Question 1

How do I know if my VPN is blocked?

Accepted Answer

If you're VPN is blocked, you typically won't be able to access the web at all. If a site is blocking VPN traffic, they'll usually display an error message when you try to access it.

It's a good idea to check your VPN connection logs, just in case it's a configuration error and not a firewall that's causing your issues.

Question 2

Does my ISP know I'm using a VPN?

Accepted Answer

It depends. If you're using a standard VPN protocol without obfuscation then yes, your ISP can likely detect your VPN traffic based on the packet headers.

If you're using port 443 or an SSH wrapper for your VPN, it's less likely that their filtering technology can distinguish VPN usage from standard SSL traffic.

Question 3

Is VPN Usage Illegal?

Accepted Answer

In some countries, yes. In other countries (e.g. China) VPNs are legal but heavily regulated. In most democratic nations, VPN usage is legal and widespread.

Question 4

Is it legal to bypass VPN blocks?

Accepted Answer

As long as your country doesn't outlaw VPN usage, bypassing blocks shouldn't be illegal. In cases where a website or service is blocking the VPN (Netflix), circumvention is usually a Terms of Service violation. This is not a criminal offense but could theoretically result in account termination.

To our knowledge, neither Netflix or any other major streaming platform has banned a user for VPN usage.

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