Data as an asset is growing in importance. You'll have noticed having to block countless trackers and cookies just to keep your privacy. And while using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can be a shortcut to maintaining your privacy and security online, it might be the reason you can’t access the internet on some networks.

But aside from gatekeeping geo-restricted content, why would someone block a VPN?

Can ISPs Block Your VPN?

All a VPN does is encrypt the data traveling from and into your device. It’s not connecting you to the internet. That’s still the work of your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Under normal circumstances, your ISP can easily spy on your web activity—even if you’re sticking to HTTPS websites, as that only encrypts the data packages being transferred, not your actual activity online. With HTTP websites, your ISP can have full visibility of everything you’re doing.

A VPN, on the other hand, encrypts everything before it even gets to your ISP, preventing them from collecting any type of data on your browsing activity, except for maybe your VPN brand if it's well known.

Why Would Your ISP Block VPNs?

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At first glance, it may seem absurd that your ISP would want to block VPNs. But the closer you look, the more ISPs would have reasons to block VPN use:

  • Legality: If VPNs are banned in your country, ISPs country-wide may be forced by law to block all VPNs.
  • Bandwidth Control: VPNs let you bypass your assigned bandwidth and use up more data than they want.
  • Data Collection: If your data is encrypted, the ISP won’t be able to collect it and sell it to advertisers.

Of course, your ISP can simply have a grudge against VPNs and block them on their network. But that’s becoming harder to do as VPNs grow in popularity with geo-restricted content and privacy awareness. So unless it’s a legality issue, most ISPs don’t block VPNs.

Still, you might’ve noticed your connection acting up whenever you’re on a public network. The internet costs money, and there’s rarely such a thing as “free” internet. They’re usually a scheme to collect massive amounts of user data. While that’s not the case for every store that offers free Wi-Fi, free connections offered at shopping centers, events, and public areas are rarely safe.

A VPN can protect your privacy if you’re using it on a secure network, but when it comes to public internet networks, using a VPN is essential not only for your privacy but for your security.

How Can Your ISP Block VPNs?

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There are multiple ways an ISP can block your VPN connection.

One of the most common and easier approaches is to block the VPN server’s IP address. This is the same method that websites—especially streaming sites—use to block VPN users.

If your connection is encrypted and going from your personal IP address towards an IP address of a data center rather than a website, they interpret that as using a VPN and block the connection.

Another way that enables them to mass-block VPNs without targeting servers one by one is by blocking specific ports. Every virtual tunneling protocol uses a specific port that your ISP can block. For example, port 1194 blocks OpenVPN, and port 1702 blocks L2TP.

For more targeted VPN blocking, your ISP can use Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and analyze your traffic. VPN protocols leave a signature when encrypting data packets that network analysis tools, like Wireshark, can detect.

Some ISPs take things a step further and block VPNs at the source by banning as many VPN sign-up pages and websites as possible. For some, that’s easier and quicker than trying to intercept countless VPN users.

What Can You Do About It?

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Even if your ISP provider takes every precaution under the sun to keep you from using a VPN, chances are you can still find a way around the restriction and enjoy your online privacy and security.

Accessing Blocked VPN Websites

Website banning has been used in censorship for ages. And while you can try your luck with free online VPNs until you find one your ISP hasn’t blocked, that’s risky, especially if you’re handing over your payment card information.

You can attempt to access the VPN website directly using their IP address. In some cases, using live Google translation can get you past the block. The easiest way, however, is switching your network, either by using your mobile data or a friend’s internet to sign up and install a VPN.

Bypassing Blocked VPN Servers

There isn’t much you can do with a blocked IP address other than switching to a different server. The average VPN provider has thousands of servers that they update regularly to evade blocking and censorship.

So if one server is blocked, simply switch to another one and hope for the best. It's likely that your ISP didn’t get all of them.

Bypassing Blocked VPN Ports

No need to stress about a couple of ports being blocked. There are numerous ports, and your ISP can’t keep up with blocking all of them.

Just switch to a mainstream port your ISP would never dream to block like the 443 port used in HTTPS connection.

Bypassing Network Analyzers

Network analyzers are powerful tools and can be hard to evade on your own. The only solution is to mask your encrypted VPN traffic as regular, unencrypted traffic.

If you’re tech-savvy, you can take the DIY route and use obfsproxy, a Tor subproject to mask your traffic. Fortunately, many VPN providers, like Surfshark and NordVPN, now come with a similar masking feature included. All you need to do is switch it on in the app's settings.

There’s Always a Way Around Blocking

Whether it’s censorship, privacy invasion, or security issues, there will be a tool to get you towards a safer and more free internet. Still, not all solutions are the same, and you need to stay up to date on the latest apps, tools, and tricks that help you get around data collection and website blocking.