What is a VPN, in plain words
A VPN explained for people who don't want to study protocols: the tunnel, entry and exit, what the provider and sites see, how a VPN differs from a proxy and from incognito mode.
Picture a burrow. You go in in Moscow and surface in Amsterdam. Everything you do online passes through this burrow. That's a VPN.
Who sees what
- The provider sees that you're connected to a server in Moscow and that something is flowing over that connection. What exactly, it can't see.
- Sites see the exit address in Europe and think you're there.
- The VPN service sees where you go, if it chooses to look. That's why it matters whom you trust with the burrow. We don't look.
VPN vs proxy
A proxy is the same idea, but for one program, usually the browser. A VPN takes the whole device. Surok has both: browser extensions and apps for everything.
VPN vs incognito
Incognito mode in the browser just doesn't save history on your computer. The provider and sites see you the same way. A VPN changes what they see, not what you remember.
Is it legal
Using a VPN in Russia is not prohibited. What's prohibited is using it for things that are prohibited without a VPN too.
Does a VPN slow the internet
A little: the traffic travels further. But often a VPN actually speeds things up, because it removes artificial throttling of particular services. Our exit is chosen automatically by the fastest response.
How to try
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