Guides
A VPN is only as useful as your understanding of it. Our guides explain how VPNs work and how to get the most from yours: choosing the right protocol, setting up apps on every device, fixing streaming or speed problems, and understanding what a VPN can — and can't — protect.
We keep the guides practical and jargon-light, with clear steps and honest caveats. Topics range from beginner basics (what a VPN does, how to pick one) to specific how-tos (unblocking streaming libraries, using a VPN on a router or smart TV, staying safe on public Wi-Fi, and what "no-logs" really means).
Whether you've just installed your first VPN or want to fine-tune an advanced setup, these guides will help. Below you'll find our VPN how-tos and explainers.
Split tunneling: useful everyday scenarios, security trade-offs, and setup questions
Split tunnelling lets you send some apps through the VPN and the rest over your normal connection. We cover the everyday scenarios where that genuinely helps, the security cost of every app you route outside the tunnel, and the setup questions to answer before turning it on.
How Your ISP Tracks You — and What a VPN Actually Fixes
Your ISP sits between you and the whole internet, giving it a view no app has - and HTTPS doesn't hide the metadata (which sites, when, how much). What your ISP can actually see, the new Wi-Fi-sensing router angle, and where a VPN genuinely helps (and honestly where it doesn't).
VPN kill switches explained: what they protect, how to test one safely, and common limitations
A kill switch blocks your internet the moment the VPN tunnel drops, so your real IP and traffic never leak by accident. We explain exactly what it protects, how to test one without exposing yourself, and the reboot, sleep and app-level gaps that catch people out.
Hide My Email, VPNs and Private Browsing: How Privacy Tools Fit Together
Apple is making Hide My Email aliases easier to spot and block. It is a useful hook into a bigger question: how email masking, private browsing, and VPNs each protect a different privacy layer.
Can a VPN Protect You From Password Leaks? The Honest Answer
A VPN encrypts your traffic and hides your IP, but it does not fix stolen passwords or remove infostealer malware. Here is exactly what a VPN covers when credentials leak.
VPN Myths: 12 Things a VPN Cannot Protect You From
Believing a VPN makes you invincible is its own risk. Here are twelve things a VPN cannot protect you from, malware, phishing, weak passwords, tracking, scams, and more, and what actually does the job instead.
How to Access Grok 4.5 Securely With a VPN (EU & Travelers)
SpaceXAI's Grok 4.5 has launched — an Opus-class model for coding, agents and knowledge work — but it isn't available in the EU yet. Here's how to keep secure access to Grok 4.5 while travelling, what to look for in a VPN, and why NordVPN fits.
Trackers Aren't Just in Your Browser — They're in Your Inbox and Apps Too
Apple's Safari ad put trackers in the spotlight, but the browser is only one layer. Trackers also live in your apps and your inbox. Here's the full tracking picture — and how Proton VPN's NetShield and Proton Mail's pixel blocking close the gaps.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter-Finals: Fixtures, Free Broadcasters and How to Stream From Anywhere
The World Cup 2026 reaches the last eight from July 9 to July 12, with France-Morocco, Spain-Belgium, Norway-England and Argentina-Switzerland deciding the semi-final places. Many of these games are free-to-air on public broadcasters like ITV, BBC, RTVE and SBS -- but only if you are in the right country. Here is the full quarter-final line-up, where to watch each match for free, and how a VPN lets you reach your home stream while travelling.
Kill Switch, Split Tunneling, Meshnet, and Multi-Hop Explained
VPN apps bury useful features behind technical names. We explain kill switch, split tunnelling, multi-hop, and Meshnet in plain English, the problem each one solves, and exactly when it is worth turning on.
VPN vs Antivirus vs Password Manager: Which Tool Do You Need?
These three are not interchangeable. A VPN guards your connection, antivirus your device, a password manager your accounts, and their blind spots barely overlap. We clarify what each protects and why a VPN is not a security suite.
What Is a No-Logs VPN Audit?
Every VPN claims no logs; an audit is what makes the claim checkable. We explain what auditors examine, who performs them, their real limitations, and the trust signals (RAM-only servers, transparency reports) that back them up.
WireGuard vs OpenVPN vs IKEv2: VPN Protocols Explained
Your VPN protocol decides speed, battery life, and stability. We compare WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPsec on speed, compatibility, firewall evasion, and network switching, so you know which to pick and when.
What Does a VPN Actually Hide?
A VPN does not make you invisible. We lay out exactly what it hides (your traffic and IP from your ISP and websites) and what it does not (logins, cookies, fingerprinting, malware), with a simple mental model.
How to Cancel a VPN Subscription and Avoid Auto-Renewal
VPN subscriptions renew quietly, often at a higher rate. We show where billing actually lives (often the app store, not the app), how to stop auto-renewal, handle trials, claim refunds, and delete your account cleanly.
Best VPN for Streaming Summer Sports in 2026: Wimbledon, UFC 329, Tour de France
July 2026's biggest live sport — Wimbledon finals, UFC 329, the Tour de France and more — and an honest guide to streaming it securely with a VPN, plus why IPVanish suits a multi-device household.
How to Set Up a VPN on a Router
A router VPN protects every device in your home, including TVs and consoles that cannot run an app. We cover compatible routers, firmware, WireGuard vs OpenVPN, speed loss, and troubleshooting when it will not connect.
How to Use a VPN Safely on Public Wi-Fi
Airport, hotel and cafe Wi-Fi are the networks a VPN was built for. Here are the practical steps: setup before you travel, verifying network names, the kill switch and auto-connect, plus safe banking and work email on the road.
How to Test If Your VPN Is Working
A VPN that says connected can still leak your IP, DNS, or traffic. Run these free checks in minutes: IP change, DNS and WebRTC leaks, kill switch, IPv6, speed, and streaming. Know you are protected, do not assume it.
How to Choose a VPN Without Falling for Marketing Claims
Every VPN claims to be fastest and most private. We replace claims with checks: independent no-logs audits, jurisdiction, modern protocols, real speed tests, apps, renewal price, and refund policy. Seven steps to the right VPN.
VPNs and AI Privacy: Should You Use a VPN With ChatGPT, Gemini, or AI Apps?
A VPN hides your connection and location from AI services, but not your account or the contents of your prompts. We explain exactly what a VPN does and does not do for AI privacy, and the settings that matter more.
VPNs for Travel: Public Wi-Fi, Streaming, Banking, and App Access Abroad
A VPN is built for travel: hotel and airport Wi-Fi, streaming your home library, banking safely, and keeping apps working abroad. Here are the four jobs a travel VPN does well and the realistic limits of each.
Essential Apps for Your New Fire TV Stick (Stream Safely in 2026)
New Firestick from Prime Day? Here is the quick setup, the essential apps worth installing, and how to stream safely from day one — starting with a VPN so every app you add stays private.
Got a Fire TV Stick on Prime Day? Why You Need a VPN (and How to Set It Up)
Fire TV devices hit record-low prices on Prime Day. A VPN stops ISP throttling, keeps your streaming private, and installs in minutes — and IPVanish has a native Fire TV app with unlimited devices. Here is the full setup.
Bought New Tech on Prime Day? Set Up a VPN First (2026 Guide)
New laptops, phones and gadgets are top Prime Day buys — and each one is exposed the moment it connects. Here is why a VPN should be the first thing you set up, and how an unlimited-device plan protects your whole Prime Day haul at once.