GUIDES
VPN setup and troubleshooting guides
Two kinds of guide. How to set a VPN up on a given device, covering every platform VPNmine runs on and several it does not; and how to fix it when it stops working, organised by the symptom or error you see. Each guide links to the VPNmine page for that device, and the device pages carry the install steps themselves.
Install VPNmine on your device
Each page carries the install steps for that device, what the operating system will show, and the questions people ask about it. Devices VPNmine has no build for say so and explain what works instead.
The download hub
Setup guides
These guides cover installing and connecting a VPN on a specific device, including the ones most providers skip: Android TV, Apple TV, consoles, routers and Chromebooks. Each one lists the real steps, the permission prompts the operating system will show, and what to do when a device has no VPN app at all.
VPN on a Chromebook: three ways, rankedChromeOS supports Android VPN apps, a built-in WireGuard client and Chrome extensions. What each one covers, and which to pick for your device.
VPN on PlayStation, Xbox and Switch: how it actually worksNo console runs a VPN app. The three ways to tunnel one anyway, what each costs in latency, and why a VPN will not change your store region.
How to use a VPN on Steam DeckSteam Deck runs Arch Linux, so it takes a WireGuard config directly. Import it in desktop mode with NetworkManager and it works in game mode too.
Running a VPN on your router, and when not toA router VPN covers every device, including ones that cannot run apps. It also caps your speed and gives the whole house one exit country.
Setting up a VPN extension in FirefoxInstall and configure a VPN proxy extension in Firefox, then close the three leaks Firefox has by default: DNS, WebRTC and container isolation.
VPN browser extension vs VPN app: what an extension cannot doA VPN extension is a proxy inside one browser. A VPN app is a system tunnel. The difference decides what is protected and what quietly is not.
How to set up a VPN on iPhone and iPadInstall a VPN on iOS, approve the configuration prompt, and use on-demand rules so the tunnel comes up by itself on untrusted Wi-Fi.
Android 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.
How 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.
How 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.
How to set up a VPN on Windows 11Set up a VPN on Windows 11 with an app or the built-in client, plus the DNS and routing settings that stop Windows leaking around the tunnel.
Using a VPN on a smart TV that has no VPN appSamsung and LG TVs cannot run VPN apps. Four ways to route one through anyway, what each costs in speed, and which one to pick.
How to install a VPN on a Fire TV StickFire OS is Android underneath, so a Fire TV Stick runs real VPN apps. Install from the Amazon Appstore, or sideload with Downloader or adb.
Does Apple TV support VPN apps? What tvOS 17 changedApple TV blocked third-party VPN apps until tvOS 17. Here is what changed, what still is not possible, and how to tell which era a guide was written in.
How to set up a VPN on Apple TVApple TV has run real VPN apps since tvOS 17. Install one from the App Store, or route the box through a router when your provider has no tvOS build.
How to set up a VPN on Android TV or Google TVInstall a VPN on Android TV, Google TV, Chromecast or an NVIDIA Shield: the Play Store route, the sideload route, and what to do when neither works.
When it does not work
Every article here starts from a symptom or an exact error string and works back to the cause. They cover tunnels that connect but pass no traffic, handshakes that never complete, captive portals, blocked networks, kill switches that leak and connections that only fail on mobile data.
IPv6 leaks: how they happen and how to close themA tunnel that carries only IPv4 leaves every IPv6 site outside it. Why that leaks silently, how to test for it, and the two ways to close it.
VPN causing packet loss in games: causes and fixesA tunnel adds latency by design and should not add loss. When games stutter with a VPN on, the cause is usually MTU, NAT type or a congested exit.
macOS VPN problems: extensions, profiles and permissionsA VPN that installs on macOS and silently fails is usually an unapproved system extension. The four permission and profile faults, and how to clear each.
Android's "blocked connections" notification explainedAndroid showing blocked connections is the VPN lockdown setting doing its job. What triggers it, why the phone has no network, and how to clear it.
Kill switch on, traffic still leaked: why it happensA kill switch has three failure modes: it starts too late, it only covers some traffic, or the tunnel never actually went down. What each looks like.
Streaming proxy errors: what the codes actually meanA streaming service saying it detected a proxy is reporting an address reputation match, not a decrypted tunnel. What the error means and what it does not.
VPN works on Wi-Fi but not on mobile dataA tunnel that only fails on cellular usually meets carrier-grade NAT, IPv6-only networks or UDP filtering. How to tell which, and what fixes each.
VPN 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.
Fixing 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.
Fixing 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.
Why your VPN is slow, in five checksA slow VPN is usually distance, server load, MTU, protocol or your own line. Five measurements that identify which, in about ten minutes.
VPN will not connect on public Wi-Fi: captive portals explainedHotel and airport Wi-Fi blocks the VPN until you sign in, and auto-connect makes it worse. How the portal works and the order that gets you online.
"TLS handshake failed": the OpenVPN error explainedOpenVPN's TLS key negotiation timeout has five common causes. What the log lines mean and which fix belongs to which.
"Handshake did not complete": what the WireGuard error meansWireGuard's handshake error has four causes: blocked UDP, a wrong key, a stale endpoint or a clock that is badly off. How to tell which.
Why your VPN keeps disconnecting, and how to stop itA VPN that drops every few minutes has one of seven causes. How to tell which, from what the connection was doing when it dropped.
VPN connected but no internet: nine causes and how to fix eachYour VPN says connected but nothing loads. The nine real causes, in the order worth checking, with the fix and the test for each one.
Still stuck? Support says what to include so the first reply is the useful one. Everything else the blog covers is at the blog.