404 VPN Blog: VPN guides, privacy and fixes

How to Check If Your Password Was Leaked, Safely

Check a password for leaks without sending it anywhere: five hash characters leave your browser, nothing else. What to change first if it turns up.

Privacy

Photo Metadata: What Your Photos Reveal and How to Remove It

EXIF data holds the exact location, camera serial and time to the second. How to view it, remove location from a photo and stop your phone writing it.

How Much Mobile Data Do I Need Per Month? Calculator Inside

Video decides it: SD, HD and 4K differ a lot per hour. Estimate your month from what you actually do, with our calculator, and see what a VPN adds.

VPN on iPhone Won't Turn Off? Find the Profile

An iPhone VPN that switches itself back on is one of four profiles. A two-minute diagnosis to find which, how to stop it, and how to remove it for good.

VPN Not Working in China? Fix It by Symptom, Step by Step

VPN not working in China? Usually a recognized protocol, an app never installed, or a bad day. Each symptom, the fixes in order, and when to use roaming.

eSIM Not Working in China? Six Checks, in Order

Your eSIM shows no data after landing in China. What to check first, which setting fails silently, and how to tell a carrier block from a phone setting.

Why Does My VPN Keep Disconnecting? 8 Causes and Fixes

A VPN that drops every few minutes has a specific cause: battery optimization, a network switch, an idle timeout or a crowded server. Eight, in order.

What Internet Speed Do I Need? Streaming, Calls, Games

How many megabits HD and 4K video, video calls, games and downloads take, how to add it up for a household, and how to check your real speed.

VPN Not Working on Wi-Fi but Works on Data? 9 Fixes

When a VPN connects on mobile data but fails on one Wi-Fi network, the network is breaking the tunnel. Nine causes, from captive portals to MTU and DNS.

Is My DNS Leaking? How to Check in Two Minutes and Fix It

A DNS leak means your VPN is on but your ISP still sees every site you visit. How to test for it, why it happens on each system, and how to fix it.

How to Test Internet Speed: Download, Ping, Jitter Explained

How to test speed in ten seconds from your browser, what download, ping and jitter mean, why tests disagree, and how to compare with and without a VPN.

Does a VPN Use More Data? How Much, and 6 Ways to Cut It

A VPN adds a few percent of overhead, not double. Where the extra comes from, how to measure it on iPhone and Android, and six ways to cut usage.

Does a VPN Slow Down Your Internet? Why, and How to Fix It

A VPN adds encryption and a detour, so some slowdown is normal. Where the speed really goes, when a VPN can be faster, and a checklist for fixing it.

Does a VPN Drain Your Phone's Battery?

A VPN uses power for encryption and for keeping the tunnel alive, but on a modern phone it is a small share. What drains it, and what settings help.

Setup by device

Setup

VPN for China on a Laptop: Windows and Mac Before You Fly

Hotel Wi-Fi in China is Chinese internet. Which clients take a plain key on Windows and macOS, system-wide vs browser-only, and what to test at home.

Setup

VPN for China on iPhone: Set It Up Before You Fly

What to prepare before the flight and what to fix after landing: profiles, Connect On Demand, the eSIM data line, Private Relay, and the order to check.

What Is VPN on iPhone and Should It Be On or Off?

What the VPN entry in iPhone Settings means, what "Add VPN Configuration" grants, whether to leave it on, and how to remove one you did not add.

VPN on a Smart TV: Samsung, LG, Android TV, Apple TV

Android TV and Apple TV have VPN apps; Samsung and LG do not. How to connect each, what to watch for with speed and DNS, and how to confirm it works.

VPN on Router vs VPN App on Each Device: Which Is Better?

A VPN on the router protects every device but costs speed. An app on each device is faster and more precise. How to decide, and when to use both.

How to Set Up WireGuard on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android

WireGuard is a ten-line config and a QR code. What each line means, clients for every platform, the two Windows gotchas, and why handshakes fail.

How to Set Up a VPN on Android So It Stays On

Installing the app takes a minute; surviving battery optimization takes three more settings. Always-on VPN, Private DNS, split tunneling and a leak check.

How to Secure Your Home Wi-Fi: 10 Settings, 15 Minutes

Admin password, WPA3, disable WPS and UPnP, guest network for smart devices, firmware, DNS. A fifteen-minute checklist that needs no new hardware.

Protocols and how it works

What Is a VPN Server and How Does It Work?

A VPN server is the machine your tunnel ends at. What it does with your traffic, what it necessarily sees, and why its location decides your speed.

WireGuard vs Tailscale: Same Engine, Very Different Car

WireGuard vs Tailscale: Tailscale runs on WireGuard and adds keys, NAT traversal and identity. What each is for and how to pick.

VPN vs ZTNA: Is the Corporate VPN Dead? Minus the Buzzwords

VPN vs ZTNA in plain language: one puts your device on the network, the other lets you into one app at a time. Where each breaks and what changes for you.

VPN vs VPS: Why Nerds Roll Their Own, and Whether You Should

VPN vs VPS: a server you run versus a service someone runs for you. What rolling your own buys, what it costs, and who is better off with which.

Setup

Home VPN: Access Your Home Network From Anywhere

How to VPN into your home network from anywhere: WireGuard on the router or NAS, carrier NAT fixes, the mesh option and mistakes to avoid.

Is WireGuard Secure? What 4,000 Lines of Code Buy You

Is WireGuard secure? Fixed modern crypto, a small audited codebase. What it protects, what it leaves to you, and how to check your setup.

WireGuard vs OpenVPN: Speed, Security, Which to Use

How much faster is WireGuard than OpenVPN? Measured numbers from lab and real-world tests, where the gap is widest, and when OpenVPN catches up.

VLESS and Reality VPN Explained: Why It Looks Like HTTPS

VLESS is a lightweight tunnel protocol; Reality makes it look like ordinary HTTPS to a real site. Why they pass networks that block WireGuard and OpenVPN.

What Is Split Tunneling in a VPN and When to Use It?

Split tunneling sends some apps through the VPN and the rest directly. How it works, when it helps, when it is a risk, and how to set it up on each system.

What Is Double VPN (Multi-Hop) and Is It Worth It?

Multi-hop routes traffic through two servers, so neither sees both ends. What it protects, the speed cost, and how it differs from Tor.

Should You Change Your DNS? What It Does, 1.1.1.1 vs 8.8.8.8

DNS turns a name into an address, and by default that question goes to your ISP in plain text. How 1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8 differ, and how to encrypt it.

What Is a VPN Kill Switch and How to Test It

A kill switch blocks traffic the moment the tunnel drops, so nothing leaks to the open network. How it works, why Android has two, and how to test it.

What Is a VPN and How Does It Work? Plain-English Guide

A VPN puts an encrypted tunnel between you and a server. Your ISP sees one connection, sites see the server. What it protects, and what it doesn't.

What Does the HTTPS Padlock Actually Mean?

The padlock means encrypted, not honest: phishing pages have HTTPS too. What TLS protects, how to read warnings, and what your ISP still sees.

VPN vs Proxy vs Tor: The Difference and Which to Use

A proxy changes your address for one app, a VPN encrypts the whole device, Tor routes through three relays. Who sees what, and which fits which situation.

VPN vs Antivirus: What Each One Protects

A VPN protects your traffic; an antivirus protects the device from files. Neither does the other's job. Where they overlap, and when built-in is enough.

Workplace VPN vs Personal VPN: What Each Sees, Running Both

A company VPN reaches the office network; a personal one protects your traffic. What each sees, and how to run both on one laptop without conflicts.

Two-Factor Authentication: SMS vs App vs Security Key

Two-factor authentication protects an account even when the password leaks. Which method resists SIM swapping and phishing, and what to enable first.

Dedicated IP vs Shared IP VPN: Who Needs Which

A shared IP is better for blending in but worse for logins and captchas. A dedicated IP is stable and reputable, but less anonymous. Which fits what.

Privacy and safety

How to Send a Password or File Securely

A password sent in a messenger stays there forever. Four ways to send a secret so it ends up nowhere but with the recipient, all from the browser.

Does a VPN Hide Your IP Address? And What It Doesn't Hide

A VPN replaces your IP with the server's, so sites see that one. It does not hide your identity, your fingerprint or what you type in. How to check.

Is a VPN Safe? Five Ways It Makes Things Worse

Is a VPN safe? Depends on whose server, what it logs and whether your leaks are closed. Five ways a tunnel makes things worse, and a ten-minute check.

eSIM, Roaming or Local SIM in China: What Actually Differs

In China, roaming, a travel eSIM and a local SIM differ in where your data exits. Why foreign apps work on roaming without a VPN, and which one to pick.

Does Your ISP See Incognito? Spoiler: Yes, All of It

Does your ISP see incognito? Yes. Private mode only stops your device remembering. What the ISP sees and what actually hides browsing.

Who Is on My Wi-Fi? See Every Device and Kick Off Strangers

How to view every device on your home network, tell which one is a stranger, and make sure they do not come back: new password, WPA3, guest network.

What Does No-Logs VPN Mean, and How to Verify It

No logs can mean anything from keeping nothing to keeping everything except the word logs. What a serious policy must list, and the questions to ask.

What Can Someone Do With My IP Address?

An IP reveals your country, city and ISP, not your street or name. What sites can actually learn, the one real risk, and how to check what yours shows.

What Can My ISP See? With and Without a VPN, Honestly

Your provider sees the domains you visit, when, and how much data you move, even on HTTPS. What changes with a VPN, and what the VPN provider sees instead.

Password Managers: How to Choose and Not Lose Everything

Reusing one password is the most common cause of account takeovers. Browser vs cloud vs local, what to look for, and how to migrate without losing access.

Is a VPN Legal? Country Rules for Travelers in 2026

VPNs are legal in most of the world, restricted in some countries and banned in a few. What restricted actually means, and what to check before you travel.

Is Public Wi-Fi Safe? What Strangers Can Actually See

HTTPS made public Wi-Fi safer, but the network still sees which sites you visit and fake hotspots work. What is visible, and six rules before you join.

Free VPN: What It Actually Costs You

Servers cost money, so a free VPN pays for itself with your data, bandwidth or ads. How to tell a funded free tier from an app with no visible business.

Privacy

Browser Fingerprint: What It Is and Why a VPN Can't Hide It

A fingerprint combines fonts, GPU, screen and time zone into an ID that survives a VPN and a cookie wipe. Why a VPN cannot hide it, and how to check yours.

Countries and access

Do You Need a VPN With a Travel eSIM in China?

Not for your usual apps while the eSIM is your data line. The four cases where you still do, and how a VPN and a travel eSIM work together.

Experience

VPN Apps From the App Store Don't Work in China. This Did

Nine months in China: every App Store VPN app failed within days. What worked was a plain key pasted into Happ. Why, and how to set it up before you fly.

VPN for China in 2026: What to Know Before You Land

Install, test and back up a VPN for China before you fly. What the law says, why ordinary protocols fail on Chinese networks, and what to do on arrival.

Internet in Sanya, Hainan for Tourists: SIM, Roaming, VPN

Sanya has fast internet, but it is mainland Chinese internet. What works on hotel Wi-Fi and local SIMs, why roaming differs, what to set up before you fly.

Internet Access in China for Visitors: How to Get Online

China has fast internet; what differs is which foreign services reach it. How visitors get online and what works without a VPN.

Does Instagram Work in China? What Travelers Actually Use

Instagram, WhatsApp, Google and YouTube do not work on Chinese networks, Sanya and Hainan included. What still works, why roaming differs, how to prepare.

Do I Need a VPN When Traveling? An Honest Checklist

Hotel and airport Wi-Fi, banking abroad, eSIMs, and countries where VPNs are restricted. What a VPN solves on a trip, and what to set up before you go.

Why Is My Crypto Transaction Pending, and Is It Lost?

Check a USDT, BTC or ETH transfer by its hash, why it sits pending, the wrong-network USDT trap, and what to do if you paid and nothing happened.

What's Down Right Now: Outages vs Blocks, How to Tell

Outage at the service, a block on your network, or a whole country? Three pages with real measurements, how to read each, and what none of them can see.

Seed Phrase: What It Is, How to Store It, How to Split It

A seed phrase is 12 or 24 words holding the key to all your crypto. How it's built, why not to generate it in a browser, and how to store it safely.

Is It Down or Just Me? Five Checks, Five Minutes

A site won't open: down for everyone, broken on your end, or blocked by your network. Five browser checks that tell which one it is, and what to do next.

How to Check a SHA-256 Checksum, and Why You'd Bother

How to check a file's hash online or in a terminal, where the reference sum comes from, and what a mismatch means: a swapped file looks like the real one.

How to Check a Link or QR Code Before You Open It

Where a short link really goes and what's inside a QR code, before you tap: unroll the redirect chain, read a code from a picture, strip tracking tags.

How Long Does a VPN Take? Five Reasons Yours Takes Longer

A VPN that takes far longer than normal has a specific cause. The five that stretch setup and connection, how to tell which is yours, and what fixes each.