fits which job, and how to check the result yourself.Level 1: First steps
Choose a VPN, set it up, and check that it works.
3 min readHow to choose your first VPN: a 7-point checklistSeven points to check before you buy a VPN, from countries and price after the first term to company seat and website trackers, each linked to the archive's data.
2 min readHow to use a VPN: set it up and connect, step by stepHow to use a VPN, from choosing a plan to your first connection: setting up the app, picking a location, connecting, and checking that it works.
3 min readIs my VPN working? Three quick checksThree simple checks to see whether your VPN hides your IP address, shows the country you picked, and does not leak, using the tools on this site.
2 min readHow much does a VPN cost? Prices explained for beginnersWhy VPN prices look so different, what the initial term and the renewal price are, and what the providers in this archive charge per month, from their own pricing pages.
3 min readShould your VPN be on all the time?When to keep your VPN on, when you can turn it off, and how split tunneling helps with banks and streaming apps that block VPN addresses.Level 2: Know your provider
Who runs a VPN, what it tracks, and what its figures mean.
3 min readVirtual VPN locations: when the server is somewhere elseWhat a virtual VPN location is, how many there are, which providers mark them in their lists, and what latency measurements show for marked and unmarked locations.
3 min readWho owns your VPN? Owners, company seats, and the Five EyesWhy the company behind a VPN matters, which providers in this archive share an owner, where they are based, and what the Five, Nine, and Fourteen Eyes are.
2 min readWhat VPN websites track before you buyWhich advertising and analytics services VPN provider home pages load on a first visit, why it matters for a privacy product, and how this archive checks it.
3 min readHow to read a VPN review on this siteA walk through a provider page: the at-a-glance figures, points for and against, prices, who is behind it, the website check, and the location table with measurements.
3 min readVPN features explained: kill switch, split tunneling, multi-hopWhat a kill switch, split tunneling, multi-hop, and a dedicated (static) IP do, which features you need as a beginner, and which providers name them.Level 3: How it works
Protocols, encryption, leaks, and geoblocking, explained simply.
2 min readVPN protocols: WireGuard, OpenVPN, and what they changeWhat a VPN protocol is, how WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 differ in speed, compatibility, and getting through blocked networks, and which one a beginner should use.
3 min readVPN tunnel and encryption: what is protected and what is notWhich part of your connection a VPN encrypts, what HTTPS protects on top of that, and what the VPN provider and the networks behind its servers can still see.
3 min readDNS and WebRTC leaks: when your real address slips outWhat DNS leaks, WebRTC leaks, and IPv6 leaks are, why they can reveal you while the VPN is on, and what you can check and change yourself.
3 min readGeoblocking explained: why websites answer differently by countryHow websites decide which country you are in, why they block or change content by country, what a VPN changes, and how to test a site from many countries at once.
2 min readThe networks behind VPN serversMost VPN providers rent servers in other companies' data centers. Which networks carry their servers, how many providers share them, and what that means for you.Level 4: Expert
How measurements locate servers, and how to read the evidence.
3 min readHow latency reveals where a VPN server really isWhy a fast reply proves that a server is near, how this archive turns ping times into distance limits, and the rules that decide whether a location matches its country.
3 min readReading measurement evidence: probes, limits, and open resultsHow to read the evidence table behind a location's status: probes, networks, fastest reply, distance limits, discarded probes, and why many results stay open.
2 min readVPN server lists as data: what providers publishWhat a VPN provider's server list contains, how lists differ, why stated server counts and listed locations do not match, and how this archive records every change.
2 min readThe real cost of a VPN over three yearsWhat a VPN costs over 36 months when the cheap initial term ends: a calculation from each provider's own stated prices, with the assumptions explained.
3 min readAudits and no-logs claims: what they can and cannot proveWhat a no-logs policy promises, what an outside audit checks, its limits, and which audits the providers in this archive describe on their own websites.
4 min readBeyond the VPN: private email with Proton Mail and HushmailA VPN protects your connection, not your mailbox. What end-to-end and zero-access encryption mean, and what Proton Mail and Hushmail state about their encrypted email.