VPN KNOWLEDGE BASE
The VPNmine blog, page 2
PRIVACY AND LAWWhat your employer can see on a work laptopA personal VPN does almost nothing on a managed device. What monitoring actually runs on a work laptop, and where the tunnel is irrelevant.
PROTOCOLSHow VPNs get past deep packet inspectionObfuscation makes a tunnel look like something else. How DPI identifies a VPN, what the common obfuscation layers do, and what they cost.
TROUBLESHOOTINGVPN blocked on a school or office network: what is happeningManaged networks block VPNs by port, protocol fingerprint and DNS. What each method looks like from your side, and what is and is not reasonable to do.
SETUP GUIDESAndroid VPN settings: always-on, per-app and blocked connectionsAndroid's built-in VPN controls explained: always-on VPN, block connections without VPN, per-app routing, and which app settings they override.
SECURITYSharing a device: what a VPN does and does not isolateA VPN is a network setting, not a user boundary. On a shared computer or a family tablet, it protects everyone identically and separates nobody.
SERVER LOCATIONSLatency from South Asia: which server to pickTraffic from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka often routes through Singapore or Mumbai. Why the nearest flag is frequently not the fastest exit.
STREAMINGBuffering with a VPN on: is the VPN the cause?Usually not. Streaming needs less bandwidth than people think, and buffering is more often jitter, Wi-Fi or a congested exit than raw throughput.
SPEEDRouter VPN throughput and why CPU is the ceilingA router that routes a gigabit may manage 80 Mbps through a tunnel. The reason is hardware offload that encrypted traffic cannot use.
LEAKS AND TESTINGHow accurate is IP geolocation?Country is usually right, city is often wrong, and mobile is worse. Why the databases behave this way and what accuracy to expect.
PRIVACY AND LAWCan your ISP see you are using a VPN?Yes, almost always. Your provider cannot read the traffic but can see that an encrypted tunnel exists, where it goes, and how much moves through it.
PROTOCOLSSplit tunnelling explainedSplit tunnelling sends some traffic through the VPN and some around it. The two models behave very differently, and picking the wrong one leaks quietly.
TROUBLESHOOTINGFixing DNS leaks on AndroidAndroid's Private DNS setting overrides the VPN's resolver system-wide. That is the usual cause of an Android DNS leak, and it is one switch away.
SETUP GUIDESHow to set up WireGuard on LinuxSet up WireGuard on Linux with wg-quick: install, drop in the config, bring the interface up, and make it survive a reboot. With the DNS and MTU gotchas.
SECURITYCorporate VPN versus consumer VPNThey share a name and run in opposite directions. One brings you into a network so it can inspect your traffic; the other takes you out of one.
SERVER LOCATIONSConnecting to a Netherlands VPN serverAmsterdam is one of Europe's biggest exchanges with an enormous hosting industry, and Dutch bulk retention was struck down in 2015.
STREAMINGWhat streaming terms of service actually say about VPNsMost terms require access from your registered country and ban tools that misrepresent location. What that means, and what enforcement really looks like.
SPEEDBandwidth needed for 4K over a VPN4K needs about 25 Mbps. A tunnel costs 10 to 30 percent, so a 50 Mbps line still clears it comfortably. Buffering is usually not a bandwidth problem.
LEAKS AND TESTINGWhat your IP address actually revealsAn IP address gives away your provider, your rough location and a way to link sessions. It does not give away your name, and it is not nothing.
PRIVACY AND LAWIs using a VPN legal?VPNs are legal in most countries and restricted in a handful. What the restrictions actually say, and why what you do through one matters more.
PROTOCOLSWhat a VPN kill switch actually doesA kill switch is a firewall rule that drops traffic outside the tunnel. What that protects, what it cannot protect, and the two places it is implemented.
TROUBLESHOOTINGFixing DNS leaks on WindowsWindows asks every network interface to resolve names at once. That is documented behaviour, it leaks your browsing to your ISP, and there are two fixes.
SETUP GUIDESHow to set up a VPN on macOSInstall a VPN on macOS, approve the system extension, and set up the DNS and login behaviour that keeps the tunnel up without babysitting it.
SECURITYRouter DNS hijackingChanging a router's DNS settings redirects an entire household silently. How the attack works, how to check yours, and what a VPN does about it.
SERVER LOCATIONSConnecting to a Japan VPN serverJapan has excellent domestic fibre, dense Pacific cable landings and no general retention mandate. What a Japanese exit is actually good for.