Understand a VPN before you rely on one

Each article stands on its own, but they build on each other in this order.

1. 01

   Step 1 of 8. Privacy basics · Explainer · 4 min read

   What a VPN does, and what it does not

   A VPN moves where your traffic appears to come from and who can see it in transit. It does not make you anonymous, and it does not make anything legal that was not.

2. 02

   Step 2 of 8. Privacy basics · Checklist · 3 min read

   Decide what you need before you choose anything

   A short threat model: what you want to protect, from whom, and whether a VPN is the right tool or only part of the answer.

3. 03

   Step 3 of 8. Choosing a provider · Checklist · 3 min read

   How to evaluate a VPN provider without taking claims on trust

   Vendor-neutral criteria for judging a service: what to look for, what evidence counts, and the marketing claims that should make you more careful, not less.

4. 04

   Step 4 of 8. Setting up · Reference · 2 min read

   Protocols and settings in plain language

   What the common open VPN protocols are, and what the settings you will meet in most apps actually do.

5. 05

   Step 5 of 8. Setting up · Concepts · 3 min read

   Setting up a VPN on your own devices: the concepts

   The ways a VPN can be set up, what each one covers, and a safe order of steps. Exact menus differ by device, so this explains the ideas rather than the buttons.

6. 06

   Step 6 of 8. Setting up · Checklist · 2 min read

   Check that your VPN is working

   Simple checks for your own connection: that your visible address changed, that DNS and IPv6 do not leak, and that the kill switch really blocks traffic.

7. 07

   Step 7 of 8. Troubleshooting · Reference · 3 min read

   Troubleshooting common VPN problems

   The problems people meet most often, their usual causes, and what to try. When a network or service does not allow VPNs, the answer is to follow its rules.

8. 08

   Step 8 of 8. Responsible use · Explainer · 3 min read

   Using a VPN lawfully and responsibly

   What changes with where you are, whose network you use and what you agreed to, and the limits of what any VPN can promise. Read this before relying on one.

• Privacy basicsWhat a VPN changes about who can see your traffic, and what it leaves exactly as it was.2 articles
• Choosing a providerHow to judge a service on evidence rather than marketing, and the questions to ask before you pay.1 article
• Setting upThe concepts behind installing and configuring a VPN on your own devices, and how to confirm it works.3 articles
• TroubleshootingCommon problems, their usual causes and the lawful fixes.1 article
• Responsible useLaw, workplace and school rules, service terms, and the limits of what a VPN can promise.1 article

VPN (virtual private network)

A service or setup that carries your traffic through an encrypted tunnel to a server, which then connects to the internet on your behalf.

Kill switch

A setting that blocks internet traffic if the VPN connection drops, so nothing is sent outside the tunnel by accident.

DNS leak

When your device sends DNS lookups outside the VPN tunnel while the VPN is on, so your network or internet provider can still see which names you look up.

No-logs policy

A provider's statement that it does not keep records of your activity. It is a promise, not a technical fact; look for independent evidence and read what exactly is excluded.