5 Most Common VPN Configuration Mistakes to Avoid

July 1, 2024 By Janne Smith No Comments 4 minutes

The internet has become such an integral part of our day-to-day lives that we rarely wonder what’s going on backstage. Nevertheless, in this digital age, the need to up our privacy and security online has never been more relevant. A handy way to go about this is by using a VPN, or a virtual private network if you prefer.

5 VPN Configuration Pitfalls to Avoid

Apart from protecting your data, VPNs also enable you to bypass geo-restrictions. It’s good to choose the right VPN, but not setting it up properly can be detrimental, defeating the whole purpose of its function. This means certain tasks you may have planned won’t be able to be executed.

Even if we’re talking about leisure activities like gambling at an online casino, you wouldn’t want your efforts of having found new no deposit bonuses from AussieBonuses.com to be in vain. Not having a properly configured VPN may very well negatively affect your gambling experience and overall gameplay.

Note: VPNs are notorious for costing an arm and a leg. And the free ones lack the basic features to ensure fool-proof privacy. For this reason, we only recommend using FastestVPN for ultimate privacy protection. Offering affordable subscription plans, the VPN boasts of affordable subscription plans without cutting out on the premium features!

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1. Choosing The Wrong Protocols

One of the first things to consider once your VPN is loaded up is which protocol you’re going to be using. In most cases, several options are available, including OpenVPN, SSTP, IKEv2, PPTP, and L2TP/IPsec, each of which comes with its own set of pros and cons.

For example, L2TP/IPsec is safe but slow and prone to getting caught up in firewall blocks, while PPTP is much faster but outdated and relatively insecure. Doing a little bit of research to find out what protocol best suits your needs makes sense in this case, but as a rule, avoid choosing protocols that are already known for their susceptibilities.

2. Ignoring DNS Leaks

If you want to make sure you’re really maximising the effectiveness of your VPN, then testing for DNS leaks is a crucial step to take. These leaks could potentially expose your browsing activity, effectively cancelling out one of the main benefits when using a VPN.

Even though massive companies like Google have pledged to wipe out personal information, the better option is to use a DNS leak website that will analyze your request and ensure that your VPN server is routing you accordingly. This could not only help you identify any potential threats but could also allow you to handle them accordingly.

3. Not Using the Kill Switch

If you really want to make sure you’re giving yourself the most secure and private internet experience possible, then you’re going to want to keep the kill switch in mind. This feature is your safety net. If there’s any glitch online, the VPN disconnects the Internet connection. This ensures that none of your information is leaked online.

This handy feature makes sure that none of your data is exposed during this time, making it one of the most important features to consider when purchasing a VPN subscription.

4. Overlooking Encryption

When we talk about digital encryption, we’re referring to the process that essentially scrambles your data to make it unreadable to third parties. Now one of the benefits of using a VPN is making sure your personal information remains that way, however not all encryption levels are suitable and equal.

Nowadays, most people tend to prefer AES-256 encryption over DES which is more outdated and unsafe. Always select the highest level of encryption available and avoid using any encryptions that are outdated or known to be compromised.

5. Not Using Multi-Factor Authentication

Another critical aspect that shouldn’t be ignored when setting up a VPN is the implementation of multi-factor authentication, which automatically adds on an extra layer of security.

By requiring multiple forms of authentication on separate devices, this option makes sure that should your password ever happen to leak out, unauthorised access is still not possible.

Final Note

Using a VPN is the best way to avoid cyber threats. And, with various available options, you must only choose a reliable one that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, such as FastestVPN.

While VPNs can be of great use, it’s essential to be aware of the pitfalls that you must avoid. We hope that this article clarifies the 5 common VPN configuration mistakes and how to avoid them.