IP & Privacy Guide

What Is a VPN and How Does It Work?

A virtual private network (VPN) creates an encrypted connection between your device and a VPN server. Websites then see the VPN server’s public IP address rather than the address normally assigned by your internet provider.

What happens when you connect

A VPN application establishes an encrypted tunnel to a selected server. Internet traffic covered by that tunnel travels to the server before continuing to its destination. The website receives the request from the VPN server, so its logs normally record that server’s address and approximate location.

You can compare the visible address before and after connecting by using the Terbit IP checker. A changed result confirms that the public web request is exiting through another address, but it does not prove that every application or protocol is protected.

What a VPN can protect

Encryption can reduce the amount of readable traffic exposed to operators of an untrusted Wi-Fi network. It can also prevent an internet provider from seeing the final destination of traffic inside the VPN tunnel, although the provider can still see that a connection to a VPN service exists.

What a VPN cannot do

A VPN does not remove cookies, stop browser fingerprinting, secure a compromised device or prevent an account provider from recognising a signed-in user. HTTPS remains important because it protects data between the VPN exit server and the destination website. A VPN should be one layer within a broader security routine.

Choosing a service carefully

Review the provider’s ownership, privacy policy, independent audits, supported protocols, update history and cancellation terms. Free services may fund operations through advertising or data practices that do not match your expectations. Avoid assuming that a “no logs” claim is meaningful without clear documentation and credible verification.

Check for leaks

After connecting, check the public address and run a DNS leak test and WebRTC leak test. Results require careful interpretation: local private addresses are not the same as exposure of your normal public address.

Reviewed 10 September 2026. This guide is educational and does not endorse a particular VPN or guarantee anonymity.