VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a virtual private network.

In common parlance, a VPN is a completely secure channel that connects your Internet-enabled device to any other device on the world wide web. To put it even simpler, we can imagine it more figuratively: without connecting to a VPN service, your computer (laptop, phone, TV or any other device) when accessing the network is like a private house not fenced. At any moment, anyone can intentionally or accidentally break trees or trample the beds in your garden. Using a VPN, your home turns into an impregnable fortress, the protection of which will simply be impossible to breach.

How it works?

The principle of VPN operation is simple and “transparent” for the end user. The moment you go online, a virtual “tunnel” is created between your device and the rest of the Internet, blocking any attempts from the outside to penetrate inside. For you, the work of the VPN remains absolutely “transparent” and invisible. Your personal, business correspondence, conversations on Skype or telephone can in no way be intercepted or overheard. All your data is encrypted using a special encryption algorithm, which is almost impossible to crack.

In addition to protection from external intrusion, VPN provides the opportunity to virtually visit any country in the world for a while and use the network resources of these countries, watch television channels that were previously unavailable. VPN will replace your IP address with any other one. To do this, you will just need to select a country from the proposed list, for example the Netherlands, and all sites and services that you visit will automatically “think” that you are in this particular country.

Why not an anonymizer or proxy?

The question arises: why not just use some kind of anonymizer or proxy server on the network, because they also replace the IP address? Yes, everything is very simple - none of the above-mentioned services provide protection, you still remain “visible” to attackers, and therefore all the data that you exchange on the Internet. And, in addition, working with proxy servers requires you to have a certain ability to set precise settings. VPN operates on the following principle: “Connect and play”; it does not require any additional settings. The entire connection process takes a couple of minutes and is very simple.

About free VPNs

When choosing, you should remember that free VPNs almost always have restrictions on the amount of traffic and data transfer speed. This means that a situation may arise when you simply cannot continue to use the free VPN. Do not forget that free VPNs are not always stable and are often overloaded. Even if your limit has not been exceeded, data transfer may take a long period of time due to the high load on the VPN server. Paid VPN services are distinguished by high bandwidth, the absence of restrictions on both traffic and speed, and the level of security is higher than that of free ones.

Where to begin?

Most VPN services provide the opportunity to test quality for free for a short period. The testing period can be from several hours to several days. During testing, you usually get full access to all the functionality of the VPN service. Our service makes it possible to find such VPN services using the link:

In this article, we will answer the most frequently asked questions about what a VPN server is, tell you whether a VPN can increase your security, whether you need to use Double VPN and how to check whether a VPN service keeps logs, as well as what modern technologies exist to protect personal information.

VPN is a virtual private network that provides encryption between the client and the VPN server.

The main purpose of a VPN is to encrypt traffic and change the IP address.

Let's figure out why and when this is needed.

Why do you need a VPN?

All Internet providers log the activities of their clients on the Internet. That is, the Internet provider knows which sites you visited. This is necessary in order to provide all information about the violator in case of requests from the police, and also to relieve oneself of all legal responsibility for the user’s actions.

There are many situations when a user needs to protect his personal data on the Internet and gain freedom of communication.

Example 1. There is a business and it is necessary to transmit confidential data over the Internet so that no one can intercept it. Most companies use VPN technology to transfer information between company branches.

Example 2. Many services on the Internet operate on a geo-referenced basis and prohibit access to users from other countries.

For example, the Yandex Music service only works for IP addresses from Russia and the former CIS countries. Accordingly, the entire Russian-speaking population living in other countries does not have access to this service.

Example 3. Blocking certain sites in the office and in the country. Offices often block access to social networks so that employees do not waste working time communicating.

For example, many Google services are blocked in China. If a Chinese resident works with a company from Europe, then there is a need to use services such as Google Disk.

Example 4: Hide visited sites from your ISP. There are times when you need to hide the list of visited sites from your Internet provider. All traffic will be encrypted.

By encrypting your traffic, your ISP won't know what sites you've visited on the Internet. In this case, your IP address on the Internet will belong to the country of the VPN server.

When you connect to a VPN, a secure channel is created between your computer and the VPN server. All data in this channel is encrypted.

With a VPN, you will have freedom of communication and protect your personal data.

The ISP logs will contain a set of different characters. The picture below shows an analysis of the data obtained by a special program.

The HTTP header immediately shows which site you are connecting to. This data is recorded by Internet service providers.

The following picture shows the HTTP header when using a VPN. The data is encrypted and it is impossible to find out which sites you visited.

How to connect to a VPN

There are several ways to connect to a VPN network.

• PPTP is an obsolete protocol. Most modern operating systems have excluded it from the list of supported ones. Disadvantages of PPTP - low connection stability. The connection may fail and unprotected data may leak onto the Internet.
• L2TP (IPSec) connection is more reliable. Also built into most operating systems (Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iOS, Android, Windows Phone and others). It has better reliability compared to PPTP connections.
• SSTP connection was developed relatively recently. It is only supported on Windows, so it is not widely used.
• IKEv2 is a modern protocol based on IPSec. This protocol has replaced the PPTP protocol and is supported by all popular operating systems.
• OpenVPN connection is considered the most reliable. This technology can be flexibly configured and when the connection drops, OpenVPN blocks sending unprotected data to the Internet.

There are 2 data transfer protocols for OpenVPN technology:

• UDP protocol – is fast (recommended for VoiP telephony, Skype, online games)
• TCP protocol – characterized by the reliability of transmitted data (requires confirmation of receipt of the packet). Slightly slower than UDP.

How to set up a VPN

Setting up a VPN connection takes a few minutes and differs in the VPN connection method.

On our service we use PPTP and OpenVPN connections.

Security of working with a VPN program

We will always talk about an integrated approach to security. User security consists of more than just the VPN connection itself. It is important what program you use to connect to the VPN server.

Currently, services offer convenient VPN clients - these are programs that make it easier to set up a VPN connection. We ourselves offer a convenient VPN client. Thanks to such programs, setting up a VPN connection takes no more than 1 minute.

When we first started providing VPN services in 2006, all of our users set up the official OpenVPN application. It is open source. Of course, setting up an official OpenVPN client takes longer. But let's figure out what is better to use in terms of anonymity.

VPN client anonymity

We see the danger in using such programs. The thing is that the source code of such programs is the property of the company and in order to preserve the uniqueness of its program, no one publishes it.

Users cannot find out what data the program collects about you in the absence of open source code.

A VPN program can identify you as a specific user even if the logs on the server are turned off.

Any program can have the functionality to record the sites you have visited and your real IP address. And since you enter your login into the program yourself, it is impossible to talk about any anonymity in using the program at all.

If your activity requires a high level of anonymity, we recommend that you abandon such VPN programs and use the official open source OpenVPN release.

At first you will find this inconvenient. But over time, you will get used to it if the factor of security and anonymity comes first for you.

We guarantee that Secure Kit does not store any data about you. But we must warn you that such programs can spy on you.

Another idea on how to increase your security came from the point of view of the geographical location of servers. On the Internet it is called an offshore VPN.

What is an offshore VPN

Different countries have different levels of legislation. There are strong states with strong laws. And there are small countries whose level of development does not allow for information security of data in their country.

Initially, the concept of offshore was used to designate a country in which tax policy was relaxed. Such countries have very low business taxes. Global companies have become interested in legal tax avoidance in their country, and offshore bank accounts in the Cayman Islands have become very popular.

Currently, many countries around the world already have bans on the use of bank accounts in offshore countries.

Most offshore countries are small states located in remote corners of the planet. Servers in such countries are more difficult to find and are more expensive due to the lack of developed Internet infrastructure. VPN servers in such countries began to be called offshore.

It turns out that the word offshore VPN does not mean anonymous VPN, but only speaks of territorial affiliation with an offshore state.

Should you use an offshore VPN?

An offshore VPN offers additional benefits in terms of anonymity.

Do you think it’s much easier to write an official request:

• to a police department in Germany
• or the Islands Police Department in Antigua Barbuda

Offshore VPN is an additional layer of protection. An offshore server is good to use as part of a Double VPN chain.

There is no need to use only 1 offshore VPN server and think that this is complete security. You need to approach your security and anonymity on the Internet from different angles.

Use an offshore VPN as a link to your anonymity.

And it's time to answer the most frequently asked question. Can an anonymous VPN service keep logs? And how to determine whether the service keeps logs?

Anonymous VPN service and logs. What should I do?

An anonymous VPN service should not keep logs. Otherwise, it can no longer be called anonymous.

We have compiled a list of questions, thanks to which you can accurately determine whether the service keeps logs.

Now you have complete information about VPN connections. This knowledge is enough to make yourself anonymous on the Internet and make the transmission of personal data secure.

New VPN technologies

Are there any new trends in the VPN space?

We have already talked about the pros and cons of sequential cascading VPN servers (Double, Triple, Quad VPN).

To avoid the disadvantages of Double VPN technology, you can make a parallel cascade of chains. We called it Parallel VPN.

What is Parallel VPN

The essence of Parallel VPN is to direct traffic to a parallel data channel.

The disadvantage of sequential cascading technology (Double, Triple, Quad VPN) is that on each server the channel is decrypted and encrypted into the next channel. Data is consistently encrypted.

There is no such problem with Parallel VPN technology, since all data undergoes double parallel encryption. That is, imagine an onion that has several peels. In the same way, data passes through a channel that is double encrypted.

VPN (VPN) - virtual private networks, are on everyone's lips today. Many inexperienced users imagine them as a magic key to access blocked web resources: press a button and the site opens. Beauty! Yes, unblocking sites is one of the VPN functions, the most popular, but far from the most important. The main purpose of virtual private networks is to protect data transmitted over the Internet from interception by people for whom the data is not intended.

Let's talk about what virtual private networks are, what functions they perform, where they are used and what their disadvantages are. We’ll also get acquainted with the capabilities of several popular VPN applications and browser extensions that can be used on both PCs and mobile devices.

To better understand the essence of VPN technology, let’s imagine the Internet as a network of roads along which postal vans carrying letters and parcels travel. They do not hide at all where they are going and what they are carrying. Letters and parcels sometimes get lost along the way and often fall into the wrong hands. Their sender and recipient cannot be 100% sure that the contents of the package will not be read, stolen or replaced by someone, since they do not control the delivery process. But they know that in terms of security, this method of transfer is not very reliable.

And then a closed tunnel appeared among the roads. The vans that pass along it are hidden from prying eyes. No one knows where the car goes after entering the tunnel, what it delivers or to whom. Only the sender and recipient of the correspondence know about this.

As you may have guessed, our imaginary tunnel is a virtual private network built on the basis of a larger network - the World Wide Web. The traffic passing through this tunnel is hidden from outsiders, including the provider. The provider, if anyone doesn’t know, under normal conditions (without a VPN) can track and control your actions on the Internet, since it sees what resources you visit. But if you “dive” into a VPN, it won’t be able to. In addition, information sent through such a channel becomes useless for lovers of other people's property - hackers, since it is encrypted. This is the essence of the technology and the simplified principle of VPN operation.

Where are VPNs used?

I hope it’s clear what this VPN is needed for. Now let's see where, how and what it is used for. So, you can’t do without a VPN:

• In corporate networks. Here it is necessary for the exchange of confidential data between employees or network resources of the company and clients. An example of the second case is managing accounts through applications such as bank client and mobile bank. VPNs are also used to solve technical problems - traffic separation, backup, etc.
• On public Wi-Fi networks, for example, in cafes. Such networks are open to everyone and traffic passing through them is very easy to intercept. Owners of open access points do not provide VPN services. The user himself must take care of the protection of information.
• To hide the web resources you visit, for example, from your boss or system administrator at work.
• To exchange secret information with other people if you do not trust a regular Internet connection.
• To access blocked sites.
• To maintain anonymity on the Internet.

Providing access to the World Wide Web via VPN is also widely used by Russian Internet providers when connecting subscribers.

Types of VPN

As you may know, the functioning of any computer network is subject to rules that are reflected in network protocols. A network protocol is a kind of set of standards and instructions that describes the conditions and procedure for exchanging data between participants in a connection (we are not talking about people, but about devices, operating systems and applications). VPN networks are distinguished by the type of protocols on which they operate and the technologies used to construct them.

PPTP

PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) is the oldest data transfer protocol in virtual private networks, it is already more than 20 years old. Due to the fact that it appeared a long time ago, it is known and supported by almost all existing operating systems. It places almost no load on the computing resources of the hardware and can be used even on very old computers. However, in current conditions, its security level is very low, that is, data transmitted over the PPTP channel is at risk of hacking. By the way, some Internet providers block applications that use this protocol.

L2TP

L2TP (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol) is also a fairly old protocol, created on the basis of PPTP and L2F technologies (the latter is specifically designed for tunneling PPTP messages). Provides a higher degree of traffic protection than just PPTP, as it allows you to set access priorities.

The L2TP protocol is still widely used today, but usually not in isolation, but in combination with other security technologies, such as IPSec.

IPSec

IPSec is a complex technology that uses many different protocols and standards. It is constantly being improved, so when used correctly it provides a fairly high level of communication security. Can be combined with other network connection security systems without causing conflicts. These are his strengths.

The disadvantages of IPSec are that it is labor-intensive to set up and is intended to be used only by trained specialists (if configured incorrectly, it will not provide any acceptable security). In addition, IPSec is quite demanding on the hardware resources of computing systems and can cause slowdowns on weak devices.

SSL and TLS

SSL and TLS are mainly used to securely transmit information on the Internet through web browsers. They protect confidential data of website visitors from interception - logins, passwords, correspondence, payment details entered when ordering goods and services, etc. Addresses of websites that support SSL begin with the HTTPS prefix.

A special case of using SSL/TLS technologies outside of web browsers is cross-platform OpenVPN software.

OpenVPN

OpenVPN is a free implementation of VPN technology designed to create secure communication channels between users of the Internet or local networks, client-server or point-to-point. In this case, one of the computers participating in the connection is designated as the server, the rest are connected as clients. Unlike the first three types of VPN, it requires the installation of special software.

OpenVPN allows you to create secure tunnels without changing the settings of your computer's main connection to the network. It is designed for experienced users, since its setup cannot be called simple.

MPLS

MPLS is a technology for multi-protocol data transmission from one node to another using special labels. A label is part of the packet’s service information (if you imagine the data being sent as a train, then the packet is one car). Labels are used to redirect traffic within an MPLS channel from device to device, while the rest of the contents of the packet headers (the same as the address on the letter) are kept secret.

To enhance the security of traffic transmitted over MPLS channels, IPSec is also often used.

These are not all the types of virtual private networks that exist today. The Internet and everything that comes into contact with it is in constant development. Accordingly, new VPN technologies are emerging.

Virtual Private Network Vulnerabilities

Vulnerabilities are gaps in the security of the VPN channel through which data can leak outside into the public network. Unfortunately, there is no absolutely impenetrable protection. Even a very well-built channel will not give you a 100% guarantee of anonymity. And this is not about hackers who break encryption algorithms, but about much more banal things. For example:

• If the connection to the VPN server is suddenly interrupted (and this happens often), but the connection to the Internet remains, some of the traffic will go to the public network. To prevent such leaks, VPN Reconnect (automatic reconnection) and Killswitch technologies (disconnecting the Internet when the connection to the VPN is lost) are used. The first is implemented in Windows, starting with the “seven”, the second is provided by third-party software, in particular, some paid VPN applications.
• When you try to open a website, your traffic is first sent to a DNS server, which determines the IP address of that website based on the address you entered. Otherwise the browser will not be able to load it. Requests to DNS servers (unencrypted, by the way) often go beyond the VPN channel, which breaks the mask of anonymity from the user. To avoid this situation, specify the DNS addresses provided by your VPN service in your Internet connection settings.

• Web browsers themselves, or more precisely, their components, for example, WebRTC, can create data leaks. This module is used for voice and video communication directly from the browser, and it does not allow the user to choose the network connection method themselves. Other Internet-facing applications may also use unsecured connections.
• VPN works on networks that are based on the IPv4 protocol. In addition to it, there is the IPv6 protocol, which is still at the implementation stage, but is already being used in some places. Modern operating systems, in particular Windows, Android and iOS, also support IPv6, even more - on many of them it is enabled by default. This means that a user, without knowing it, can connect to a public IPv6 network and his traffic will go outside the secure channel. To protect yourself from this, disable IPv6 support on your devices.

You can turn a blind eye to all these flaws if you use a VPN only to access blocked web resources. But if you need anonymity or security of your data while it's being transmitted over the network, it can cause you serious problems if you don't take additional security measures.

Using a VPN to bypass blocks and anonymize traffic

The Russian-speaking Internet audience most often uses VPNs precisely in order to freely visit blocked Internet resources and maintain anonymity on the Internet. Therefore, the bulk of free VPN applications and services are designed specifically for this. Let's get to know some of them better.

Opera VPN

The developers of the Opera browser were the first to implement the VPN module directly into the product itself, saving users from the hassle of searching for and configuring third-party extensions. The option is enabled in the browser settings - in the “Security” section.

Once enabled, the VPN icon appears in Opera's address bar. Clicking on it opens a settings window, including an on/off slider and a choice of virtual location.

The amount of traffic passed through Opera VPN has no restrictions, which is a plus. But the service also has a drawback - it only protects data that is transmitted via the HTTP and HTTPS protocols. Everything else goes through the open channel.

In Opera, as well as the Yandex browser, there is another function with similar capabilities. This is a turbo traffic compression mode. It doesn’t work together with a VPN, but it opens up access to blocked resources quite well.

Browsec browser extension and mobile app is one of the most famous VPN services. It supports all popular web browsers - Opera, Google Chrome, Firefox, Yandex, Safari, etc., provides fast and stable communication, does not require configuration, and has no limit. Users of the free version are offered a choice of 4 servers: in the UK, Singapore, USA and the Netherlands.

A paid Browsec subscription costs about 300 rubles per month. Users of this tariff receive higher connection speeds, technical support and a large selection of servers around the world, including Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Bulgaria, and Germany.

Hola

Hola is Browsec's main competitor and exists in the form of apps and browser extensions. Versions for Android, desktop systems and browsers work on the basis of peer-to-peer technologies (peer-to-peer network), where users themselves provide resources for each other. For personal, non-commercial use, access to them is provided free of charge. The choice of servers is quite large.

The iOS version of Hola is designed as a browser with an integrated VPN service. It is paid, costs about $5 per month. The trial period is 7 days.

Zenmate is the third most popular VPN service, released as an extension for Opera, Google Chrome, Firefox, Maxthon Cloud Browser (Mac OS X only) and some other browsers. And also in the form of mobile applications for Android and iOS. When using free, the speed limit is noticeable, and the choice of servers is very small. However, all traffic passing through the Zenmate VPN channel is securely encrypted.

Users who purchase premium access have a choice of more than 30 servers around the world. Plus, connection acceleration is enabled for them. Subscription prices start from 175 to 299 rubles per month.

Like other similar services, Zenmate does not need to be configured - just install and run. Working with it is intuitive, especially since the interface supports the Russian language.

Tunnelbear is another user-friendly VPN for different devices - PCs running Windows, Linux and OS X, smartphones running Android and iOS. Available in the form of applications (both mobile and desktop) and browser extensions. It has a very useful function of blocking traffic when the VPN connection is lost, which prevents data leakage into the open network. By default, it selects the optimal communication channel taking into account the user's location.

The features of the free versions of Tunnelbear are no different from the paid ones, except for one thing - limiting the amount of traffic to 500 Mb per month. On a phone this may be enough if you don’t watch movies online, but on a computer it’s unlikely.

Neither the paid nor free versions of Tunnelbear collect any user data. You simply press a single button and gain access.

HideMy.name

HideMy.name is a reliable and relatively inexpensive paid VPN service. Provides consistently high connection speeds even when watching online videos in HD quality and playing online games. It protects traffic well from interception and provides complete anonymity on the network. NideMy.name servers are located in 43 countries and 68 cities around the world.

HideMy.name supports any device that can connect to the Internet: not only phones and computers, but also routers, set-top boxes, SmartTV, etc. With one subscription, you can use the service on all devices simultaneously.

HideMy.name applications are available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS and Android. As said, they all cost money, but you can only pay for the days you use the VPN. The cost of a daily subscription is 49 rubles. License for 1 year - 1690 rubles. The free trial period is 1 day.

is a long-standing VPN application, one of the few that has always provided services for free and without restrictions on the amount of traffic. The limit of 500 Mb per day for “free” use appeared relatively recently. Also, “free” users have access to only one VPN server, which is located in the USA, so the communication speed through Hotspot Shield is not very high.

A paid VPN Hotspot Shield subscription costs $6-16 per month.

Today, popular questions about VPN are what it is, what its features are, and how best to set up a VPN. The thing is that not everyone knows the essence of the technology itself, when it may be needed.

Even from the financial and profit side, setting up a VPN is a profitable business for which you can earn easy money.
It would be good to explain to the user what a VPN is and how best to configure it on Win 7 and 10.

1. Basics

This is how the devices are physically connected to each other. But practice has shown that this is not necessary.

A VPN is configured specifically to avoid the use of wires, cables and other interfering devices.

Local devices are connected to each other not through cables, but through Wi-FI, GPS, Bluetooth and other devices.
Virtual networks are most often a standard Internet connection. Of course, it’s not easy to gain access to devices, because everywhere there are levels of identification aimed at avoiding hacking and ill-wishers in the VPN Network.

2. A few words about the VPN structure

A computer or device connected to a VPN must have all the data for authorization and so-called authentication, that is, a special, usually one-time, password or other means that could help complete the procedure.

This process is not particularly important to us. Experts are creating more and more powerful and serious methods of authorization on servers.

To find yourself in such a network, you must know the following at the entrance:
1. Name, PC name for example, or other login used to authenticate yourself on the network;
2. Password, if one is set, to complete authorization.
Also, a computer that wants to connect to another VPN network “carries” all the authorization data. The server will enter this data into its database. After registering your PC in the database, you will no longer need the above-mentioned data.

3. VPNs and their classification

Let's try to figure it out in more detail.
- DEGREE OF PROTECTION. Networks selected according to this criterion:
1. Fully protected – these are initially protected networks;
2. Protected “trust” - less secure networks, used in cases where the original or “parent” network is reliable.
- IMPLEMENTATION. Methods of implementation. Networks selected according to this criterion:
1. Combined and program methods;
2. Hardware method - using real devices.
- PURPOSE. VPNs selected based on this criterion:
1. Intranet – used most often in companies where several branches need to be united;
2. Extranet – used specifically for organizing networks in which there are various participants, as well as company clients;
3. Access (Remote Access) is the organization of VPN networks where there are so-called remote branches.
- BY PROTOCOL. Implementation of VPN Networks is possible using the AppleTalk and IPX protocols, but in reality I use TCP/IP most often and more efficiently. The reason is the popularity of this protocol in major networks.
- WORK LEVEL. OSI is preferred here, but a VPN can only operate at the data link, network and transport layers.
Of course, in practice, one network can include several features at the same time. Let's move on to the points about directly setting up a VPN network using your PC or laptop.

4. How to set up a VPN network (virtual network)

If the connection was made to an already functioning network, it is best to ask the administrator of this network for information. Usually this procedure does not take much time. Enter the data in the provided fields.
8. In the same box, put a tick to “ Don't connect now...", and then we move on to " Further».

If this is the first connection to the network, then new data will have to be created, after checking it with the server, you will be allowed into the network and use it.

If the connection is not primary, then the server will not check your data and will directly connect you to the desired network.

10. After entering the required data, click on “ To plug».

Setting up a VPN on Windows 7 completed.

Let's move on to setting up a VPN on Windows 10, the algorithm and actions there are almost the same. The only difference is in some interface elements and access to them.

So, for example, to get to the “Network and Sharing Center” you need to do everything the same as on Windows 7, in addition, there is a special item “ Creating and setting up a new connection or...».
Further, the setup is done in the same way as on Windows 7, only the interface will be slightly different.

5. Setting up a VPN on Android

A program window that will prompt you to create a VPN network on Android.