What is a VPN and should you use one?
VPNs, also known as Virtual Private Networks, are increasingly in demand these days, but not for the reason they were originally created. That reason was simple: to securely connect business locations over the Internet or to allow users to access their office network from home. Back then, user privacy was not the primary use for VPNs. Today, however, in the wake of ubiquitous tracking and aggressive marketing strategies, the need for additional protection is growing, and that's where AdGuard VPN comes in. AdGuard VPN creates an encrypted, secure tunnel between your device and a server on the Internet and also blocks unwanted websites.
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We have apps for all popular operating systems — Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. And if you prefer to use a browser extension, install AdGuard VPN for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, or Edge.
Windows
Mac
Android
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For Android TV
Browser extension
For routers
For Linux
For Apple TV
For Xbox
For PlayStation
For Chromecast
Windows
Mac
Android
iOS
For Android TV
Browser extension
For routers
For Linux
For Apple TV
For Xbox
For PlayStation
For Chromecast
For Android TV
Browser extension
For routers
For Linux
For Apple TV
For Xbox
For PlayStation
For Chromecast
Other products
AdGuard VPN
for Windows
Use any browser or app and never worry about your anonymity again. The entire world is at your fingertips with AdGuard VPN.
AdGuard VPN
for Mac
In just two clicks, select a city from anywhere in the world — we have 70+ locations — and your data is invisible to prying eyes.
AdGuard VPN
for Android
Remain anonymous wherever you go with AdGuard VPN! Dozens of locations, fast and reliable connection — all in your pocket.
AdGuard VPN
for iOS
Boost your online protection by taking it with you wherever you go. Use AdGuard VPN to enjoy your favorite movies and shows!
AdGuard VPN
for Android TV
Discover AdGuard VPN for Android TV! Enjoy seamless streaming, enhanced security, and easy setup.
AdGuard VPN
for Chrome
Hide your true location and emerge from another place in the world — access any content without speed limits and preserve your web anonymity.
AdGuard VPN
for Edge
Get to a different location in one click, hide your IP, and make your web surfing safe and anonymous.
AdGuard VPN
for Firefox
Protect your privacy, hide your real location, and decide to where you need the VPN and where you don't!
AdGuard VPN
for Opera
Be a ninja in your Opera browser: move quickly to any part of the world and remain unnoticed.
AdGuard VPN
for routers
Install AdGuard VPN on your router to secure your entire network. Decide which devices to protect and when
This option is only available with an AdGuard VPN subscription
AdGuard VPN
for Linux
Get the best free VPN for Linux and enjoy seamless web browsing, enhanced security, Internet traffic encryption, and DNS leak protection. Choose from multiple VPN servers and access the locations you want
AdGuard VPN
for Apple TV
Discover AdGuard VPN for Apple TV! Enjoy seamless streaming, enhanced security, and easy setup
This option is only available with an AdGuard VPN subscription
AdGuard VPN for Xbox
Protect your Xbox with AdGuard VPN and enjoy seamless online gaming, enhanced security, and easy setup
This option is only available with an AdGuard VPN subscription
AdGuard VPN
for PS4/PS5
Protect your PlayStation with AdGuard VPN and enjoy seamless online gaming, enhanced security, and easy setup. Choose from multiple VPN servers and access the locations you want
This feature is only available with an AdGuard VPN subscription
AdGuard VPN
for Chromecast
Install AdGuard VPN on your Google TV (Chromecast Gen 4) or on your network router (Chromecast Gen 3) and enjoy streaming content with Chromecast while staying anonymous online and accessing content from anywhere. For Chromecast Gen 3, you need an AdGuard VPN subscription
Why use a VPN?
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Improve online security
Don’t let anyone track your location and get information about your computer. Forget about scammers and geo-targeted ads -
Protect your privacy
Shield your data from being siphoned off by shady Wi-Fi hotspots, thanks to data encryption and a masked IP address -
Stream safely
Catch up on your favorite shows and movies while traveling abroad and check out what's hot in other countries, too -
See fewer ads
Reduce the amount of geo-targeted ads you see. Use our ad blocker for an even better experience -
Сhange your IP address
Use VPN to hide your real IP address — stay anonymous, encrypt traffic, and protect your data -
Stay under the radar
Use torrents without being logged, even if your ISP doesn't like BitTorrent. Just make sure you do it legally
VPN fun facts
VPNs predate the Internet. In the age of the telephone, companies used VPNs to connect their corporate telephone networks into a single network, so that employees could talk as if they were in the same place.
Initially, VPN technologies were only used by large organizations to allow employees to communicate and share confidential information securely.
How does a VPN work?
VPN uses encryption to create secure VPN tunnels
The VPN technology uses data encryption algorithms to create secure tunnels from your device (point A) to the destination server (point B). For example, you have AdGuard VPN enabled on your device and want to access YouTube:
You establish an encrypted connection between your device and a VPN server of your VPN provider, such as AdGuard VPN
Your Internet traffic is encrypted and routed through the established VPN tunnel to the VPN server
The VPN server partially decrypts your information at the transport and VPN layers. Your data, such as user credentials, cookies, payment details or viewed videos, remains encrypted at the protocol layer with TLS encryption and is unknown to the VPN provider
The VPN server connects to a YouTube server and forwards the request from your browser or YouTube app
The YouTube server responds with data to the VPN server
The VPN server receives TLS-encrypted traffic, adds the VPN encryption layer, and sends it to your device
Your device receives the encrypted traffic, decrypts it, and forwards it to the browser or YouTube app that initiated the request
In a nutshell, the VPN technology allows you to hide your online identity by routing your traffic through a remote VPN server with a different IP address, location, and other associated data. It also adds an extra layer of protection by encrypting your traffic.
Advertisers, hackers, and other third parties may try to monitor your traffic between your device and the VPN server. VPN ensures that your traffic is encrypted and observers can’t extract any useful information from the encrypted data stream. Keep in mind that even with a hidden IP address, your online activity can still be tracked through cookies and device fingerprinting.
VPN protocols and their types
A VPN protocol is a set of rules for allowed authentication and transport protocols and encryption methods. It determines how the connection is established between you and the VPN server. VPN protocols vary in speed, security, supported networks, and platforms.
Let's examine the most popular VPN protocols and describe their strengths and weaknesses.
IPsec
Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) is a secure network protocol that authenticates, encrypts, and establishes mutual authentication between two agents: host-to-host, security gateways (network-to-network), or a host and a gateway. The protocol provides security for Internet traffic through the following features:
Confidentiality: Only the sender and the receiver can access the unencrypted data
Integrity: Data packets have corresponding hash values that change when the data is modified. The parties calculate the hash value for each data packet to confirm that the data is authentic
Anti-reply: IPsec uses sequence data to avoid sending duplicate packets. Even if hackers capture the packet, they can't send it again
Authentication: Both the sender and receiver are authenticated, so they can be sure that the data is going to the intended party
OpenVPN (TCP and UDP)
One of the most popular free protocols is OpenVPN. By default, it uses UDP transport: all network packets are encapsulated into UDP datagrams and then sent to a VPN server. However, UDP traffic is often restricted on public networks. As a workaround, TCP encapsulation can be used, with some additional configuration on the server side. Many users praise the flexibility of its settings and its compatibility with different platforms. However, using this protocol requires some technical knowledge.
PPTP
The Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) is one of the first such tools, released for Windows 95. It’s now obsolete and is not widely used because it has some protocol vulnerabilities and is easy to hack.
L2TP
Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), an extension of PPTP, is used to support VPNs or as part of ISP service delivery. The protocol encrypts only its control messages, not the content. It establishes a tunnel at the data link layer (Layer 2 of the OSI network communication model) that can be transmitted over a network layer encryption protocol, such as IPsec.
WireGuard
The lightweight codebase of Jason A. Donenfeld’s protocol provides good connection speed. It is easy to use and offers high security thanks to its clean design and modern elliptic-curve cryptography. However, because it doesn't support TCP, it may not work on networks that block UDP traffic. Also, unlike IPsec, you have to download a special app to use the protocol because it’s not natively supported by consumer operating systems.
SSTP
The Secure Socket Tunneling protocol was developed by Microsoft for Windows-based devices. If you are using Microsoft Azure, you need Windows 8.1 or later, which supports TLS 1.2 and has SSTP. As a proprietary TLS-based protocol, SSTP can penetrate firewalls, most of which leave outbound TCP port 443 open. SSTP provides a mechanism for transmitting PPP traffic over an SSL/TLS channel with protection at the transport layer.
Proprietary protocols
The primary goal of the protocols and related software described above is to provide private networks within organizations. They are not designed to bypass firewalls or port blocking, or to hide the fact that their clients are using a VPN. Their use within a commercial software may be limited due to licensing restrictions.
That’s why large public VPN service providers develop their own VPN protocols. This category includes LightWay by ExpressVPN, Hydra by Hotspot Shield, and our own proprietary AdGuard VPN protocol.
In particular, the AdGuard VPN protocol is designed to be fast, energy-efficient, and indistinguishable from regular HTTPS traffic.
Why do you need a VPN?
The downside of living in the digital age is that your online activities are monitored. Just as your home address is used to deliver mail, your IP address is used to determine where Internet traffic is sent, or to track the origin of a particular search query or website visit. And this is how hackers or other third parties can find you. Also, some websites may block certain locations from accessing their data.
How can a VPN help? A virtual private network allows you to avoid revealing your true IP address by proxying all your data through a secure connection to a dedicated server.
Here are a few reasons to use VPN:
To stay safe on public Wi-Fi. Using public Wi-Fi networks, especially those that are not password protected, puts you in a vulnerable position. Your traffic becomes an easy target for data miners. VPN solves this problem by encrypting all traffic and DNS requests
To hide your online activity from third parties. Websites you visit and what you do there can be tracked and sold to advertising companies. With a VPN, your browsing history is hidden from prying eyes
To avoid geographical pricing. Some online retailers set up prices based on the user’s location. For example, the same shirt might cost $20 in India and $30 in the US. By visiting the site from an IP address in a different country, you will save money
To watch your favorite TV shows when you are in another country. Because your IP address shows where the traffic is coming from, website admins can easily block access for certain countries. With a VPN, you can pretend that your device is in your home region and access your usual content
Pros and cons of using a VPN
Pros
Your personal information is encrypted so you can avoid any threats and use the Internet safely
Many VPN providers offer free or demo versions of VPNs with some restrictions
VPNs are easy to use. All you have to do is download an app, log in, choose a preferred location, and turn on tunneling
You get access to content that is unavailable due to local restrictions
Your data is protected from public Wi-Fi, hackers, and advertisers
Cons
VPN servers located far from you can increase network latency and slow your connection speed
You may need to purchase a VPN subscription if the free version doesn’t meet your needs, especially if you require constant use, large data transfers, high speed, or access to unavailable locations
Using untrusted VPN services from unknown providers can lead to privacy concerns as they may not have transparent privacy policies, potentially resulting in data leakage or sharing with third parties
VPN types
Two main types of VPNs you should know about
Commercial VPN
This is a commercial VPN service that creates a secure tunnel from your device to a remote server and routes your Internet traffic through it. It helps you hide your true IP address and real location.
Corporate VPN
This is an internal network that connects different locations within your organization. You use these VPNs to securely connect to your office resources from anywhere in the world without the risk of your data being stolen or compromised in transit. This VPN also reduces the possibility of third-party intrusion into a corporate network.
How to choose a VPN?
There are a lot of VPN providers these days, which makes it difficult to find the right one. Here are some important criteria to consider:
Number of servers and locations. The more, the better. The closer the VPN server is to you, the less impact the tunneling will have on your Internet speed. Also, you may need a VPN server in a specific country or location, and it's important that your VPN provider can offer you one
Shared or private IP addresses. A shared IP makes it difficult to track you by IP address. However, a shared IP address is used by a lot of users at the same time and is more likely to be included in lists of anonymous IP addresses or banned by government firewalls
Logging policy. Providers with no-logging policies don’t record your online activity. For example, AdGuard VPN has a zero-logging policy to ensure your privacy
Multi-device support. If you subscribe to a VPN service, you want to use it on multiple devices, both desktop and mobile. This is possible if your provider has mobile apps in the App Store and Google Play
Free trial. You always want to try it before you buy to make sure that the connection is reliable, the speed is good enough, and the security is strong. Look for providers that offer a free trial. For example, AdGuard VPN offers free 3 GB of traffic that renews monthly
How to install AdGuard VPN
Alternatively, install AdGuard VPN Browser Extension to use VPN in your browser, or generate credentials in your AdGuard account to set up AdGuard VPN on your router
VPN, Tor, or proxy?
A virtual private network is not the only way to make your device appear to have a different IP address. You can also try using Tor or a proxy.
VPN vs. Tor
Both a VPN and Tor use encryption to prevent third parties from reading your data.
Tor is an open source Firefox-based browser that implements anonymity on the Internet. It divides your data into encrypted packets and sends them through a series of random proxy servers. The other end decrypts and reads your data, but can't determine its source.
A VPN typically takes a more centralized approach. After you connect, VPN sends your traffic to a server owned by the VPN provider. The IP address of that server allows you to hide your online identity and activity.
Tor’s specifics mean that it’s hardly a tool for everyday use. Traffic fragmentation and multiple network hops, dramatically reduce connection speed and responsiveness. That’s why Tor is usually used when you need to be untraceable, for example, to access the darknet.
VPN vs. proxy
The main difference between a proxy and a VPN is that proxies operate at the application layer, while VPNs operate at the transport layer. These technologies work in completely different ways.
A proxy server handles a specific protocol, usually HTTP or HTTPS, that an application must support in order to use the proxy. Typically, these are browsers or torrent clients. Typically, users must manually set up a proxy within an app: enter a login, password, and other credentials in the proxy settings.
VPNs, on the other hand, can handle all kinds of protocols and traffic, transparently to the apps generating that traffic. For example, SMTP, SSH, and other application-specific network protocols, including proprietary ones. A VPN is typically set up on a per-device basis: users install a VPN app on the device and enable tunneling with a few of clicks.
Proxies typically don’t provide additional encryption between a client and a server. Therefore, they are not used to provide anonymity and an extra layer of security, but rather to change an IP address or a client's location, for example, for streaming or torrenting.
There is one exception. Secure Web Proxy, a relatively new feature in browsers, establishes an encrypted connection between a client and a proxy server and can also be used to hide traffic from third parties. It requires support from a proxy, but all the other drawbacks of proxies are still present: it still works at the application layer and requires some manual setup in the app. This technology is mainly used as a part of browser VPN extensions.
While a proxy can satisfy some of your needs, such as hiding your IP address or real location, it still doesn't provide the same level of privacy, security, and anonymity level as a VPN.
