Authentication
Authentication is how a VPN verifies that you are allowed to connect and how you verify you’re connecting to a legitimate server or …
VPN Glossary
Certificates
Certificates are digital credentials used to prove identity in cryptographic systems. In VPNs - especially OpenVPN and many enterprise …
Decentralized VPN (DVPN)
A Decentralized VPN (DVPN) is a VPN model where traffic is routed through a network of independently operated nodes rather than a single …
DNS (Domain Name System)
DNS translates human-readable domain names (like a website address) into IP addresses so your device can connect. DNS matters for VPN …
DNS Leak
A DNS leak happens when your device sends DNS queries outside the VPN tunnel. DNS requests reveal which domains you’re trying to …
DNS Leak Protection
DNS leak protection is a feature set that prevents DNS queries from bypassing the VPN tunnel. A typical VPN app pushes its own DNS servers, …
Encryption
Encryption is what makes VPN traffic unreadable to third parties while it travels between your device and the VPN server/node. Strong VPN …
Entry Node
An entry node is the first hop in a VPN or DVPN path - the point where your device connects into the tunnel network. The entry node sees …
Exit Node
An exit node is where your VPN tunnel ends and your traffic is forwarded to the public internet. The exit node’s IP address becomes …
Full-Tunnel VPN
Full-tunnel mode routes essentially all device traffic through the VPN tunnel, including app connections and (when correctly configured) DNS …