What is IPVanish's Trusted Networks feature and how does it work?

Fundamentally, a virtual private network is there to secure your device and improve online anonymity.

And, while it's a tool that has increasingly become useful for circumventing geo-restrictions in order to unblock streaming services, find workarounds on social media blocks, avoid bandwidth throttling, or facilitate clever money saving tricks, the best VPN providers still prioritize giving their users optimal privacy while online above anything else.

VPN services generally advise keeping the software switched on – not just when you want to carry out a particular action online. Having your VPN always connected guarantees a more secure connection, especially if you're connecting your device to Wi-Fi away from home as these networks generally aren't as secure.

However, having a VPN on all the time can be a drain on battery, and can get in the way with accessing banking apps and the like. That's why providers like IPVanish go above and beyond by developing features like Trusted Networks to tackle this conundrum.

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What are the dangers of untrustworthy networks?

Let's face it, when we're out and about, running low on data, or struggling to get a good signal, we'll jump to connect to public Wi-Fi without thinking about the consequences.

Unlike your home Wi-Fi, however, public Wi-Fi doesn't come with the same level of security and encryption.

While the likelihood of a cybercriminal lurking at the café whose Wi-Fi you're hooked up to is pretty slim, connecting to public networks does leave the likes of your login credentials and other personal data like payment details exposed. Without a VPN to encrypt your connection, you're more susceptible to data breaches, malware, and identity theft.

What is IPVanish's Trusted Networks tool?

IPVanish's Trusted Networks tool tackles the problem of public networks head on, without the need to remember to actively switch your VPN on and off.

Essentially, it's a setting within IPVanish that allows you to set which networks are trusted, such as your home and work Wi-Fi. The Trusted Networks feature will then recognize when you're on a trusted Wi-Fi network or not, and therefore whether or not you need a VPN's protection.

When you connect to a public W-Fi network it doesn't recognize, conversely, it will automatically connect to a server so your data isn't left exposed.

It's fair to say many users might not need to go to the lengths of setting up a whitelist of trusted networks utilizing this tool. However, for anyone who often works on the go, setting up in cafés, on trains, or in airports, you may be carrying out more sensitive tasks that warrant extra protection. Equally, you'll be connecting to public Wi-Fi more than the average person and may want the assurance of IPVanish's Trusted Networks tool so you don't have to constantly remember to connect and disconnect from a VPN.

How to use the IPVanish Trusted Networks feature

Windows

• Launch IPVanish's Windows client
• Locate the Settings menu
• Click on the Network Security tab
• Toggle the Auto-connect on Untrusted network on
• Choose whether or not you want IPVanish to trust cellular and ethernet connections
• Scroll down to 'Your trusted WiFi networks' to manage your trusted networks

Note: you'll only be able mark networks as trusted when you're connected to them

Mac

• Launch IPVanish's Mac client
• Locate Preferences
• Ensure your protocol is set to either WireGuard, IKEv2, or IPSec (Trusted Networks is not compatible with OpenVPN) under the General tab
• Navigate to the Auto Connect tab
• Go to Connect On Demand to set your Auto Connect rules
• You'll have the choice to check Trust Ethernet Networks
• If you want to choose which Wi-Fi networks to trust, don't check Trust Wi-Fi Networks
• Scroll down to Trusted Networks and add your SSID to the list of trusted Wi-Fi networks
• You can do the same with adding SSIDs to Untrusted Networks

As with Windows, you'll only be able mark networks as trusted when you're connected to them

iOS

• Launch the IPVanish iOS app
• Locate the Settings menu
• Select On Demand
• Toggle on Connect on Demand
• You'll also have the choice to then toggle on Trust Cellular and Trust Wi-Fi
• Skip the former and build your whitelist of networks to trust
• You can also create a backlist of networks you don't trust

On iOS, you can also utilize the Add new domain under Connect on Demand to specify websites where you want your VPN to connect automatically.

How else can IPVanish secure your internet connection?

On top of its Trusted Networks feature, there are a number of ways to secure your connection with IPVanish:

• Kill switch: The kill switch is triggered when your connection drops. Rather than being left exposed, this feature will block internet connection.
• DNS leak protection: Avoid holes in your DNS requests and ensure your VPN tunnel is encrypted with leak protection.
• Double Hop: Get double the protection with IPVanish's Double Hop, which routes your data through two servers rather than one.
• Choice of protocols: You can choose between WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 and IPSec, with some protocols offering better speed performance (WireGuard), while others are more secure for particularly sensitive online tasks (OpenVPN).
• Threat Protection: Going beyond encryption, Threat Protection is designed to block malicious websites, trackers, and online threats before they can act.
• Secure browser: Only available on its Advanced plan, IPVanish's Secure Browser feature is its own browser experience that minimizes tracking and enhances privacy.