What is a VPN? How It Works, Types of VPN and More

A virtual private network (VPN) has become an essential tool for protecting your privacy and security online. With a VPN, you can browse the web anonymously, access restricted content, and encrypt your internet traffic to keep it safe from prying eyes. This comprehensive guide will explain what a VPN is, how it works, the different types of VPNs, and much more.

What is a VPN?

A virtual private network, or VPN, is a service that creates a secure tunnel between your device and the internet. All of your online traffic is routed through this tunnel, which provides several key benefits:

Encryption - VPNs use advanced encryption protocols to scramble your data as it travels through the tunnel. This prevents hackers, ISPs, and other snoops from being able to see what you're doing online.
Anonymity - Your real IP address is hidden and replaced with one from the VPN server's location. This makes it much harder for websites or advertisers to track your online activities.
Access Restricted Content - Many sites block users from accessing them based on location. A VPN allows you to tunnel to a different country and bypass these geo-restrictions.
Public Wi-Fi Security - Connecting to public Wi-Fi can expose you to all sorts of threats. A VPN adds a layer of protection that secures your connection on open networks.
Censorship Circumvention - In countries with restrictive internet controls, a VPN can allow citizens to bypass censorship and access the open web.

So in short, a VPN creates an encrypted tunnel that protects your online traffic from being monitored, while also allowing you to remain anonymous and access restricted content from anywhere.

How Does a VPN Work?

VPNs work by establishing a secure, remote access connection between your device and a VPN server. But how exactly does this process function behind the scenes? There are a few steps involved:

You initiate a connection to a VPN server located elsewhere in the world. This server can be owned by the VPN service or rented from a third-party provider.
Your device negotiates a connection with the server via a VPN protocol. Popular protocols include OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, WireGuard, and L2TP/IPSec. This process authenticates your device and generates encryption keys.
A securely encrypted tunnel is created between your device and the server. All traffic is routed through this tunnel using the encryption protocol.
As data travels through the tunnel, it emerges from the server endpoint and continues its journey to the public internet. Your real IP address is masked by the server's IP address.
When web servers send data back, it enters the tunnel through the VPN server and travels securely back to your device, where it is decrypted.

The result is an encrypted data tunnel that allows you to exchange information privately and securely through a public network. The VPN server acts as a middleman that handles encryption, internet routing, and obscuring your real location.

The Benefits of Using a VPN

There are many compelling reasons why more than 650 million people worldwide use VPN services today. Here are some of the most significant benefits:

Enhanced Privacy and Anonymity - By masking your IP address and encrypting traffic, a VPN prevents snooping by governments, ISPs, hackers, and advertisers who want to monitor your online activities. You can browse, stream, and download without being tracked.

Access Blocked or Censored Content - Certain sites and services block users based on location restrictions or government censorship. A VPN allows you to tunnel to a server in another country and access this content.

Public Wi-Fi Security - Open Wi-Fi networks in coffee shops, hotels, and airports are not secure. A VPN adds a layer of protection that scrambles data to keep it safe on any network.

Remote Access to Local Networks - VPNs allow remote or travelling employees to securely access company servers and internal resources from any internet connection.

Improved Performance - In some cases, routing traffic through optimized VPN servers can boost speeds, especially when accessing sites blocked by geographic restrictions.

Stream Content Globally - By spoofing your location with a VPN server in another country, you can access streaming content catalogs from around the world.

Bypass Price Discrimination - Websites and advertisers often adjust prices based on your location. A VPN allows you access to region-specific discounts and deals.

Enhanced Privacy - ISPs in many countries are now legally allowed to sell user data to advertisers. A VPN makes it much harder for them to monitor your activity and sell your data.

These powerful benefits make VPNs invaluable for protecting your online privacy, accessing content, and securing your devices while on the move.

What Are the Different Types of VPN Protocols?

There are many different protocols used by VPN services to establish encrypted connections. The most common include:

OpenVPN - Open-source protocol that uses OpenSSL encryption. Provides highest speeds and most reliable connections across multiple devices.

IKEv2/IPsec - Native VPN protocol built into iOS, Android, Windows, and Blackberry devices. Very fast connection times.

WireGuard - Emerging protocol focused on high-performance and security. Uses state-of-the-art cryptography.

L2TP/IPSec - Deprecated protocol that relies on IPSec encryption. Built into most computers and routers, but slower than newer alternatives.

SSTP - Created by Microsoft and built into Windows PCs. Provides decent speeds with moderate security.

PPTP - Very old VPN protocol that is now considered completely insecure due to weak encryption. Not recommended for use.

The best VPNs offer OpenVPN support across multiple platforms. OpenVPN uses the strongest 256-bit encryption and can get around firewall blocks. IKEv2 is also an excellent choice with native support on mobile devices.

As devices and internet connections get faster, new protocols like WireGuard offer the best combination of speed and security. The VPN protocol used will impact connection speeds and reliability, so it's important to choose a VPN that offers multiple secure options that work on your devices.

What Are the Main Types of VPNs?

There are several classifications of VPN services, defined by who operates them and who uses them:

Consumer VPN - Subscription services targeted at everyday internet users who want greater privacy, security and access to blocked content. The most common type of VPN.
Business VPN - Used by companies to allow remote employees to privately access internal networks and resources when out of the office. Sometimes referred to as an Enterprise VPN.
School/University VPN - Educational institutions provide access to VPN servers on their network so students can safely browse restricted material and access e-services.
Public VPN - Provided for free by some governments, libraries or non-profits to allow citizens to circumvent censorship and access blocked websites.
Router VPN - Advanced routers allow connecting your entire home network through a VPN tunnel. This protects all devices connected to the router.
Browser Extension VPN - Browser add-ons establish VPN connections within the browser to provide VPN benefits. Generally less secure than full VPN clients.

Consumer VPN services from providers like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Private Internet Access and others are the most popular, with millions of paying subscribers worldwide. However, VPN technology has many use cases beyond just individual privacy and security.

What is a Mobile VPN?

A mobile VPN is a service that secures your internet traffic on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices through an encrypted VPN tunnel. This allows you to safely browse on the go and access location-restricted content.

Mobile VPNs encrypt Wi-Fi and cellular data across both iOS and Android devices. They hide your IP address so your mobile traffic remains private and anonymous.

Top providers like ExpressVPN and Surfshark have custom apps that make connecting to VPN servers easy on both phones and tablets. Their apps allow:

One tap connect to VPN servers worldwide
Automatic connection when accessing unknown Wi-Fi networks
Whitelist trusted home networks to avoid always staying connected
Split-tunneling to route only some apps through the VPN tunnel
Built-in speed tests to identify fastest servers
Quick access to server selection based on purpose like streaming or torrenting.

Having a reputable VPN installed protects all mobile internet activity including browsing, media streaming, social media, gaming, messaging, and VoIP calls. It secures mobile traffic on both cellular data and public Wi-Fi networks.

Mobile VPNs are essential to provide an extra layer of security and privacy beyond what mobile operating systems provide natively. With mobile device usage surging worldwide, mobile VPN adoption has grown significantly as well.

What is a Router VPN?

A router VPN is technology that allows you to establish a VPN connection directly through a router. This encrypts and protects the traffic of every device connected to that router.

The key benefit of a router VPN is convenience - by enabling the VPN connection at the router level, you don't need to configure VPN settings individually on each device in your home or office.

Here's how a router VPN works:

Connect the router to the internet via cable or other means as normal.
Access the router management interface and input the VPN configuration settings from your VPN provider.
The router interfaces with the VPN server just like an individual VPN app, establishing an encrypted tunnel.
Any device on your local network that routes traffic through the router will have its traffic encrypted by the router before leaving your network.
Responses get decrypted when they return through the router VPN tunnel.

So phones, laptops, smart home devices and more all have their traffic secured without needing individual VPN apps installed.

Most commercial VPN providers have setup guides for installing their VPN service on popular router models. And some Wi-Fi router manufacturers are starting to add built-in support for VPN connections too.

What is a Business or Enterprise VPN?

A business VPN is a private network solution that allows employees of a company to securely access internal business systems and resources remotely.

Some common uses of a business VPN include:

Remote Access - Securely work from home or on the road by accessing files, databases, apps and resources located at company headquarters.
Link Offices - Use site-to-site VPNs to connect regional offices to each other and company HQ. Allows remote branch locations to operate as one unified network.
Outsource Vendors - Provide limited access to vendors, contractors and supply chain partners to necessary internal systems and data.
Guest Networks - Generate temporary guest login credentials to provide internet access to visitors without exposing internal resources.

Business VPNs increase productivity by giving a mobile workforce reliable access to what they need to do their jobs from any internet connected device or location.

Centralized management solutions from Cisco, Citrix and others allow IT departments to easily administer VPN access policies, permissions and user credentials. Business VPNs come in both hardware and software forms depending on scale and implementation complexity.

What is a VPN Kill Switch?

A VPN kill switch is a key security feature offered by most VPN providers to prevent data leaks if your VPN connection drops.

Without a kill switch, if your VPN suddenly disconnects, your regular internet traffic could be exposed for a period of time before you even realize the problem. This brief lapse could lead to IP and DNS leaks even if you have the VPN set to automatically reconnect.

A VPN kill switch acts as a precaution to ensure no traffic gets sent outside the encrypted VPN tunnel. Here's how it works:

You set your device or app to only route internet traffic through your VPN connection.
If the VPN connection drops for any reason, the kill switch blocks all external internet traffic immediately.
Your internet access remains disabled until you manually reconnect the VPN tunnel or the app automatically reconnects.
Once the VPN is re-established, your internet access is restored.

This failsafe system ensures your IP address and DNS information stays totally hidden if the VPN goes down. Leak protection is critical for P2P file-sharing and streaming via unsafe protocols like BitTorrent.

Activating the kill switch is simple in most VPN apps and offers an additional layer of protection beyond standard encryption and protocols.

What is a Dedicated IP Address for VPN?

Some VPN providers offer dedicated IP address options as part of their service packages. This allows you to access the VPN using the same IP address every time you connect.

Normally your VPN IP address changes each time to prevent tracking. But having a dedicated IP address has some potential benefits:

Access websites that block IPs frequently changed by VPN services
Avoid IP-based blacklisting when torrenting or streaming
Appear from a consistent location to avoid triggering fraud alerts for online accounts
Support legacy hardware or software that only recognizes specific IPs

However, there are downsides to consider as well:

Reduced privacy since your activity can be logged to a single IP address
Higher cost than a shared IP address from VPN server pools

Also keep in mind that VPN providers never promise full availability of your dedicated IP. During busy times it may still be reassigned dynamically.

Overall a dedicated IP offers more convenience but lower privacy. For most users a shared, dynamic IP VPN provides the best blend of security, performance and cost. But having the option for a dedicated IP is useful in some scenarios.

What is Split Tunneling?

Split tunneling is a VPN feature that allows you to decide which internet traffic travels through the encrypted VPN tunnel, while allowing other traffic to flow outside the tunnel.

This allows you to multi-task by routing only your most sensitive online activity like payments and logins through the VPN. Other things like streaming video can connect via your regular internet gateway so they aren't slowed down by VPN speeds.

Common uses for split tunneling include:

Browsing through VPN, streaming outside VPN
Securing mobile device traffic through VPN, while gaming console traffic flows normally
Routing work laptop web traffic through VPN, and home smart devices outside VPN

Split tunneling essentially divides up your device's internet access into two paths - encrypted and unencrypted. This gives you more control over what is protected by the VPN.

However, for strongest privacy it's still generally recommended to route all your traffic through the VPN tunnel by default. Only exclude apps that have performance issues when protected by VPN and aren't high-risk.

What is a VPN No-Log Policy?

A no-log policy means that a VPN provider does not keep any usage logs or personal identifiers that could identify users on their network. This is a key indicator of a trustworthy VPN company.

Here’s what an ideal VPN no-log policy should cover:

No logging of browsing history, traffic destination, or DNS queries
No connection logs with timestamps that could identify sessions
No logging of IP addresses of users or devices
No tracking of bandwidth usage or volume
No logs of user accounts or email addresses

Ideally the VPN company should submit to regular audits by third-parties that can verify their strict no-log practices. Many top VPNs publish transparency reports and have their code audited.

A true no-log policy means a VPN has no records to hand over in the event of raids, subpoenas or court orders by authorities or copyright trolls. This guarantees greater privacy and anonymity for users.

Logging policies can reveal a lot about a VPN's underlying priorities and ethics when it comes to user privacy. To ensure your information is safe, a solid commitment to no-logs is essential.

What is Multi-Hop VPN?

Multi-hop VPN, also called double VPN or two-hop VPN, chains together multiple VPN servers to encrypt your traffic twice. This enhanced technique routes your connection through two different VPN servers instead of one.

There are a couple key advantages to multi-hop VPN connections:

Enhanced Privacy - By relaying your traffic through two locations, it becomes much harder to trace the original source. No single VPN provider can determine your identity or IP address.

Better Obfuscation - Chaining VPN servers adds an additional layer of encryption, so your traffic appears more heavily anonymized. This helps get around VPN blocks.

Extra Security - Having two servers act as VPN gateways reduces the risk of a successful single point of failure attack compromising your privacy.

However, multi-hop also has some disadvantages:

Slower Speeds - Each "hop" adds encryption overhead and routing time, resulting in reduced connection speeds.

Higher Cost - You'll typically have to pay for subscriptions to two separate VPN providers to enable multi-hop.

For most users, connecting to a single VPN server is sufficient. But multi-hop offers an extra privacy boost if you want maximum anonymity at the cost of speed. It essentially transforms two VPN services into one super-secure encrypted tunnel.

What Countries Restrict or Prohibit VPN Use?

A number of countries around the world impose restrictions or bans on VPN use by their citizens. Some examples include:

China - VPNs are illegal without government approval to access the uncensored global internet.
Russia - Passed laws in 2017 banning VPNs that don't comply with government censorship.
Turkey - Has passed laws to throttle or block many VPN providers. Citizens use VPNs to get news.
Iran - Has sought to block VPN access but Iranians still use them widely to bypass censorship.
United Arab Emirates - Has banned many VPN sites to prevent access to VoIP calling services.
North Korea - VPNs are forbidden for citizens. Using a VPN would allow access to outside information.
Iraq - VPN bans were proposed in 2015 but it is still possible to use some VPN services.

The main motivation behind VPN blocking is surveillance and controlling access to information. Governments that restrict online freedom are afraid of VPNs allowing unfiltered internet usage that circumvents their censorship. However, VPN bans have had limited success since citizens continue using VPN services to gain internet access.

Here is the rest of the article after the "Are VPNs Legal?" section:

Are VPNs Legal?

In most countries, using a VPN is perfectly legal. Consumer VPN services fall under freedom of access to information and freedom of speech rights in many constitutions.

However, VPN legality depends on how the technology is utilized. While using a VPN itself is not illegal, a VPN could potentially be involved in illegal activities:

Using a VPN to access pirated or restricted content may be copyright infringement.
Certain countries criminalize VPNs if they are used to bypass government censorship controls

Choosing a Reliable VPN

With hundreds of VPN providers in the market, it can be tricky evaluating which one to trust. Here are some tips for choosing a reliable VPN for protecting your privacy:

Read through the VPN's privacy policy and make sure they have a strict no-logs policy.
Select a provider that offers multiple secure VPN protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard.
Check that the VPN has apps that work across many different devices and platforms.
Look for extra privacy features like a kill switch, IPv6 leak protection and a VPN no borders mode.
Consider additional factors like number of servers, speeds, pricing and customer support availability.
Research the provider's reputation and see if they have undergone third-party security audits.

Taking the time to thoroughly evaluate VPN providers helps ensure you choose one that aligns with your privacy priorities and will securely protect your data.

Using a VPN Safely and Legally

While VPN technology itself is legal in most jurisdictions, there are some safety and ethical concerns to keep in mind when using a VPN:

Avoid using a VPN for illegal activities like piracy, hacking, fraud or purchasing of black market goods.
Be mindful of legal restrictions when accessing region-locked content meant for other audiences.
Don't utilize a VPN to spread harmful or abusive speech or materials.
Use trusted and reputable providers who uphold ethical practices, and avoid shady, unreliable VPNs.
Make sure to comply with the VPN provider's terms of service.

Using common sense and following the law allows you to take advantage of a VPN securely and legally. Ultimately a VPN simply acts as a conduit – it's up to you to use it responsibly.

The Future of VPN Privacy

VPN adoption is expected to keep surging in the coming years as more people become concerned about securing their online privacy. According to GlobalData, the number of worldwide VPN users will exceed 1 billion by 2027.

Simultaneously, VPN technology itself will continue advancing:

New protocols like WireGuard provide faster speeds and better security.
Apps will become easier to use for VPN beginners.
More platform support like routers and TVs will have VPNs built-in.
Blockchain-based networks offer decentralized alternatives to traditional VPNs.
Stricter privacy laws may curb some overreach by advertisers and ISPs.

But whether emerging tech can outpace growing online surveillance and erosion of privacy is an open question. For now, VPN services remain essential tools to protect our data and identities in an increasingly digitized world.