VPN

A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and a server, then sends all your traffic through it. This does two things: it hides your real IP from the sites you visit, which see the server's exit IP instead, and it encrypts your traffic so local observers — a café Wi-Fi, an ISP — see only ciphertext to the server. Unlike a proxy, which usually handles one application, a VPN protects everything the device sends at the network layer.

You run a VPN client that authenticates to a server and establishes a tunnel using a protocol such as WireGuard or OpenVPN. From then on your packets are encrypted, sent to the server, decrypted and forwarded; replies return the same way. Good VPNs also protect against DNS leaks and offer a kill switch that blocks traffic if the tunnel drops. The privacy you gain depends heavily on the provider's logging: an encrypted tunnel to a server that records everything offers limited real anonymity.

s4m supports WireGuard and OpenVPN profiles. The issued profile and client routing determine the exit and which traffic follows the tunnel. s4m has selectable public exit configurations. Use the endpoint or profile issued for the protocol and location selected in your account. An exit IP can have a prior history. Accounts, cookies and browser signals may still identify a user; changing an address does not guarantee a clean reputation. Consult the published privacy policy and technical descriptions for their scope; IP assignment alone does not establish a no-logs or anonymity guarantee. Related topics: VPN, WireGuard, OpenVPN, no-logs, RAM-first, proxies.