Hi guys! So I’m going to go to Fujian, China for 3 weeks next week. Me and my family are going to be staying at my grandparents house where they will have WiFi broadband thingy. But I need access to apps such as WhatsApp, Snapchat, TikTok etc and I was wondering if anyone knows what’s the best thing to do? Some people recommend eSIMs, some recommend VPNs. I’ve tried researching but still don’t know the best thing to do!
Please can I get some advice or best course of action?

Do those free VPN apps on the App Store cause malware to iPhones? A few years ago, I downloaded this one free VPN app called “VPN super unlimited proxy” or something along those lines and I ended up getting a virus on my iPhone where I would get logged out of all my apps. I always thought it was caused by the free VPN. Are the free VPN apps on the App Store not trustworthy and sketchy to use?

Hi everyone,
I’m trying to set up a VPN/router solution so that when I travel internationally, all my devices (laptop, phone, etc.) can connect through my home internet in Saskatchewan and appear as if they’re browsing from Canada.
Current setup:
Home internet provider: SaskTel⁠
Home router/modem: ARRIS NVG448BQ
Travel router I already have: GL.iNet GL-MT3000 (Beryl AX)
Goal:
When travelling (e.g. India), connect laptop/devices to the GL.iNet router
Route all traffic through my home network in Canada
Get Canadian residential IP instead of using commercial VPN IPs
Questions:
Does SaskTel offer any built-in VPN/static IP service for this use case?
Has anyone successfully done this with SaskTel internet?
Can I keep the ARRIS router and add a second GL.iNet router (Brume/Flint) behind it for WireGuard?
Will I need a static IP, or is Dynamic DNS enough?
I’m considering either:
Keeping SaskTel ARRIS + adding GL.iNet router as VPN server
OR
Replacing part of the setup with a GL.iNet Flint/Brume device.
Would appreciate advice from anyone who has done a similar setup, especially with SaskTel. Thanks!

I started looking for a gaming VPN because I kept seeing mixed opinions online.

Some people swear a VPN lowers their ping while others say it only makes things worse. After digging through Reddit discussions, provider documentation and plenty of user experiences, I realized the answer isn't as straightforward as VPN = better gaming.

In most cases, a VPN won't magically reduce your ping. What it can do is improve routing in certain situations, protect your IP address and help you access game servers or region specific content.

If gaming is your main reason for buying a VPN, these are the things I'd pay attention to.

What actually matters in a gaming VPN?

A flashy homepage doesn't mean much if the VPN performs poorly in game.

These are the features I'd prioritize:

• Low latency
• Stable connections
• Fast WireGuard or equivalent protocol
• Large server network
• DDoS protection
• Minimal speed loss
• Reliable apps for Windows and consoles (where supported)

VPNs that gamers recommend most often

NordVPN

One of the most frequently recommended gaming VPNs.

Its NordLynx protocol is extremely fast and many players report stable performance across competitive games.

Good for

• Competitive gaming
• Low latency
• Large server selection
• DDoS protection

Things to consider

• Limited to 10 simultaneous devices.

Surfshark

A great option if you game on multiple devices or share a subscription with family or friends.

Good for

• Unlimited devices
• WireGuard support
• Affordable pricing
• Fast downloads

Things to consider

• Some servers perform better than others, so switching locations occasionally helps.

ExpressVPN

One of the easiest VPNs to set up especially if you don't want to spend time tweaking settings.

Good for

• Stable performance
• Excellent router support
• Reliable server network
• Cross platform compatibility

Things to consider

• Usually costs more than competitors.

Proton VPN

Often recommended by users who value privacy alongside gaming.

Good for

• Fast WireGuard servers
• Strong privacy
• Reliable desktop apps

Things to consider

• Best gaming servers are available on paid plans.

Private Internet Access (PIA)

Frequently recommended by experienced users who like having more control over settings.

Good for

• Large server network
• Port forwarding (where available)
• Customization options

Things to consider

• Speeds can vary depending on the server.

Will a VPN lower your ping?

This is probably the biggest misconception.

For most people, no.

Adding a VPN means your traffic takes an extra step before reaching the game server, which can increase latency.

However, there are situations where a VPN can actually help:

• Your ISP uses inefficient routing.
• Your ISP is throttling gaming traffic.
• A VPN offers a more direct route to the game server.
• You're connecting to a nearby VPN server with excellent network infrastructure.

Those cases exist but they're the exception rather than the rule.

Reasons gamers use VPNs

Besides ping, there are plenty of other reasons people game with a VPN:

• Protection against DDoS attacks.
• Playing while connected to public WiFi.
• Accessing region specific servers.
• Playing while traveling.
• Avoiding ISP throttling (where applicable).
• Protecting your real IP address during competitive games.

Features worth looking for

If you're comparing providers, I'd check whether they offer:

• WireGuard or another high speed protocol.
• Kill Switch.
• Split Tunneling.
• Router support.
• Dedicated gaming servers (if available).
• Fast local servers.

What about consoles?

Since PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch don't support VPN apps directly, you usually have three options:

• Install the VPN on your router.
• Share a VPN connection from your PC.
• Use Smart DNS if your provider offers it (mainly useful for streaming rather than privacy).

Are free VPNs good for gaming?

Personally, I wouldn't recommend them.

Gaming requires low latency and stable speeds while free VPNs often have:

• Limited bandwidth.
• Crowded servers.
• Higher latency.
• Data limits.
• Fewer server locations.

Those limitations usually become noticeable pretty quickly during online matches.

My takeaway

If gaming is your priority, I'd focus less on marketing claims about lower ping and more on consistency.

A VPN should provide stable speeds, reliable connections, and nearby servers. Features like WireGuard support, good routing, and a large server network will usually make a much bigger difference than any promise of magically improving latency.

From everything I looked into, NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, Proton VPN, and Private Internet Access are the providers that come up most consistently among gamers for overall performance.

If you've been gaming with a VPN recently, has it actually improved your experience or do you mainly use it for privacy and DDoS protection?

Hello hivemind.
I've been using Mullvad for about 5 years with no complaints. For reasons related to the recent news, I'm curious about potential alternatives. I chose Mullvad initially because it's cheap, it hasn't gotten caught storing data, and the UI is about as simple as possible.
I'm not really interested in discussing the incident itself. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thx thx thx

EDIT: Thanks everyone for the helpful suggestions. My subscription doesn't go up until October so I've got some time to look into the other services mentioned. I've liked my time with Mullvad, shame I gotta move on.

I travel to China several times a year for work.
My setup is a GL.iNet travel router. I connect it to hotel Wi-Fi, apartment Wi-Fi, or my phone’s hotspot, then the router establishes a VPN so all my devices appear to be in Europe. I can’t install a VPN directly on my work laptop, so the router is my only option.
The problem is reliability.
Sometimes the VPN works perfectly for days. Other times, it suddenly stops working (I assume the VPN server/IP gets blocked), which is a problem when I have Teams meetings or need access to company resources.
I don’t need it 24/7—just something reliable enough for meetings and remote work.
I’m considering a few options:
A more reliable VPN provider that works well with GL.iNet routers.
Renting a VPS in Europe and running my own WireGuard server.
Using an international eSIM that roams in China and sharing that connection through the router.
Another solution I haven’t thought about.
Has anyone found a setup that’s consistently reliable in China in 2026?
Thanks!

Hi guys,

Do you know which VPN I can use to access Indian servers? I’m currently outside India, so I would like to connect to an Indian server.

need help or suggestions on what program to use that’s free?

Hello! I have been using LetsVPN for a specific search, which has been quite helpful but since yesterday or so, the Google search reviews and my Google page have started presenting in Chinese (or Cantonese, not sure).

I know that recently they had a crackdown but it was just working perfectly like 2 days ago and now is like this. For reference, I am connecting to Brazil and I know that sometimes the server can be a bit slow but my point is with the language?

Any tips? Thanks

P.S.: I'm not in China or doing anything related to China

I am moving to China for 2 months in about a week. I’m looking for a reliable VPN that I can use to still do my regular things that I would do in America. I’ve seen surfshark and letsvpn but those two seem to be currently kind of unreliable right now in China. I’ve also seen that an eSIM would be the best and that Airalo might be the one that I should use. But I’m not fully sure, so I’ll appreciate any help on this.

I have always kept a light finger on info around VPNs, and have a better-than-muggle knowledge of how they work. However, over the years many VPNs have had problems keeping data from “leaking” when the VPN is between a specific computer and the service provider.

As such, would things be improved if the VPN is set up on the gateway/router? Because program requests are made from the computer, and the VPN isn’t actually on the computer, there is no way for a program to wiggle data out past the VPN’s walls. The request goes out through the router, which the program cannot affect in any fashion whatsoever, and the router then just bundles all communication indiscriminately through the VPN.

Because of massive age verification in my country in september, I wondered if using vpn on instagram or other social media will be able to cover my accounts in another country even if my phone number in my meta accounts is French?

Hello, Idk if this is the correct place for this post, but does anybody has experience using a VPN to pay cheaper subscriptions? In my case is for YouTube premium, I'm used to pay like $3 dollars, cause I'm from Argentina and that's what you pay there, but now I'm living in Europe and a YouTube premium subscription costs like €15. Thanks.

Ever since I downloaded 2 VPNs my laptop’s internet has become slow. Websites are buffering which is very odd and it has become such a hassle to play any p8r@cy website even without turning the VPN on.
What might be the cause ?

I'm using a V2ray(REALITY) one site thinks I'm at UAE another thinks I'm at Netherlands and another's one thinks I'm at USA(where the actual VPN is supposed to be)

What is exactly happening?

​Hi everyone,

​I’ve been using Proton VPN for a while now and wanted to use it to research which countries don't have any Arma Reforger servers, or at least which ones are closest to the country in question using the available VPN server.

To do this, I’m using the Battlemetrics website, which relies solely on the IP address to determine the requester's location, in order to display the distance from my own IP or the VPN server to the nearest Arma Reforger server. Therefore, using a VPN is the only way for me to achieve this.

​Unfortunately, this isn't working because Battlemetrics blocks these virtual server locations (botnet detection; for example, the Philippines VPN server is hosted in Singapore). So, I wanted to ask if you could please test this for me to see if it’s failing for you too.

I’ve already tried it on my Samsung and via the desktop browser extension, I don’t use the PC programme. It doesn’t work via the Danish or Egyptian servers either. The German, Austrian and US servers work.

Support claims it works on their end, but unfortunately, it currently doesn't work for me. I’m completely at a loss; I’ve tried everything I can think of. Personally, I'm from Germany. Thanks a lot, everyone.

https://preview.redd.it/togt32dq019h1.png?width=2432&format=png&auto=webp&s=59d7c3109b85bf5a504f9a3caacff00dda70496e