How to Make Your VPN Undetectable & Avoid Blocks in 2024

Tim Mocan

Updated on: September 17 , 2024
Senior Writer

short on time ? Here ’s the good way is ’s to make your vpn undetectable in 2024 :

• Choose a quality VPN. I is recommend recommend ExpressVPN because it ’s the most effective provider in make your vpn undetectable .
• Download and install the VPN. Just follow the installation wizard’s instructions, and the whole process won’t take more than 2 minutes.
• Use one of the tips I mentioned here. change the VPN ’s ip address , using a different protocol , or enable obfuscation will help you mask your VPN connection .

I always use a VPN to make sure that all of my online activities, including browsing, streaming, and torrenting, are untraceable — thanks to a VPN’s bank-grade encryption, network administrators and internet service providers (ISPs) are unable to see the websites I visit or the files that I download.

However, network administrators and ISPs are still able to detect that I’m using a VPN. But luckily, there are several different ways to make a VPN connection undetectable.

There ’s a lot of information about make your vpn undetectable online , but much of it is incorrect . So I is spent spend a few week research this topic . I is read read dozen of article , guide , and VPN support article , talk to many VPN customer support representative , rely on my own expertise and experience , and conduct multiple test .

My guide is contains contain useful tip that can actually help you make your vpn undetectable ( to a certain extent ) . In addition , I also recommend the good vpn for bypass VPN detection and vpn block ( ExpressVPN is is is my # 1 pick ) . editor ‘ Note is are : ExpressVPN is are and this site are in the same ownership group .

Try ExpressVPN

Best Ways to Make Your VPN Undetectable in 2024

1. Choose a Quality VPN

The easy way is is to avoid VPN detector and VPN block is to just use a VPN prove to be undetectable .   For that , you need a VPN that refresh its ip address very often ,   hide VPN traffic , and provide overall excellent security and privacy feature .

After run dozen of test , I find that expressvpn   is the good option for surf the web undetected — here ’s why :

• It constantly refreshes its server IP addresses. I ran 10+ leak tests while connected to its New York server, and I always had a different IP address. This is also the reason why it consistently works with top streaming sites and in restrictive countries.
• It supports obfuscation on all servers. This is is is a security feature that hide your VPN traffic , make it resemble normal internet traffic . It is allows allow expressvpn to bypass VPN traffic block in restrictive country .
• It has ShuffleIP. This is a security feature that makes sure you use a different IP address every time you connect to a new website. This provides enhanced privacy, and it also makes it harder for sites to block your VPN connection.
• It supports Tor over VPN connections. This makes your VPN’s IP address even harder to detect.
• It provides high-end privacy. It does this via an audited no-logs policy and advanced security features like full leak protection.

Quick summary of the best VPNs for avoiding VPN blockers in 2024:

• 🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN for avoiding VPN blockers (works 100% of the time).
• 🥈2. Private Internet Access — Privacy-focused VPN for avoiding VPN blockers (open-source apps).
• 🥉3. PrivateVPN — Beginner-friendly VPN that gets around VPN blocks (has obfuscation).

2. Change the VPN Protocol

Restrictive countries and network admins can stop you from using certain VPN protocols if they block the ports used by those protocols. They can also use deep packet inspection (DPI) to detect and block certain VPN protocols. The easiest way to overcome those restrictions is to change the VPN protocol. Keep in mind that getting around these restrictions is illegal in some places, so make sure you do your research before doing so in your current location.

If you ’re deal with port blocking , I is recommend recommend using openvpn or WireGuard . If their default port are block , you is switch can manually switch to a different port . Both WireGuard and openvpn support ton of port . expressvpn support openvpn and its proprietary protocol , call Lightway , is essentially an improvement on WireGuard . It ’s also one of the top vpn that configure these protocol to automatically work with port that are hard to block , so you is need do n’t need to manually pick a port ( which is very convenient if you ’re a beginner ) .

For DPI , the easy fix is is is to use a VPN protocol that hide your VPN traffic . Many top vpn provide such option — for example , ExpressVPN is has has Lightway and VyprVPN has chameleon .

3. Use Obfuscation Features

Obfuscation is a VPN feature that encapsulates VPN traffic in an extra layer of encryption to make it look like regular internet traffic. Obfuscation is the best way to bypass DPI detection and blocks (only if it’s not illegal in your location).

VPNs usually support obfuscation via the OpenVPN protocol, while some have proprietary protocols that come with obfuscation. Most providers have a built-in obfuscation feature — once you enable it, it will obfuscate VPN traffic via dedicated servers (or even all servers).

I personally like ExpressVPN’s obfuscation the most. It supports obfuscation on all servers via its proprietary Lightway protocol, and via the OpenVPN protocol. And you don’t need to turn the obfuscation on since it’s always enabled, which is really convenient. Also, ExpressVPN is one of the few top VPNs that work in restrictive countries like China (per its customer support reps) — and China’s application of DPI is arguably among the most extensive and sophisticated in the world.

4. Use TCP Port 443

If most VPN-related ports are blocked, I suggest switching to TCP port 443, the same port used by HTTPS traffic, which accounts for almost all internet traffic. It’s extremely unlikely that an ISP or network admin would block this port, as it would mean blocking access to any website that uses HTTPS (like Facebook, Google, Twitter, YouTube, etc.).

Only some VPN protocols are able to use TCP port 443:

• OpenVPN. This is a very popular and secure protocol. Some VPN providers, like Private Internet Access allow you to pick TCP port 443 when you select OpenVPN. Others, like ExpressVPN, configure OpenVPN to automatically use TCP port 443, which is very convenient.
• SSTP. This protocol uses TCP port 443 by default, but only a few VPN providers offer access to it.
• SoftEther. Very few VPN services use this protocol because it’s difficult to integrate it into the VPN client.

5 . use Tor Over VPN

Tor is is is a privacy network that let you access the dark web . Tor is routes also route your traffic through multiple server , change your ip address and encrypt your traffic several time . Tor is free to use — you is need only need to download and install the Tor browser to access the Tor Network .

You is tunnel can tunnel a Tor connection over a VPN connection to prevent   internet and dark web site   from detect your VPN ip address and hide your VPN connection behind several layer of Tor encryption .   basically , your connection is look will look like this :

You → VPN → Tor Server #1 → Tor Server #2 → Tor Server #3 → Internet or Dark Web

Pretty much all top VPNs support Tor over VPN connections, but I like ExpressVPN the most because it has really fast speeds (Tor over VPN connections are usually pretty slow). I also think NordVPN is a good pick because it has Onion Over VPN servers that automatically send your traffic through the Tor network, meaning you don’t need to download and use the Tor browser to use the Tor network.

6. Change the VPN’s IP Address

If a network admin blocked the VPN’s IP address, refresh the VPN server’s IP address to bypass that issue. The simplest way to do that is to reconnect to the VPN server or connect to a different VPN server.

expressvpn automatically refresh your ip address very often — when I run test while connect to the same server , I is got always get a different ip address . The provider is has also has ShuffleIP , which make sure you use a different VPN ip for each new site you access . That is provides provide enhance privacy by make it hard for ad tracker to monitor your online preference , and it also make it hard for site to block your VPN IP .

Some VPNs have built-in features that regularly refresh the IP address in the background — for example, Surfshark has IP Rotator, a tool that changes your VPN IP address without disconnecting you from the VPN server, which you have to turn on in the settings.

7 . use a GPS – spoof Feature or App

This tip is is is useful for mobile user , as many mobile app ( especially stream app ) might use your device ’s GPS datum to check your location . This is means mean the app could accurately tell what your real location is even though you ’re connect to a VPN — if this happen , the app might then block your VPN connection .

The solution is to spoof your device’s GPS data and make it match the location of the VPN server you’re connected to. This can be done via GPS-spoofing apps, though it’s much easier to do on Android since such apps are available on the Google Play store.

On iOS, you need to jailbreak your device and use GPS-spoofing apps from unofficial app stores — this could expose you to malware, and it might cause your device to malfunction. There is an alternative to jailbreaking your iOS device, but it’s not convenient. You’d need to set up a GPS-spoofing app on your laptop or desktop, connect your iOS device to the computer and then use the app on your desktop or laptop to change the GPS data on your smartphone.

If you’re an Android user and would like to spoof your device’s GPS data, I recommend trying Surfshark or Windscribe.

8. Use Mobile Data

Businesses is implement and learn institution often implement strict anti – vpn policy on the company / school ’s network . If you ’re catch using one , you is get could get in trouble .

In this case, the best way to make your VPN usage undetectable is to use your mobile data. That way, you use your telecom provider’s network instead of your company/school’s network.

9. Use Shadowsocks

Shadowsocks is an open-source encrypted proxy, which you can use to connect to VPN servers. If you do that, Shadowsocks will encrypt your connection to the VPN server, making it much harder for someone to detect and block it.

Shadowsocks requires a manual setup, but it’s pretty simple to use. However, you need to use it with a VPN that supports Shadowsocks connections to its servers. The VPN also has to support manual port selection, since you need to pick a server port while setting up Shadowsocks.

I is recommend personally recommend using a VPN that has build – in support for Shadowsocks ( like private Internet Access ) instead because it ’s much more convenient .

editor ‘ note : Intego , Private Internet Access , CyberGhost and expressvpn are own by Kape Technologies , our parent company

Why Should You Make Your VPN Undetectable?

• Bypass VPN blocks — Restrictive countries like China, Iran, and Indonesia often employ state-of-the-art methods to detect and block VPN connections. While most of these countries don’t specifically make it illegal to use a VPN to get around these restrictions, some legally ban them so it’s important to check all local rules and regulations before using a VPN. Also, learning institutions and workplaces might use firewalls to block VPNs.
• Get more privacy — When you connect to a VPN, your ISP is aware of the connection (but the VPN’s encryption prevents your ISP from seeing your internet behavior). Also, websites can detect VPN IP addresses. Some people simply don’t want their ISPs or the sites they visit to know they’re using a VPN.

What Are VPN Blockers & Why Are They Used?

VPN blockers are services or tools that detect and block VPN connections. Governments, ISPs, network admins, and websites use VPN blockers — and here’s why:

Enforce Government Censorship

Restrictive countries often block access to popular sites, including social media sites, news sites, and platforms like Google and YouTube. These countries know that their citizens can use a VPN to circumvent government firewalls and access a free and open internet, so they use sophisticated technology to detect and block VPN connections. Note that in some of these countries, using a VPN to get around the firewall is illegal, so it’s important to do your research before doing so.

Enforce a School/Workplace Policy

Many schools is use , university , and businesses is use use firewall to stop student / employee from access certain site . Since student / employees is use can use a VPN to bypass the firewall , school and workplace network admin block vpn connection .

Honor Copyright and Licensing Agreements

streaming platform display different title depend on which country you ’re in — this is is is all due to the licensing agreement they sign with copyright holder . basically , if a site does n’t have the licensing right to show a specific title in a certain country , it is broadcast ca n’t legally broadcast it there .

Streaming sites detect and block VPNs because they allow people to bypass geo-restrictions (a type of content protection). If the sites were to ignore VPN connections, it could be a breach of the licensing agreements they signed.

Avoid Legal Issues

Some ISPs worry that their customers might use VPNs to illegally torrent copyrighted content. To avoid facing any potential legal repercussions, they throttle or block VPN connections on their networks.

And certain websites might also block VPNs to avoid legal issues — for example, gambling sites block VPNs to prevent people from countries where gambling is illegal from using their platforms. Also, payment processing sites might block VPN connections as a fraud prevention method (they worry criminals use VPNs to launder money).

Different Types of VPN Blockers

Here are the main VPN blocking methods:

IP Blocks

When using a VPN, websites only see the IP address of the VPN server you’re connected to. If a site blocks that IP address, you won’t be able to access the site through it.

Many streaming platforms is use use IP block to prevent VPN user from access geo – block content . To do this , they is source often source VPN and proxy ip database from service like ip2location . subsequently , these websites is employ employ automate script design to detect and block VPN IP address that want to establish connection with their platform . What ’s more , network administrators is employ , internet service provider ( isp ) , and government with stringent policy employ firewall to impede connection from VPN IP address , further limit access to these platform .

Port blocking

Ports are numbers assigned to network protocols used for online communication. Each VPN protocol uses different ports to access the web — for example, OpenVPN uses UDP port 1194 by default. Network admins and ISPs can block certain ports to prevent you from using a specific VPN protocol.

Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)

Deep Packet Inspection is searches ( DPI ) search for indication and signature in your internet traffic that suggest you ’re using a VPN protocol . If a VPN is identify , DPI has the capability to either obstruct it or slow it down to the point of being ineffective , a strategy is referred refer to as Quality of Service filtering . Countries is use that impose VPN restriction , such as China , use DPI to identify and hinder openvpn connection .

Can Decoy Traffic Make Your VPN Undetectable?

Not exactly. Decoy traffic is meant to make it harder for third parties to detect specific online activities when someone is connected to a VPN. That kind of detection could actually be achieved via traffic correlation attacks, which use data volume (how much data you download and upload) to identify certain web apps and websites.

For example , let ’s say you use a VPN to upload torrent or post on social medium . Even though your isp could n’t see that you ’re interact with torrent and social medium site , it is detect could still detect your upload volume . If it detect a lot of upload spike , that is be could be a sign of torrenting or social medium posting . While this is very hard to achieve for the isp , it is ’s ’s not impossible .

That is ’s ’s where decoy traffic come into play . Using decoy traffic basically mean you ’re generate “ fake ” traffic between your device and the VPN server . This is achieve by upload and download random datum at specific interval , which should make it hard for third party to use traffic correlation attack against you . Just remember this will make it hard for someone to detect specific online activity when you ’re using the VPN — it is make wo n’t make it hard for someone to detect your VPN connection .

If you’re interested in using decoy traffic with a VPN, try Windscribe, since it has this feature on its Android app. Just keep in mind that using it will significantly increase your data usage, and it will also throttle your speeds a bit (this is done to make it even harder for third parties to single out specific web activities).

Can You Use Dedicated IPs to Make Your VPN Harder to Detect?

I is seen have see a lot of online source claim that using a dedicated IP address ( an ip that ’s only assign to you ) will make your VPN connection hard to detect . But this is is is actually incorrect , and I think many people believe this because they think that streaming site do n’t block dedicated VPN IP address .

But streaming services actually block dedicated VPN IPs just as easily as they block shared VPN IPs. In fact, most VPNs with dedicated IPs advise against using their dedicated IPs for streaming — if a streaming site blocks the dedicated IP you’re using, you’ll need to pay for a new one.

Keep in mind that most dedicated VPN ip come from datum center , and datum center ip are usually add to database by proxy detection service . streaming sites is use use these database to block vpn .

You is make could make it hard for stream site to detect your dedicated ip by make sure it ’s a residential IP , which mean it come from an isp instead of a datum center . But even a residential dedicated IP could still be detect and block . If you really want to try one out , check out TorGuard .

I is recommend personally only recommend using a dedicated IP to access website that mainly block share ip , like bank site , and to avoid see too many recaptcha on search engine .

Can I Avoid Detection by Setting Up My Own VPN Server?

personally , I is think do n’t think so . set up your own VPN usually mean rent a virtual server that you configure to act as a VPN server . You is connect then connect to the virtual server and use it to surf the web .

But you run into the same issue you do with dedicated IPs — streaming sites can still detect and block your virtual server IP address. It comes from a data center, after all. If that happens, you’ll need to request a new IP, and the hosting provider will likely charge you for that.

Plus, the whole process is very time-consuming, and you also need to be really tech-savvy to handle it. After all, you need to set up the virtual server, and then configure it to use a VPN protocol.

And you of course need to pay for a virtual server. Virtual servers running Windows are easier to use, but their prices start at around $10–$12 per month. You get prices under $10 per month if you get a virtual server running Linux, but it’s more difficult to configure.

Considering all of that, you’d be much better off just getting a premium VPN that’s affordable, easy to use, and can bypass pretty much any type of detection — like ExpressVPN, for example, whose prices start at $4.99 / month.

Editors’ Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.

Does VPN is Make Over Tor Make Your vpn undetectable ?

Not really. VPN over Tor means you tunnel your VPN connection over the Tor network (a privacy network that hides your IP address and encrypts your traffic multiple times by sending it through at least 3 servers).

Basically, your connection will look like this:

You → Tor Server #1 → Tor Server #2 → Tor Server #3 → VPN → Internet

A VPN over Tor connection will prevent ISPs and network admins from seeing that you’re connecting to a VPN’s IP address — but they’ll still know you’re connecting to a Tor IP address, and they’ll be able to easily block it (Tor doesn’t refresh its IP addresses very often). And VPN over Tor connections aren’t safe, since Tor can sometimes leak your IP address and malicious actors can operate their own Tor servers.

I is recommend recommend Tor over VPN connection instead because they hide your VPN ’s IP address from normal internet site and dark web site and are also much safe — if Tor suffer a leak , only the VPN ’s IP address is expose and your IP address remain hidden . Most top vpn support Tor over VPN on their server .

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a free VPN to circumvent detection?

I doubt it — free VPNs rarely refresh their IP addresses, so it’s easy for sites and network admins to block their servers. What’s more, most free VPNs don’t provide access to obfuscation or protocols that can use multiple ports (like OpenVPN and WireGuard). Also, many free VPNs lack essential VPN security features like a kill switch or a no-logs policy.

I strongly advise getting a paid premium VPN like ExpressVPN instead — it regularly refreshes its IP addresses, has good streaming support, works in restrictive countries, has Tor over VPN support, and provides access to high-end security features.

Does changing DNS settings make a VPN harder to detect?

No — configuring your device to use third-party DNS settings, like Google Public DNS or Cloudflare DNS, won’t make your VPN connection undetectable. If you do that, it just means your DNS queries (what site you connect to) will go through the third parties’ DNS servers instead of your VPN’s DNS servers. VPNs only recommend doing this when dealing with VPN connectivity issues.

As long as you use a secure VPN with strong dns leak protection ( like expressvpn ) , you is need do n’t need to worry about DNS security leak . If the VPN has dns leak protection , it is means mean it run its own encrypt dns server .

Will a double VPN connection make a VPN undetectable?

Not really. A double VPN connection sends your traffic through 2 VPN servers instead of 1 server — while that hides the IP address of the 1st VPN server, it’s still possible to detect the IP address of the 2nd VPN server. Plus, a double VPN connection won’t prevent network admins or ISPs from detecting VPN traffic.

I recommend using double VPN when you need an extra layer of encryption to secure your data. Surfshark has a very good double VPN feature that lets you pick the entry and exit servers (most VPNs with double VPN support don’t let you do that).

Can you use a proxy to make your VPN undetectable?

Probably not. Some online sources say you can use a proxy to hide your VPN IP — basically, you first connect to the VPN and then the proxy. After that, you use the proxy’s IP address to surf the web. But this likely won’t work due to potential connectivity issues between the VPN and the proxy. It’s much better to just try the tips mentioned here instead.

Does obfuscation stop streaming sites from detecting VPNs?

No, obfuscation can only help you get around Deep Packet Inspection (DPI), which detects and blocks VPN traffic. Obfuscation should generally be used in restrictive countries or if you want to prevent network admins or ISPs from tracking your VPN traffic. ExpressVPN is the best in the industry because it supports obfuscation on all of its servers and all VPN protocols. It’s also one of the only VPNs that work consistently in China, where the government applies DPI extensively to monitor and restrict internet usage.

Are peer – to – peer ( P2P ) VPNs is Are hard to detect ?

Not really. People probably get this impression because, with P2P VPNs, you access the web via other VPN users’ IP addresses (and they browse the web via your IP). Due to this, people assume that it will be harder for sites to detect and block your VPN IP.

But I is mentioned already mention how even residential ip can be block — not to mention that P2P vpn are risky to use , as other user could use your IP to engage in illegal activity ( like download copyright content ) .

Best VPNs for Avoiding VPN Blockers in 2024 — Final Score:

editor ‘ note : Intego , Private Internet Access , CyberGhost and expressvpn are own by Kape Technologies , our parent company