VPNs, or virtual private networks, are everywhere. If you’ve spent any time on YouTube, you’ve seen an ad selling a VPN. there have literally been hundreds and thousands.
We test and review VPNs so you don’t have to – but what is a VPN? The pitch is simple enough: A VPN can mask your IP address and device identity by routing your traffic through a remote server. Sites and services will see a different IP address than yours, and your internet service provider will only be able to see that you are connected to the VPN server, rather than the sites you visit. This means that a VPN can be an important tool for keeping your data private and secure, especially if you need to connect to an unsecured network. If you’re on public WiFi, for example, you can’t be sure what they’re watching while you’re surfing the web. With a VPN, there is an extra layer of privacy – as long as you can trust the VPN provider. But a VPN shouldn’t be the end of your security journey. Complex passwords, multi-factor authentication, and other security basics should be at a higher level your checklist.
Another much-touted feature of VPNs is bypassing the geoblocking techniques companies use to prevent you from accessing certain content. Because you’re connected to a remote server, a VPN can effectively change your location, allowing you to watch or watch Netflix content from another country, for example. Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer for the UK only. If you’re in the EU, it may allow you to access sites blocked by the region’s strict data protection rules. VPNs have even been used in the past political skirt firewalls censor online access.
With many VPN manufacturers making sweeping claims about military-grade encryption, digital invisibility, and lightning-fast speeds, it’s hard to know what’s true and what’s marketing hype. That’s why Engadget started evaluating VPNs in 2023, taking into account a number of factors such as security, speed, latency, usage limits and price. And while we don’t expect to ramp up to more VPN trials until 2025, our the best VPN guide will continue to be the mainstay of our coverage. In the meantime, this is our current VPN testing methodology.
Background checks
Before you install or sign up for a service, our work begins with researching the lineage of each product. We refer to publicly available privacy policies, transparency reports and security audits and note the security features of each service. We also look at each company’s history of security incidents, such as data breaches. We at Consumer Reports, VPNalyzer and others while looking at security features.
Installation
The next step in our review process is to take a closer look at what it’s like to set up a VPN. This involves looking at the different platforms each VPN supports, from specific web browsers to Smart TVs, to better understand how it can be used. We also try to see how easy it is to get started with a new VPN. Some will automatically connect to a secure server every time you use your device, while others will skip you to log in. We try to understand how user-friendly and intuitive these VPNs can be.
Restrictions on use
While many VPN providers promise that their services work on every device, there is often a small print to consider. We scan the terms of service for each of the company’s plans to understand what they offer. Is there a limit to the number of devices a user can connect to at the same time? Is there a “fair use” limit that kicks in after a certain amount of traffic? Are advanced features multi-hop connections only limited to the most premium plans? We look into it all so you don’t have to. We also perform many of our more specific tests, which allow us to verify companies’ claims about simultaneous use of the device.
Speed and delay
The first step in testing speed and latency is to determine your connection’s baseline before connecting to a VPN. Then we use the “fast connection” feature in VPN apps to connect to the “fastest” provider available when checking internet speed. Once connected, we run internet speed tests by Ookla and ping tests by meter.net. When transmitting these results, we will record the average speed and ping for these results, as well as the difference between that average and our baseline when not connected to a VPN.
Geoblocking
We test all VPNs from within the US. To verify that the service can effectively avoid geoblocking, we connect to a Canada-based server and attempt to access content on Netflix that is only available to users in that country. Next, we connect to a server in Hong Kong to try to watch live news broadcasts on the YouTube channel. Finally, we do a game test by playing on servers in the United Kingdom. We’re not only looking to see if we’re accessing the same content from all these servers, but also to check for lag or any other headaches you might experience while using something.
Checking for leaks
A DNS leak occurs when your device sends an unencrypted DNS request to your ISP’s DNS servers outside the encrypted tunnel of your VPN service. This effectively eliminates VPN use in the first place by allowing third parties to see and potentially track your browsing activity and IP address.
WebRTC leaking is a problem that can occur in modern web browsers and can likewise expose your private IP address to the website you are visiting. Although you can prevent this by configuring your browser not to send such data, a VPN should be able to prevent this from happening.
To check for both of these issues, we use publicly available tools like NordVPN’s IP address lookup tool and ExpressVPN’s leak tests before and after connecting to the VPN to make sure there are no glitches.
