What is a VPN?

A VPN, or virtual private network, is a secure tunnel between your device and the internet. VPNs protect you from online snooping, interference, and censorship.

VPN explained in seconds

What is a VPN?

A VPN (virtual private network) is the easiest and most effective way for people to protect their internet traffic and keep their identities private online. As you connect to a secure VPN server, your internet traffic goes through an encrypted tunnel that nobody can see into, including hackers, governments, and your internet service provider.

What is a VPN? image.

Consumers use VPNs to keep their online activity private and ensure their internet experience is free from outside interference.

Companies use VPNs to connect far-flung employees as if they were all using the same local network at a central office, but with fewer benefits for individuals than a personal VPN.

Benefits and advantages of VPN

Laptop screens demonstrating the before and after process of changing a user's IP address.

Change your location

Using a VPN changes your IP address, the unique number that identifies you and your location in the world. This new IP address will make you appear to be in the location you select when you connect: the UK, Germany, Canada, Japan, or virtually any country, if the VPN service has servers there.

Download VPN provided the best-in-class 256-bit encryption.

Protect your privacy

Changing your IP address with a VPN helps shield your identity from websites, apps, and services that want to track you. Good VPNs also prevent your internet provider, mobile carrier, and anyone else who may be listening from seeing your activity, thanks to a layer of strong encryption.

Router VPN that covers all devices.

Increase your security

Using a VPN protects you from security breaches in many forms, including packet sniffing, rogue Wi-Fi networks, and man-in-the-middle attacks. Travelers, remote workers, and all kinds of on-the-go individuals use a VPN whenever they’re on an untrusted network like free public Wi-Fi.

When should I use a VPN?

If privacy is important to you, you should use a VPN every time you connect to the internet. A VPN app runs in the background of your device so it won’t get in the way no matter what you’re doing online: browsing, chatting, gaming, downloading. And you’ll have peace of mind knowing your privacy is always protected.

But here are some situations in which a VPN is especially useful:


Airplane flying over the world.
While traveling

Exploring the world doesn’t mean you have to change the way you use the internet. A VPN lets you go online as securely and privately as if you were still in your home country.

Enjoy the content you want: streaming TV and music on a laptop.
While relaxing

Enjoy your leisure time with freedom from throttling or other limits imposed by your ISP or local Wi-Fi network. Whatever you like to do online, do it with peace of mind.

Stay safe on public Wi-Fi: using a laptop in a coffee shop.
While on public Wi-Fi

Connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots like those in cafes, airports, and parks could leave your private information vulnerable. Using a VPN on your devices keeps you safe with strong encryption.

Devices for gaming.
While gaming

Play alongside friends in other countries, shield yourself from DDoS attacks, and reduce ping and overall lag by connecting to a VPN server that’s closer to the game server.

Download anonymously. Laptop with download icon.
While file-sharing

P2P file sharing usually means that strangers can see your IP address and possibly track your downloads. A VPN keeps your IP address private, letting you download with increased anonymity.

Shopping browser window.
While shopping

Some online stores show different prices to people in different countries. With a VPN, you can find the best deals in the world no matter where you’re shopping from.

How does a VPN work?

To understand how a VPN works, it helps to first understand how your internet connection works without one.

Without a VPN

When you access a website without a VPN, you are being connected to that site through your internet service provider, or ISP. The ISP assigns you a unique IP address that can be used to identify you to the website. Because your ISP is handling and directing all your traffic, it can see which websites you visit. And your activity can be linked to you by that unique IP address.

With a VPN

When you connect to the internet with a VPN, the VPN app on your device (also called a VPN client) establishes a secure connection with a VPN server. Your traffic still passes through your ISP, but your ISP can no longer read it or see its final destination. The websites you visit can no longer see your original IP address, only the IP address of the VPN server, which is shared by many other users and changes regularly.

Not Connected

Connected

Laptop with an unsecured connection to the internet with an eye looking at traffic data between the laptop and the internet. What is a VPN? image.

Here are several key concepts related to VPN that will help you understand how a VPN works and the benefits it provides:

Proxying

The VPN server acts like a proxy, or stand-in, for your web activity: Instead of your real IP address and location, websites you visit will only see the IP address and location of the VPN server.

This makes you more anonymous on the internet.

Authentication

Establishing a secure connection is a tricky problem solved by clever mathematics in a process called authentication.

Once authenticated, the VPN client and VPN server can be sure they are talking to each other and no one else.

Tunneling

VPNs also protect the connection between client and server with tunneling and encryption.

Tunneling is a process by which each data packet is encapsulated inside another data packet. This makes it harder for third parties to read in transit.

Encryption

Data inside the tunnel is also encrypted in such a way that only the intended recipient can decrypt it. This keeps the contents of your internet traffic completely private. Even your internet service provider won’t see it.

VPN protocols

VPN protocols are the methods by which your device connects to the VPN server. Some protocols are better for speed, some are better for security, and some simply work better under certain network conditions.

Speech bubbles with different VPN protocols.

Most VPNs use a standard set of protocols, but ExpressVPN built Lightway to outdo them all in speed, reliability, and security. Give it a try to see for yourself. Learn more about Lightway.

ExpressVPN automatically chooses the best protocol for your network, but you can also choose one manually.

Popular VPN protocols in use today include:

  • OpenVPN

  • IKEv2

  • L2TP / IPsec

  • PPTP*

  • WireGuard*

  • SSTP*

*Not supported by ExpressVPN.

Types of VPN

Laptop with a plant and drink.
Commercial VPN

A commercial VPN, also called a personal VPN or a consumer VPN, is a private service offered directly to individuals, usually for a fee.

ExpressVPN is such a VPN service because it directly caters to the privacy needs of its customers.

Pie chart.
Corporate VPN

A corporate VPN, also called a business VPN, allows an organization’s remote employees to connect securely to the internet as if they were physically present in the office.

Unlike commercial VPNs, however, corporate VPNs are meant to protect the privacy of the company and not necessarily the individual.

Spanner and wrench.
Self-setup VPN

Some tech experts and DIY hobbyists choose to set up their own VPN using their own equipment.

Self-setup VPNs, however, do not provide the protection of shared IP addresses, server locations in multiple countries, or many other features enjoyed by commercial VPN users.

Alternatives to VPN

A VPN isn’t the only tool that can increase your privacy, security, and/or freedom online.

Tor onion symbol on a laptop.

Tor

Tor (short for The Onion Router) is a free network of servers, or “nodes,” that randomly route internet traffic between each other in order to obfuscate the origin of the data.

Using Tor can significantly increase your anonymity, and using Tor in conjunction with a VPN creates the best possible privacy protection.

The biggest drawback of Tor, however, is speed. Because your traffic is relayed through several hops, you will probably find it inconvenient to stream, download, or file-share with Tor.

Laptop connected to the internet via proxy server.

Proxy services

A proxy server is any intermediary between your device and the internet. Unlike a VPN, however, most “proxy services” you’ll find are quite slow and don’t offer any privacy or security benefits.

So-called “free proxy services” are especially dangerous, as many will find other ways to monetize your data, like selling it to third parties.

Neither Tor nor a proxy service can replace the benefits of a VPN. A trustworthy VPN is still the best privacy solution for most people.

FAQ

How do I get and use a VPN?

Step 1

How to sign up for ExpressVPN
Sign up for ExpressVPN

Visit the order page and select the option that’s right for you. All of our plans are fully covered by our 30-day money-back guarantee.

Step 2

Download a VPN app

You’ll immediately be invited to download the VPN app for the device you’re using. Getting apps for all your other devices is just as easy.

Step 3

Connect to a VPN server location

Simply hit the On Button, and you’ll be instantly connected to the best location for your connection. Or pick one from our global network.