VPN Features Archive – VPN-Matcher.org

Kill Switch

The VPN Kill Switch is a critical security feature that enforces the rule: protected or off. It instantly halts all data transfer if your VPN connection drops, guaranteeing zero IP address exposure or data leaks outside of the encrypted tunnel.

DNS Leak Protection

DNS Leak Protection ensures all your website requests (DNS queries) are strictly routed through the encrypted VPN tunnel. This critical feature prevents your device from defaulting to your ISP’s servers, guaranteeing your Internet Service Provider cannot monitor the websites you visit.

IP Leak Protection

This core feature ensures your device’s native IP address is never visible, forcing all outbound traffic to use the masked IP provided by the VPN server. This guarantees against common VPN failures and vigilantly prevents any accidental exposure of your real geographic location.

IPv6 Leak Protection

IPv6 Leak Protection is a vital feature that prevents your device from accidentally routing traffic over the newer IPv6 protocol outside the VPN tunnel. It specifically blocks or forces all IPv6 traffic through the VPN to eliminate the risk of a split tunnel, guaranteeing your true identity and location remain secure, even on IPv6-enabled networks.

WebRTC Leak Protection

WebRTC Leak Protection is a feature that intercepts and blocks internal browser protocols used for live connections (like video chats) that could otherwise force your browser to reveal your actual public and local IP addresses, bypassing the VPN tunnel. It eliminates this major privacy vulnerability by ensuring that only the masked IP address assigned by the VPN is available to WebRTC-enabled applications.

Double VPN (multi-hop)

Double VPN (Multi-hop) is an advanced feature that routes your internet traffic through two separate, consecutive VPN servers for exponential security. Your data is encrypted twice and sent through the servers, each assigning a different IP address. This separation ensures the first server knows your real IP but not your final destination, while the second server knows your destination but only sees the first VPN’s IP, making traceability significantly harder.

Obfuscation (Stealth Mode)

Obfuscation (or Stealth Mode) is a specialized technique that hides the fact you’re using a VPN at all. It works by scrambling or wrapping the encrypted VPN data packets to remove the typical VPN “digital fingerprint,” often disguising the traffic to look like regular HTTPS (SSL) web traffic. This is vital for users in restrictive countries or with aggressive firewalls, as it allows them to bypass Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and prevent ISP throttling.

256-bit AES Encryption

The 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is the gold standard of data security, trusted by governments and financial institutions worldwide. This security mechanism guarantees that even if a third party intercepts your data stream—be it a hacker, ISP, or government agency—they will only see undecipherable code, making your private information impossible to read.

No-Logs Policy

A true No-Logs Policy guarantees the VPN service has zero records that could link your online activities (websites visited, files downloaded, searches) to your real identity. This comprehensive policy explicitly excludes storing Activity Logs (what you do) and Connection Logs (your original IP, session times, and server used), ensuring the VPN has nothing to provide if user data is requested by third parties.

Third-party audits of No-Logs Policy

A Third-party Audit is the highest standard of accountability a VPN can offer, serving as the objective, technical verification of its No-Logs Policy promise. It validates that the provider is adhering to its claims by allowing an independent, external security firm to thoroughly inspect its entire infrastructure and policies.

Own Browser

The Own Browser feature provides a dedicated, purpose-built web environment to complement your VPN, securing your connection from common browser-based vulnerabilities. It mitigates threats like Browser Fingerprinting (where unique hardware/software data identifies you), persistent Cookies/Cache, and defaults that can still leak identifying information, ensuring maximum anonymity from the start.

GPS Spoofing

GPS Spoofing is a highly specialized mobile feature (typically Android) that ensures your device’s actual physical GPS coordinates match the virtual location of your connected VPN server. Standard VPNs change your IP, but mobile GPS sensors can override this, causing a location mismatch. This feature prevents apps (like maps or location-based games) from bypassing the VPN to read your true physical location, providing consistent, complete privacy on mobile devices.

Split Tunneling

Split Tunneling is a highly practical feature that gives you granular control to choose which applications use the encrypted VPN tunnel and which ones use your regular, unprotected internet connection. This allows for Security Prioritization (routing high-risk apps like banking and torrenting through the VPN) while simultaneously allowing other apps to use your local network and faster speeds for Bandwidth Management.

Private DNS

The Private DNS feature signifies that the VPN provider operates its own internal network of Domain Name System (DNS) servers to handle all browsing requests, rather than relying on external third parties. This guarantees Complete Logging Exclusion (queries are not recorded) and Encryption Throughout (queries are handled within the VPN tunnel), which enhances security by preventing malicious attacks and ensuring your ISP cannot see your requests.

Smart DNS

Smart DNS is a dedicated service designed for fast, buffer-free access to geo-restricted streaming libraries on devices that may not support a full VPN. Unlike a standard VPN, it works by selectively routing only your DNS queries through proxy servers in the desired region. However, because it does not encrypt your traffic or hide your true IP address, it provides no anonymity or security against your ISP or third parties.

IPv6 Traffic Support

IPv6 Traffic Support is a foundational technical capability that ensures the VPN service functions correctly and fully when connected to the modern Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) network standard. Unlike the defensive IPv6 Leak Protection, this is an enabling feature that allows you to take advantage of the potential speed and efficiency benefits of IPv6 without compromising security, effectively future-proofing your connection.

Port Forwarding

Port Forwarding is a networking technique that creates a direct, selective opening in the VPN’s server-side firewall. This opening directs specific, pre-assigned inbound traffic to your hidden device, enhancing certain application functionalities (like torrent seeding or P2P). However, it is a crucial trade-off, as it creates a controlled entry point that bypasses the VPN’s default traffic filtering, meaning users should only activate it when absolutely necessary for a secure application.

Shuffle IP

Shuffle IP (or IP Randomization) is an advanced security feature that provides an exceptionally high degree of anonymity and traceability prevention during long sessions. It works by automatically changing your visible IP address at regular, predetermined intervals (e.g., every 10 minutes) while your device remains continuously connected to the VPN server.

Dedicated IP

Dedicated IP is a feature where the VPN service assigns you the same, single, non-shared, static IP address for the entire duration of your subscription. Unlike the default dynamic IP shared among many users (which enhances anonymity), a Dedicated IP is primarily chosen for reliability and consistent access to specific services that block shared VPN connections (like certain banking platforms or web administration portals).

Fixed IP

Fixed IP (or Static Shared IP) is a feature where the VPN service assigns you the same IP address every time you connect, but that address is shared with other VPN users and is not reserved exclusively for you. This offers consistency for accessing certain services while still retaining a degree of anonymity due to the shared usage.

P2P Friendly / Torrenting

P2P Friendly (or Torrenting Support) is a crucial designation indicating that the VPN provider permits and optimizes the use of P2P file-sharing protocols (like BitTorrent) on its network. This guarantees a reliable torrenting experience and often includes Optimized Servers and Unlimited Bandwidth to handle massive data transfer. For security, this feature requires a strong Kill Switch and a strict No-Logs Policy to prevent your real IP address from being exposed during file transfers.

Unlimited Bandwidth

An Unlimited Bandwidth policy guarantees the VPN will consistently deliver the fastest speeds possible—limited only by your ISP’s connection speed or the physical distance to the server—not by arbitrary data restrictions imposed by the VPN provider. This allows you to stream 4K video, engage in prolonged gaming, and manage large P2P transfers without hitting a data threshold.

Unlimited Data Traffic

The term Unlimited Data Traffic is a core guarantee that the VPN provider places no limits, caps, or restrictions on the total volume of data you can transfer while using the VPN service.

Dedicated Server

The term Dedicated Server in the VPN context most commonly signifies that the provider has purchased, maintains, and fully controls the physical hardware (Provider-Owned Hardware), rather than leasing it from a third-party center. Less commonly, it can refer to a physical or virtual server instance that is reserved for your sole use (Exclusive Access), guaranteeing resources and a unique operating environment.

Parental Controls

Parental Controls is a feature offered by a VPN service that gives users tools to manage and restrict content and websites accessible on connected devices. The VPN implements this by filtering DNS requests or blocking traffic to undesirable sources directly at the server level. The primary functions include Content Blocking (adult, gambling sites), Malware Protection, and sometimes Time and Scheduling. Unlike device-level controls, these restrictions apply automatically to every device connected through the VPN account.

Ad Blocker

The Ad Blocker feature is a privacy tool provided by the VPN that automatically prevents advertisements from loading when you browse. Unlike browser extensions, it functions at the Domain Name System (DNS) level on the VPN server: it intercepts requests for known advertising and tracking domains and immediately denies them. Because the blocking happens on the server, the protection is applied automatically to every device and every application connected to the VPN.

Tracker Protection

Tracker Protection is a dedicated feature that actively blocks the hidden code, scripts, and pixels used by third-party companies to monitor your online movements, interests, and behavior. Operating typically at the DNS level on the VPN server (much like an Ad Blocker), it uses constantly updated extensive blocklists of known tracking domains to deny requests and ensure your browsing habits remain private.

Malware Protection

Malware Protection is a critical security feature offered by the VPN that actively defends your device from accessing known malicious online threats by stopping infections before they can reach your system. It operates at the VPN server level, acting as an always-on filter by maintaining vast, updated blocklists of domains associated with malware, viruses, and phishing. When your device attempts a connection, the VPN automatically denies the request if the address matches a threat, protecting every connected device and application.

Antivirus

The Antivirus feature, when integrated with a VPN, is a security tool designed to detect, block, and potentially remove malicious software threats directly from your device. Unlike network-level Malware Protection, this component performs continuous or scheduled scans of your device’s files against known virus signatures, offering Real-Time Monitoring and the ability to quarantine or remove detected threats.

Dark Web Monitoring

Dark Web Monitoring is a proactive security service that continuously scans underground websites, forums, and databases for any mention or sale of your Personal Identifiable Information (PII). After you register sensitive data (like email or credit card numbers), the service acts as an early warning system, providing immediate notification if your credentials are found in known data breaches. This gives you a critical window of time to immediately change passwords or cancel compromised cards to prevent identity theft.

Has SDK / API

The Has SDK / API feature indicates the VPN provider offers a Software Development Kit (SDK) or Application Programming Interface (API), allowing third-party developers and businesses to integrate the VPN’s core technology directly into their own applications or corporate infrastructure. This feature is primarily for business clients, enabling Seamless Integration (embedding the VPN into proprietary apps) and Automation and Scaling (programmatically managing accounts and servers).