Keep reading for a crash course on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
VPN stands for "virtual private network," a method of secure communication that protects your connection while you're using the internet. It makes your browsing private, hides your IP (Internet Protocol) address, and stops your internet service provider (ISP) from building a record of every site you visit.
To accomplish this, a VPN reroutes your traffic through a server it controls, so the sites you visit see that server instead of you. Your ISP still sees that you connected to something, but not what you did there.
The mechanism is simpler than it sounds. Your device opens an encrypted tunnel to the VPN server. Everything you send goes into that tunnel scrambled, comes out the other end at the server, and continues to its destination from there. Anyone watching the wire between you and the server, your ISP, the coffee shop router, whoever runs the hotel network, sees encrypted traffic to one address and nothing else.
Want to see what you're currently exposing? Check your IP and connection details before you read any further.
Your IP is a unique string of numbers assigned to your device when you connect to the internet.
Your ISP can use your IP to track all your browsing activity. Some governments can even legally monitor your digital location. If you want this to stop, you need to mask your real IP to remain anonymous.
Your current IP address is: 216.73.216.149
You are located near Columbus, Ohio US.
You appear to be using a VPN. Good choice! Looking to switch?
Many ISPs and companies sell your data to advertisers or marketers. It is an easy way for them to make money.
If you connect to a VPN, your browsing history stops being a product your ISP can package and sell, because they no longer have it to sell. All they can see is an encrypted connection to one server.
Advertisers know a lot about you based on your IP address.
A VPN reduces your exposure on networks you don't control, where other people could be watching your traffic.
This is essential when using unsecured public Wi-Fi networks. If you are at a cafe, hotel, or airport using a public Wi-Fi connection, you want to be careful. An active VPN encrypts your traffic between your device and our server, so other people on that network can't read it or tamper with it. It won't protect you from phishing, malware, or a breach at a site you use.
Everyone should have open and free internet access and access to online shopping websites. In reality, the internet has its borders.
If you are visiting a country in Europe, you might be restricted from accessing US-based websites or online platforms, including news publications, banks, and shopping sites. Connect to a server back home and those sites treat you as a local visitor again. See every location we run.
You leave trails during each browsing session. The sites you visit, the photos you upload, and your social media activity are your web crumbs.
A VPN removes the most persistent crumb of all, the home IP address that ties those sessions together across weeks and different sites. It isn't invisibility. Log into an account and you've identified yourself regardless. But it breaks the default link between you and everything you do.
Plenty of networks decide for you what you're allowed to reach. Some countries block news sites, social platforms, and messaging apps outright. Hotels, schools, and offices run smaller versions of the same thing.
A VPN routes around the block because the network only sees an encrypted connection to one server, not what's behind it. In the most heavily filtered countries, standard VPN protocols get detected and blocked themselves, which is what our VLESS servers exist for.
If privacy is important to you, you should use a VPN every time you connect to the internet.
Exploring the world doesn't mean you have to change the way you use the internet. A VPN lets you use the internet as if you were still in your home country, no matter how far you travel.
Many US banks and businesses block connections from outside of the country.
Some ISPs slow down video traffic during peak hours, and shared networks in hotels and dorms often block streaming outright. Your ISP can't throttle what it can't identify, and the local network can't block what looks like ordinary encrypted traffic.
Traveling? Streaming catalogs differ by country, so Netflix and Prime Video show a different library abroad, and some US services, like Hulu, aren't available outside the US at all.
Connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots like those in cafes, airports, and parks could leave your private information vulnerable. Using a VPN encrypts your traffic so other people on the same network can't read it.
Public Wi-Fi puts you at risk.
A VPN unlocks games, maps, and add-ons restricted on your network, and hides your home IP from the DDoS attacks that get thrown around in competitive lobbies. Worth being straight about latency: an extra hop usually costs you a few milliseconds of ping. It only wins on speed when your ISP is throttling game traffic or routing it badly.
P2P file sharing usually means that strangers can see your IP address and possibly track your downloads. A VPN keeps your IP address private, letting you download with increased anonymity. P2P works on every Lux VPN server, not just a handful of designated ones.
Artists have sued P2P users before.
Some online stores show different prices to people in different countries. With a VPN, you can find the best deals in the world no matter where you're shopping from.
Surveillance Pricing is real.
2026 NPR Article about Surveillance Pricing
NPR Tips and Tricks to avoid Surveillance Pricing