Practical VPN guides

Understand what a subscription buys and how your device’s settings change the connection.

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A browser sends a DNS query containing a domain name to a resolver, which replies to the browser with the IP address. Three interpretation cards ask for the resolver IP, network owner and reported location. Compare the resolver with the VPN DNS configuration; a third-party resolver is not automatically a leak.

How to run and interpret a DNS leak test

Compare results with the route and resolver you intended to use. An unfamiliar resolver name is a reason to investigate, not automatic proof that every connection is leaking.

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Two parallel question sheets compare free and paid VPN plans. They cover funding or billing, data or renewal terms, server locations, device allowances and privacy terms, without claiming either plan type is automatically secure or private.

Guides

Free vs paid VPN: what are you giving up?

A free plan can fit limited needs, but check its limits and business model. Paying for a VPN does not by itself prove privacy, performance or good value.

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Two routing diagrams show VPN traffic passing while the tunnel is active. When the tunnel fails, a kill-switch barrier at the device blocks traffic before it can leave unprotected. App and operating-system behavior may vary.

Guides

VPN kill switch: what gets blocked, and when?

A kill switch controls connectivity when a VPN is unavailable. Check unexpected drops, manual disconnects and app exit separately; the feature name alone is not enough.

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Monthly billing is shown as repeated calendar payments. An explicitly hypothetical upfront example shows $60 paid today for 24 months, equivalent to $2.50 per month. It advises checking the total, plan length and renewal terms.

Guides

VPN refunds, cancellation and auto-renewal

Stopping the next renewal and seeking a refund of an existing payment are separate actions. Start with the provider’s current terms and your purchase channel.

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A laptop, phone and television connect through a local network to a router running a VPN client. The encrypted VPN tunnel starts at the router and ends at the VPN server. Setup steps are checking compatibility, adding the configuration and testing connected devices.

Guides

Using a VPN on a router: what to check first

Your router needs a supported VPN client configuration. A VPN-server feature alone does not establish that it can connect to a commercial VPN provider.

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App A is selected for a VPN tunnel and reaches the internet through a VPN server. App B bypasses the VPN and uses the ordinary internet connection and public IP address. The apps are illustrative.

Guides

VPN split tunneling: choose which traffic uses the VPN

Split tunneling sends selected traffic through the VPN and other traffic directly. Apps, websites, IP addresses and subnets are different rule types.

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Guides

How much does a VPN cost?

Start with the full payment and the billing interval. A cheap monthly equivalent may require years of payment upfront and can change sharply at renewal.

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A device connects to a VPN server through an encrypted VPN tunnel. HTTPS continues from the device through the VPN server to the HTTPS website; VPN encryption ends at the VPN server.

Guides

What is a VPN, and do you need one?

A VPN creates an encrypted connection to a VPN server and changes the route of covered traffic. It does not make signed-in browsing anonymous or replace HTTPS.

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