A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a secure connection that allows users to connect to a private network from a public one. This can be used to bypass strict networks, such as those that schools, hotels, businesses, or governments use.
When users connect to a VPN, their traffic is encrypted and routed through the VPN’s server. This means that the user’s ISP or any other third party cannot see the websites they are visiting or the data they are transferring. This can be useful for bypassing filters that are put in place by schools, businesses, or governments and protecting yourself while on Hotel or Wifi networks.
For example, a school might block access to social media websites. A user who connects to a VPN can bypass this block and access social media websites. Similarly, a business might block access to certain websites that are considered distractions. A user who connects to a VPN can bypass this block and access these websites.
VPNs can also be used to protect users from hackers when connecting to a Hotel network they don’t control. When users connect to a public Wi-Fi network, such as in Hotels or cafes, their traffic is not encrypted. This means that hackers can easily intercept the user’s traffic and steal their data. The user’s traffic is encrypted by connecting to a VPN, and hackers cannot see it.
VPNs are a valuable tool that can be used to bypass strict networks, protect users from hackers, and access geo-restricted content.
Find out below what VPNs are best at doing just that – we tested 15 VPN services in 3 different countries in various types of networks, Businesses, Hotels and Universities. We documented who worked and who didn’t.
| Provider: | Hotel Networks: | Business Networks: | University: | Stability: | Speed: | Success Rate: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Average | Average | Good | Stable | Good | 20% |
 | Excellent | Very Good | Good | Stable | Good | 70% |
 | Average | Poor | Good | Stable | Fast | 30% |
 | Excellent | Very Good | Very Good | Stable | Good | 80% |
 | Good | Good | Poor | Poor | Average | 40% |
 | Good | Good | Average | Stable | Good | 50% |
 | Average | Poor | Poor | Poor | Average | 10% |
 | Good | Good | Poor | Poor | Average | 40% |
 | Very Good | Good | Good | Stable | Good | 50% |
 | Very Good | Good | Good | Stable | Average | 60% |
 | Average | Average | Poor | Stable | Fast | 20% |
 | Good | Average | Good | Stable | Average | 50% |
 | Average | Poor | Poor | Poor | Average | 15% |
 | Good | Good | Poor | Stable | Average | 35% |
Last Updated Thursday 1st of June
**Only ExperssVPN, AirVPN, NordVPN, PremierVPN and Windscribe had stability in the University networks, ExpressVPN, PremierVPN and Windscribe, doing particularly well on both Business and Uni networks.
Notes:
We will add to the VPN services tested over the coming weeks. The VPN services are tested in 3 different countries with various networks and environments. Below are some notes/issues for each provider we tested.
AirVPN – Worked using alternative ports. Stable
VyprVPN – Was relatively slow when it did but stable.
Proton VPN – Occasionally, DNS issues appear when connected.
TorGuard – Worked through TCP but constant disconnects. DNS was not resolving. Unstable mostly.
Astrill – Low latency.
Windscribe – Worked well using TCP ports.
NordVPN – Fast when it worked. The wireguard implementation didn’t work most of the time.
Surfshark – When it did work, it was the fastest.
PremierVPN – When it did (which was most of the time), it was very stable and fast through TCP.
Tunnelbear – Sslow when it connected, DNS not resolving often.
ExpressVPN – Lightway was the best at getting through.
PrivateVPN – Speed was a tad slower than average.
AvastVPN – Primarily caught in the connection loop. Unstable.
Mullvad – sometimes there was a disconnect, but the majority of the time, it was fine. The latency and speed were acceptable.
