The 5 Best VPNs With Obfuscated Servers
Reading Time: 4 minutesObfuscated servers disguise VPN traffic as normal web traffic. We take a look at the best providers that offer obfuscation to fight VPN blocks.
Governments, ISPs, and websites often deploy tools and techniques that can block VPN services from accessing certain content. These anti-VPN measures work by analyzing your traffic and looking for unique signatures that reveal that a VPN is in use. This makes it difficult for providers to get around VPN blocks placed by network admins and government firewalls.
To bypass these blocks, you’ll need to connect to specialized obfuscated servers and protocols. These servers conceal the unique VPN signatures and make your VPN traffic appear as normal internet traffic. By using obfuscated servers, anti-VPN software can’t see traces of a VPN and so grant access to websites and online services.
So, what are the best obfuscated VPNs that can provide access to restricted content and go undetected?
What Are the Best VPNs With Obfuscated Servers?
The best VPN with obfuscated servers will consistently bypass VPN-blocking firewalls and hide your VPN activity. It should offer a strong set of security features, high speeds, and allow you to connect multiple devices at the same time.
It isn’t easy to find VPNs that meet all these requirements, but we did some digging and found these five services that can reliably mask your VPN usage.
1. NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the few VPN services that can circumvent pretty much every internet restriction. It’s because the service offers dedicated obfuscated servers that can bypass censorship and Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) techniques in highly restrictive countries.
NordVPN isn’t very clear about the method that they use to achieve obfuscation, but it’s more likely Obfsproxy or the OpenVPN over SSL. In addition to obfuscated servers, NordVPN offers a variety of other specialized servers including MultiHop servers and Onion over VPN to secure your connection. These features can beat even the toughest censorship systems such as the Great Firewall of China.
To access obfuscated servers on NordVPN, you’ll need to set your VPN protocol to OpenVPN TCP/UDP. The feature will be grayed out if you are using any other protocols like IKEv2 or NordLynx.
Connecting to these specialized servers is a straightforward process that takes less than five minutes. Here’s exactly what you need to do:
- Sign in to NordVPN using your login credentials.
- Navigate to Settings in the lower left corner and tap on Connections.
- Disable the Auto Connect settings.
- Change the protocol to OpenVPN (TCP). The Windows app will automatically choose it for you.
- Now go to Advanced Settings and enable Obfuscated Servers under ‘Specialty servers’.
- Connect to an obfuscated server.
That’s it! You can now get around VPN-blocking firewalls as no one can identify that you’re using a VPN.
2. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is as established name in the VPN space that offers obfuscation features to hide your VPN traffic. It comes with impressive security features such as AES 256-bit encryption, a proprietary Lightway protocol, and a useful kill switch that disconnects you from the internet if your VPN connection drops.
The obfuscation feature is in-built in some of ExpressVPN servers; however, unlike NordVPN, connecting to these servers isn’t as straightforward. The VPN will automatically connect you to these servers when it senses restrictions on a network. There’s no option for you to manually choose obfuscated servers or know when you’re connected to one.
Despite the lack of customization, you can rest assured that ExpressVPN won’t leave you without access to restricted content. It has a proven reputation of bypassing VPN blocks and can even counter sophisticated firewalls and advanced online censorship systems.
3. Surfshark
Surfshark offers two distinctive modes to achieve obfuscation. The Camouflage mode removes all the VPN-related data from your connection, so that it looks like normal connectivity. The primary purpose of this mode is to bypass content filters by hiding VPN traces and making it difficult for networks to monitor your activity. The Camouflage mode is automatically activated when you connect to a server using the OpenVPN (UDP/TCP) protocol.
Surfshark also offers a NoBorders mode that allows you to use the app in restrictive regions like China without issues. The NoBorders mode automatically turns on when needed, but you can also turn it on manually in Settings. Here’s how you can do it on Windows devices:
- Open the Surfshark client app and navigate to Settings.
- Select the Advance tab.
- Look for NoBorders mode in the new window and enable it.
Once enabled, you’ll be able to connect to a selected list of servers that will perform well under network restrictions.
4. IPVanish
IPVanish uses the OpenVPN Scramble option to obfuscate traffic and keep prying eyes from analyzing your encrypted VPN data. The Scramble feature shuffles the OpenVPN metadata in data packets and make it unrecognizable to DPI tools like Wireshark. Since VPN-blocking tools can’t detect any recognizable VPN pattern in the traffic, they let it pass.
The Scramble option for OpenVPN can be used on Windows, Android, macOS, and Fire TV devices. Follow these instructions to enable the feature on Windows devices:
- Click on the Settings icon in the IPVanish client app.
- Click on the Connection tab at the top.
- Check the box against the option that says Scramble OpenVPN traffic.
5. ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN introduced its new Stealth VPN protocol in October 2022 to defeat censorship and get around VPN blocks. The Stealth protocol uses obfuscation tactics to make your VPN connection completely undetectable to VPN-blocking firewalls.
The open-source protocol is based on TLS and WireGuard, and can be used to connect to all Proton’s servers. It’s also compatible with the VPN’s Accelerator feature to boost connectivity speeds and is currently available only for Android.
Avoid VPN Detection With Obfuscated Servers
A VPN with obfuscated servers helps you bypass anti-VPN technologies, whether they are placed by your government, ISP, workplace, or websites themselves. It removes all VPN-related data from your traffic, so you can access websites and services that would otherwise block VPN traffic.
Right now, only a few premium VPNs offer obfuscated servers or similar features. If you subscribe to any of our recommended VPNs, you can take advantage of obfuscation without paying any extra money.
Reference: https://www.makeuseof.com/best-vpns-with-obfuscated-servers/
Ref: makeuseof