What does VPN stand for?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. Virtual in that the connection is created in software rather than over a dedicated cable. Private because supported traffic gets encrypted in transit between your device and the VPN server. Network because your device connects to a remote server that reaches the internet on your behalf.

What is a VPN used for?

A VPN encrypts your internet connection and changes the public IP address websites see, which keeps more of your online activity private. It protects supported traffic on public Wi-Fi networks and makes it harder for networks and websites to tie your browsing to your own connection. It also lets you reach the internet through a supported location in another country.

Does a VPN hide my IP address?

For eligible traffic, a website generally sees the VPN exit address rather than your public address. For traffic that the app does not protect, or that you have chosen to exclude through Bypasser, the website continues to see your normal address.

Does a VPN make me anonymous?

No. This one matters, so we will not dress it up in corporate language. Using a VPN changes the route your device takes to the internet, and it changes the public IP used for supported traffic. It changes nothing about the accounts you are logged into, the cookies already stored on your device, your browser fingerprint, or whatever you type into a website yourself.

Does a VPN protect me on public Wi-Fi?

A VPN protects supported traffic between your device and the VPN endpoint. This is the connection that others on your network would otherwise be closest to. It does nothing to secure a device that may already be compromised, and nothing to stop you handing information to a website directly.

Can a VPN change my location?

A VPN changes the location that websites work out from your IP address, for eligible traffic. It does not change your device GPS position, your time zone, the country on your payment profile or your app-store country. Each of those is a separate signal, and they do not change.

Can my internet provider see that I use a VPN?

Generally yes. Your provider can usually see that you are using a VPN, when you connected, how long you were connected and how much data you moved across it. What it cannot ordinarily do is read the contents of properly encrypted VPN traffic.

Does a VPN protect against malware?

No, and a VPN is not a substitute for antivirus software. Safeweb helps by reducing requests to domains known for advertising, tracking or worse, but a VPN will not prevent every infection and cannot repair a device that is already compromised.

Which Senton VPN apps are available?

The Senton Android application and the Chrome extension are available now. The iPhone and iPad application is pending, and the Windows, macOS and Linux applications are coming soon. Each application covers something different, so the individual feature pages indicate which platform they apply to.

SentonVPN

VPN EXPLAINED

What is a VPN and how does it work?

A VPN creates an encrypted connection between a supported device or application and a VPN server. Senton operates servers in 50+ countries, so the traffic we protect exits through an address of your choosing rather than the one your own connection hands out.

Your connection becomes more private and better protected on whatever network you happen to be using. However, a VPN does not make you anonymous online, nor does it protect you from all online threats.

Encrypted connectionSupported traffic is protected between your device or browser and the VPN server.
A different public IPWebsites generally see the VPN server address for eligible protected traffic.
Location choiceYou can connect through supported locations in 50+ countries.

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VPN stands forVirtual Private Network

Main purposeA protected connection and a different public IP

Traffic coveredDepends on the app and the platform

Senton network50+ countries

What does VPN mean?

A Virtual Private Network creates a protected route between a supported device or application and a VPN server. That server then becomes the public endpoint websites see for eligible traffic.

In simple terms, a VPN creates a protected route between you and the internet.

VirtualThe connection is made in software rather than over a dedicated physical cable.

PrivateSupported traffic is encrypted between the application or device and the VPN endpoint.

NetworkYou are connected to a remote server, which then communicates with the internet on your behalf.

How a VPN works

A simple way to protect your connection and your privacy.

1You connectOpen Senton on a supported platform and pick an available VPN location.
2Supported traffic is encryptedFrom here the app takes over, encrypting eligible traffic between your device or browser and the VPN server.
3It travels through the VPN networkThe server makes the request to the website or online service that you are visiting, on your behalf.
4The website sees the VPN addressFor eligible traffic, the website generally sees the public IP address of the VPN server instead of your own.

The tunnel ends at the VPN server. Beyond it, HTTPS and the site’s own encryption do the work, which is why the padlock in your browser still matters.

What changes when you connect?

Some things change straight away. Others do not change at all.

May change

The public IP used by protected traffic
The country or region worked out from that IP
The route your traffic takes to reach a service
What your provider can see about encrypted destinations
The network a website thinks your connection belongs to

Does not change on its own

Accounts you are signed in to
Cookies already stored in your browser
Your browser fingerprint
Your device GPS position
Your device time zone
The country on your payment profile
Your app-store country
Anything you type into a website yourself
Traffic you have excluded through Bypasser

A VPN changes the network connection. It does not change every identity or location signal on the device.

What can a VPN help with?

More privacy, more choice, and more control over what you share.

Privacy on public Wi-FiOn shared and untrusted networks, supported traffic stays protected all the way to the VPN endpoint.

Less direct IP exposureYour own public address stops being the one on show, because eligible traffic goes out through the VPN exit address instead.

Network-level privacyHow much a local network or internet provider can work out about where your encrypted traffic is heading drops away.

Choosing a locationPick a location and it sticks. Supported Senton countries and cities across 50+ countries are open to you.

Working remotelyApproved work resources stay within reach over an encrypted connection, so long as your employer policy allows it.

Connection controlsKill Switch, Auto Connect, Bypasser and LAN Access can each be configured wherever the platform supports them.

What a VPN cannot do

Plenty is claimed for VPNs that is not true. A VPN does not automatically do any of the following.

Make you anonymous
Remove cookies already on your device
Remove your browser fingerprint
Secure a device that is already compromised
Stop phishing
Prevent every malware infection
Protect a weak password

Hide what you type into a website
Change your physical GPS location
Guarantee access to any particular service
Make your internet faster
Replace antivirus software
Replace good account security

A VPN is one privacy and security tool, not a complete online-safety system.

Browsing with and without a VPN

See the difference a VPN connection makes.

Without a VPN

YouInternet Service ProviderWebsites & Services

Websites see the public IP your provider or network hands out
Location estimates generally point at that connection
Your provider or local network handles the connection directly
HTTPS may still encrypt the contents of the sites you visit
Accounts, cookies and fingerprinting apply exactly as before

With Senton VPN

YouEncrypted ConnectionVPN ServerWebsites & Services

Eligible traffic travels through the encrypted tunnel
Websites generally see the VPN exit address instead
Location estimates generally point at the location you chose
Your local network sees a connection to the VPN endpoint
Accounts, cookies and fingerprinting still identify you

Who may find a VPN useful?

If you use the internet away from home, a VPN can help.

TravellersHotel, airport and cafe networks are where a protected connection is felt most.

Remote workersAn encrypted route into work systems, where company policy permits it.

StudentsCampus and accommodation networks are shared by everyone on them, and supported browsing stays protected.

Regular public Wi-Fi usersLess exposure on networks nobody has handed you control of.

Everyday internet usersA different public IP, along with the extra connection controls, during ordinary browsing.

Common reasons people use a VPN

On public Wi-FiProtect supported traffic on a network you are sharing with strangers.

While travellingKeep one consistent privacy setup as you move between networks.

For general privacyReduce how directly your normal public address is exposed.

For remote accessReach approved business systems where your company allows VPN use.

For checking regional sitesSee how a site behaves from a supported Senton location.

For connection controlUse Auto Connect, Kill Switch and Bypasser to decide how and when you are protected.

Does a VPN affect internet speed?

It can. Encryption takes work and your traffic travels further, so some extra delay is normal. How noticeable it is depends on several things at once.

Your own internet connection
Your device
How far away the VPN location is
How busy that location is
Congestion on the wider network
The protocol in use
The website or service itself
Whether you are on Wi-Fi or mobile data

A nearer location usually feels more responsive, but no VPN can promise zero impact. See Quick Connect, Packet Size Optimization and the server list.

What encryption protects, and what your provider still sees

What encryption covers

Supported data is protected while it travels between your device or application and the VPN server, which stops others on the same network reading it easily. Past the VPN server, HTTPS takes over.

Learn about WireGuard

Without a VPN, your provider may see

Which sites or services you contact at network level
Your DNS lookups, depending on how they are configured
When you connect and for how long
How much data you move
The public IP assigned to you

With a VPN, it generally still sees

That your device is connected to a VPN endpoint
When you connect and for how long
How much data you move
The VPN server's address

What it cannot ordinarily do is read the contents of properly encrypted VPN traffic.

Is using a VPN legal?

VPN use is lawful in many countries, but the rules differ by country and change over time, and a small number of countries restrict or license them. A VPN also never makes an unlawful act lawful.

Follow the law where you areFollow the terms of the services you useFollow your employer's or school's policyDo not use it for unlawful activity

Our guide on where VPNs are legal goes country by country. It is general information, not legal advice.

How Senton VPN approaches everyday privacy

WireGuardThe modern protocol used for supported Senton VPN connections.No-logs policySets out in full what Senton does and does not keep about your VPN activity.Kill SwitchBlocks supported traffic if the Senton VPN connection drops, where the platform supports it.BypasserLets you define which supported traffic uses Senton and which uses your normal connection.SafewebReduces requests to domains known for advertising, tracking or worse.

Explore all features

Use Senton on supported platforms

AndroidAvailable now

The Senton Android application protects supported traffic at device level, and it is available on Google Play and through the Aurora Store.

Chrome extensionAvailable now

The Chrome extension protects supported traffic passing through the browser, covering Chrome rather than the whole computer, and it is available in the Chrome Web Store.

Available in theChrome Web Store

These are the applications available today. What each one covers differs, so the pages for individual features say which platform they apply to.

What is a VPN — frequently asked questions

A VPN creates an encrypted connection between a supported device or application and a VPN server. That server then talks to websites on your behalf. For eligible traffic, websites generally see the exit address of the VPN server rather than the public IP your own connection would present.

Ready to try a more private connection?

Start your 7-day Senton VPN trial and protect supported traffic on up to 3 devices.

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