Guides
Setup, fixes, and how it actually works
Short, specific, and dated at the top so you know the steps still match the app.
Start here
What is a VPN, and what does it actually hide?
Explainers · 6 minVPN protocols explained, and when to change yours
Security · 5 minVPN kill switches, and how to find out whether yours works
Legality
How-to
How to cancel a VPN subscription, and actually get the refund
Where to cancel depending on where you bought it, how the App Store and Google Play refund processes differ from the provider's
8 minHow to set up a VPN on your router
Which routers can run a VPN, how to install one on ASUS, GL.iNet and OpenWrt, how much speed it costs, and how to route only some devices through the tunnel.
7 minHow to choose a VPN
A buying guide in the order that actually matters: who owns it, has anyone audited it, what does it cost after renewal, and does it do the specific job you need.
6 minHow to set up a VPN on your iPhone
Three ways to set up a VPN on iPhone or iPad: the provider app, a manual IKEv2 or WireGuard profile, and the on-demand rules that keep it connected.
Security
VPN kill switches, and how to find out whether yours works
The difference between a reactive kill switch and a firewall-level one, why the gap matters for torrenting, and how to test the switch you have in about two minutes.
6 minHow to fix a DNS leak
What a DNS leak is, why Windows causes most of them, how to confirm one from a terminal, and the exact setting to change on each platform so your queries go through the
Explainers
VPN protocols explained, and when to change yours
WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 and the proprietary protocols compared on speed, battery, reconnect time and censorship resistance
7 minWhat is a VPN, and what does it actually hide?
A plain explanation of what a VPN does, what it hides from whom, the four things it cannot protect you from, and how to decide whether you need one at all.
Fixes
VPN not connecting? Work through these in order
A VPN that will not connect, connects and drops, or connects with no internet: the nine causes in order of likelihood, with the fix for each on Windows, Mac
6 minWhy your VPN is slow, and how to fix it
How much speed a VPN should cost you, how to measure it properly with the tunnel off and on, and the five causes of a genuinely slow connection in the order worth trying.