Luckily, there are ways around these VPN blocks. Some VPN offer features that can mask your internet activity and hide your VPN connection, so no one knows that you’re using a VPN.
What are these features, and how do they make your VPN undetectable to anyone? We’ll explain these features, but before we get to them, let’s first understand how ISPs and websites detect VPN traffic and enforce VPN blocks.
How Do ISPs and Websites Detect and Block VPN Traffic?
ISPs, websites, and hackers can use a number of techniques to determine that you’re connected to a VPN. Here are some ways they can tell that a VPN is in use.
Since an ISP grants you access to the internet, it can see the IP address that you use to make a connection through its servers. It’s a common VPN detection technique, but relatively easier to hide from. ISPs can use a Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) method to analyze your internet traffic. They use network monitoring tools like Wireshark to identify encrypted data and detect unique VPN signatures. Since regular traffic doesn’t have the encryption pattern of VPN traffic, it looks different. The differences in traffic patterns can reveal that you’re using a VPN. Websites and apps can also see VPN usage by analyzing your IP address and comparing it to a list of blacklisted IP addresses associated with VPN services. Companies like Netflix keep a list of known VPN IP addresses and block traffic coming from those IPs.
Although some entities can see when you use a VPN, they can’t see your online activities. This is because a VPN encrypts your traffic and hides your real IP address, so no one can track it.
How to Bypass VPN Detection Methods
You might have seen VPN services that claim to work well in environments that restrict or ban the use of VPNs. They do this by using features that bypass VPN blocks and evade detection. Some of these features include:
1. Obfuscated Servers
When you connect to a normal VPN server, websites and ISPs can tell that you’re using a VPN by observing your data. They still can’t see your internet traffic as it’s encrypted, but they will block your traffic if they are interested in disallowing VPN usage.
Obfuscated servers are specialized VPN servers that can bypass VPN blocks by hiding the fact that you’re using a VPN. A VPN provider does this by removing all VPN-related information from the data packets so that it looks like regular web traffic. Therefore, anti-VPN tools that would normally block VPN traffic let it pass. Once connected to an obfuscated server, no one can tell that you’re using a VPN unless they inspect the data packets manually.
VPN service providers obfuscate data in a number of ways. They can use additional SSL or SSH encryption protocols that will hide all the VPN metadata from your data packets. Think of it as an additional layer of encryption to hide your encryption.
Another way to achieve obfuscation is by scrambling your data traffic and hiding the metadata from the packet header. This makes your data appear as normal HTTPS traffic with meaningless information, so VPN blocking tools won’t recognize it.
Many popular VPN services, including NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and IPVanish, offer obfuscated servers under standard subscription plans. You can try it out completely risk-free as these VPNs come with a free trial period.
2. NoBorders Mode
The NoBorders Mode is an obfuscation technique used by Surfshark to hide VPN usage. It’s ideal for users in restrictive regimes, such as China, Russia, and North Korea, that block VPNs and restrict access to online content.
Whenever Surfshark identifies any restrictions on your network, it automatically fires up the NoBorders feature. However, you can also activate the feature manually in the Advanced Settings of the VPN client app.
With NoBorders Mode turned on, you will be able to connect to a special set of servers that can bypass VPN blocks and access the internet as normal.
3. Multi-Hop Technique
The multi-hop feature doesn’t necessarily make your VPN undetectable, but it can help bypass stricter restrictions. Normally, a single-hop VPN would send your traffic through a secure server before you can access the internet. And while it’s unlikely that a malicious actor would trace your original IP address back to you, it isn’t impossible. They only have to compromise your connection to one server to expose your identity.
To mitigate these threats, a multi-hop VPN allows users to send their data through two or more servers. In case of a double-hop VPN, or simply Double VPN, the data is sent through two VPN servers, so it gets two layers of encryption. If an attacker somehow compromises the first server, your data is still protected with an additional layer of encryption. Multi-hop VPNs can use even more than two servers, thus providing more protection.
Beside enhanced protection, multi-hop VPNs are also effective against censorship in restrictive regions like China. For instance, if the censoring entity in a country decides to block a range of VPN servers, a multi-hop connection could be the only way to access content that’s only available in that country.
Although multi-hop VPNs aren’t exactly common, most premium VPN providers like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and ProtonVPN, offer it as a standard feature.
Minimize VPN Detection With These Features
If you know you’ll be spending time in a country with internet restrictions, you should ideally set up a VPN app before you arrive in the country. It’s because some countries even block access to VPN websites, so no one can download it there.
Once you install the VPN client app on your device, you can enable the NoBorders mode or multi-hop feature to access censored content. Alternatively, you can connect to obfuscated servers to avoid VPN detection. If you want to get the best speeds and protection, try connecting to specific recommended VPN server locations.
