Virtual private networks (VPNs) can offer an additional layer of security and privacy for your online activity. Whether you’re working on a public Wi-Fi network and want to escape prying eyes, or you’re worried about privacy in general, a VPN can offer a lot of benefits. But can your carrier know if and when you are using a VPN?
In a nutshell, a Virtual private network establishes a secure, encrypted connection between your device and a private server, hiding your traffic from being seen by others. Of course, the VPN itself can still see your traffic, which is why you should choose a Virtual private network from a company you trust. (A good rule of thumb is to avoid free VPNs, because if they’re not charging you a fee, they may be monetizing in some less desirable way.) In addition, law enforcement can get its hands on your information through the VPN company. However, for the most part, a Virtual private network offers you a way to hide your online activity from others.
Note that getting a VPN is only one of the measures you can take to make your web browsing more secure. Others include enabling two-factor authentication and using a password manager.
In addition to their security benefits, VPNs can be handy when you’re trying to access sensitive information, or if you’re in a country like Uganda and want to stream Netflix or Amazon Prime titles only allowed in the US. Some even claim they can allow you to jump firewalls in heavily regulated countries such as China.
But can MTN, Airtel, Roke Telkom, or any other ISP get to know if you are using a VPN? The simple answer is yes. Most flavors of Virtual private networks (like IPSEC, PPTP, or L2TP) are trivially detected since they use specific port numbers on their packets.
VPNs that pose as other protocols (like HTTPS) are harder to detect, but can generally be inferred by the fact that a lot of data goes from a single IP address to another in a sporadic pattern. Also, if ALL traffic sourced from one IP address goes to another, you can almost be certain that the traffic is a VPN tunnel.
