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Record numbers of Britons are rushing to download and install VPNs to protect themselves from the eyes of snooping governments, bypass intrusive age verification checks, and shield themselves from hackers.
Protecting everything you do with military-grade encryption is an important step to safeguard your data, but if you've only just signed up for one of the best VPN deals, then some of the terminology around this security software might be a little confusing. If you are one of the millions who are new to the world of VPNs, what they do and the benefits they provide, you might be sitting there wondering what on earth all of them actually mean.
We've got years of experience putting VPNs through their paces and helping readers understand what this security software can do, how to get the most from these apps, and understanding all of the terms. If you've heard something "VPN passthrough", this is everything you need to know – we’re here to explain.
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What is a VPN?
First of all, it’s important to know what a VPN is before we explain some of the terms. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is software that protects and anonymises everything you do online. VPNs can conceal your online activities by routing traffic through an encrypted tunnel that connects to secure servers worldwide.
VPNs work by encrypting all of your online traffic before it's sent over the internet. This prevents your ISP, advertisers, hackers, and fraudsters from tracking your online activity, stealing your personal data, or placing restrictions on you | EXPRESSVPN PRESS OFFICE The most reliable VPNs use the same encryption standards as governments in the United Kingdom and the United States, ensuring that even your Internet Service Provider (ISP) on Wi-Fi cannot record the websites you visit, the duration of your sessions on each site, or your current location. This protection extends to advertisers, trackers, and hackers, preventing them from monitoring your online behaviour.
Furthermore, personal information entered into online forms and sensitive data transmitted to and from your device will be safeguarded from hackers using strong encryption provided by a VPN.
Passthrough is a clever technology that stops firewalls from blocking your secure VPN connection
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What is a VPN passthrough, and how does it work?
A VPN passthrough is a router feature that allows VPN traffic from a device on your local network to pass through the router's firewall and connect to an external VPN server.
Your router protects your home network and hides all your devices behind a single public address. Most home and office routers use NAT to allow multiple devices to share a single public IP address. NAT (Network Address Translation) inspects data packets and tracks connections using port numbers.
Older VPN protocols were not designed with NAT in mind and don't provide the port information NAT needs to route the traffic correctly, causing the router to block the connection.
Here are the types of VPN protocols that normally require a passthrough:
- PPTP - Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol
- L2TP - Layer 2 Tunnelling Protocol
- IPSec - Internet Protocol Security
A VPN passthrough is a setting on your router that tells the router to recognise and properly handle these specific types of VPN data packets. One important thing to note is that a passthrough isn’t a VPN itself and shouldn’t be confused with a VPN router.
However, one thing to note is that VPN passthrough tends to be a feature that most internet users don’t need to worry about. That’s because most modern routers have the VPN passthrough feature included and often enabled by default, and VPN providers, like ExpressVPN, are designed to work with today’s routers and Network Access Translation (NAT) setups.
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How to turn on VPN passthrough on your router
Most routers have VPN passthrough enabled by default, but if you’re wondering how to turn it on due to having an older router, here’s a quick rundown of how to do it.
- Find your router's IP address and check your router's manual or a sticker on the device itself for the default IP address. Common addresses are 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1
- Open a web browser and type the router's IP address into the address bar
- Enter your administrator username and password. If you haven't changed them, the default credentials should be in the manual or on the router's sticker
- Navigate to VPN settings and look for any security settings. VPN passthrough settings tend to be found in advanced settings, then security and then firewall settings
- Once you’ve found the VPN passthrough settings, you will likely see options for specific VPN protocols. Enable the ones your VPN service uses, which are typically PPTP, L2TP, and IPSec
- Click Apply or Save to implement the changes. You may need to reboot the router for the settings to take effect
The important thing to note is that certain router brands have different settings, and you might need to check your router manual to get a clear idea of where certain VPN passthrough settings are.
Once installed on your device, everything you do will be routed via ExpressVPN's secure tunnel – adding military-grade encryption | KAPE TECHNOLOGIES PRESS OFFICE Why you don’t need to worry about a VPN passthrough with ExpressVPN
Many modern VPN apps like ExpressVPN don’t require you to think about VPN passthrough at all, because they use newer protocols that are designed to work with today’s routers.
ExpressVPN's proprietary Lightway, is designed to work seamlessly with current routers, making separate passthrough settings unnecessary for most users.
ExpressVPN is also an award-winning VPN with gongs from the likes of Techradar, CNET, and Tom's Guide, with praise for its servers dedicated to fast, reliable streaming from anywhere in the world. Monthly prices start from £1.99 a month, and unlock ExpressVPN across up to 14 devices. Once installed, connect to a UK server from ExpressVPN's network of over 3,000 servers across 105 countries.
The service uses proprietary Lightway protocol for enhanced speed and reliability, ensuring smooth streaming of festival performances.
The service works across all your devices - Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, smart TVs and streaming devices like Fire TV Stick. You can even use ExpressVPN's MediaStreamer feature to watch on devices that don't normally support VPNs, such as PlayStation or Xbox.
ExpressVPN includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to watch the entire festival risk-free and recover your investment if you're not satisfied with the service. VPNs are not illegal and are often mandated by companies to improve online security for employees. However, it's your responsibility to ensure that you're using these popular apps for legal use. Always check the terms and conditions of the streaming service.
ExpressVPN is available across a wide variety of devices, from desktop apps to smartphones | EXPRESSVPN PRESS OFFICEBenefits of ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is particularly well-suited for streaming, gaming and protecting your privacy as it boasts VPN server locations in 105 countries, providing access to global coverage.
It offers ultra-fast speeds on a 10-Gbps network, essential for high-quality streaming without buffering. With military-grade encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and features like split tunnelling and a kill switch, your online activity stays private.
Based in the British Virgin Islands — outside Five Eyes jurisdiction — it avoids mandatory data retention laws, which means that even if the company were collecting data (it's not), law enforcement from the UK and US would be unable to compel ExpressVPN to hand over any information about its subscribers.
ExpressVPN supports a wide range of devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, and routers. There's no limit on the number of ExpressVPN apps that you can download on your devices, and with a single subscription, you can connect to the VPN on 10x gadgets at once.
It also has a dedicated team that optimises the service for major streaming platforms. Round-the-clock customer support is available if you encounter any issues during race weekend.
ExpressVPN isn't the cheapest VPN. However, its 30-day money-back guarantee makes it a risk-free choice for privacy-conscious users and frequent streamers. It should also give new customers the confidence to subscribe to one of its longer contracts, which unlock the biggest discounts.