Question:

How does a personal VPN affect the visibility of my network traffic on a school’s WiFi?

I am a school employee who uses a personal tablet for educational purposes in the classroom. The school’s IT department monitors the WiFi network closely. Sometimes, I want to stream online videos on my tablet when I am not teaching. I have a Norton 360 personal VPN installed on my tablet. What kind of information can the IT department see when I use my tablet with the VPN on? Can they only see that there is some activity, or can they also see the content and destination of my network traffic?

Answer:

A VPN, or virtual private network, is a service that creates a secure and encrypted connection between your device and a remote server. By using a VPN, you can hide your IP address, location, and online activity from anyone who might be snooping on your network, such as your internet service provider (ISP), hackers, or government agencies.

However, using a VPN does not make you completely invisible or anonymous on the internet. There are still some ways that your network traffic can be detected or traced by others, depending on the type and quality of your VPN, the configuration of your network, and the policies of your VPN provider.

In this article, we will explore how a personal VPN affects the visibility of your network traffic on a school’s WiFi, and what kind of information the school’s IT department can see when you use your tablet with the VPN on.

What can the school’s IT department see when you use your tablet with the VPN on?

When you use your tablet with the VPN on, the school’s IT department can see that there is some activity on your device, but they cannot see the content and destination of your network traffic.

This is because the VPN encrypts your data before it leaves your device, and sends it to a remote server that acts as a proxy for your online requests. The school’s WiFi network only sees the encrypted data and the IP address of the VPN server, not the actual websites or services that you are accessing.

However, this does not mean that you are completely safe from the school’s IT department. There are still some ways that they can infer or discover some information about your network traffic, such as:

• The amount and timing of your data usage: The school’s IT department can see how much data you are sending and receiving, and when you are using your tablet. This can give them some clues about what kind of online activities you are doing, such as streaming videos, browsing social media, or downloading files. For example, if you are using a lot of data during school hours, they might suspect that you are not using your tablet for educational purposes.
• The type and quality of your VPN: The school’s IT department can also see what kind of VPN protocol and encryption you are using, and how reliable and secure it is. Some VPN protocols, such as PPTP, are outdated and vulnerable to attacks, while others, such as OpenVPN, are more modern and robust. Some VPNs also have leaks or bugs that can expose your IP address, DNS requests, or web traffic to the school’s WiFi network. For example, if you are using a VPN that has a DNS leak, the school’s IT department can see the domain names of the websites that you are visiting, even if they cannot see the full URLs or the content.
• The policies and logs of your VPN provider: The school’s IT department can also try to contact your VPN provider and request information about your network traffic, such as the IP addresses, timestamps, and bandwidth of your online sessions. Whether they can get this information or not depends on the policies and logs of your VPN provider. Some VPN providers keep no logs of your activity, while others keep some logs for a certain period of time, or only under certain circumstances. Some VPN providers also comply with legal requests from authorities, while others resist or challenge them. For example, if you are using a VPN that keeps logs and cooperates with law enforcement, the school’s IT department might be able to obtain some evidence of your network traffic from your VPN provider.

How can you protect your network traffic from the school’s IT department?

If you want to protect your network traffic from the school’s IT department, you need to use a reliable and trustworthy VPN that offers strong encryption, leak protection, and a strict no-logs policy. You also need to configure your VPN settings properly, and avoid using any features or services that might compromise your privacy or security.

Here are some tips on how to choose and use a VPN on your tablet:

• Do your research: Before you sign up for a VPN, do some research on the reputation, features, and policies of the VPN provider. Read reviews, testimonials, and privacy policies, and look for any red flags or complaints. Avoid free or cheap VPNs that might sell your data, show ads, or infect your device with malware. Choose a VPN that has a good track record of protecting its users’ privacy and security, and that offers a money-back guarantee or a free trial.
• Choose a secure VPN protocol and encryption: When you connect to a VPN, you need to choose a VPN protocol and encryption that will secure your data and prevent anyone from intercepting or decrypting it. The most secure VPN protocols are OpenVPN and IKEv2, while the most secure encryption is AES-256. Avoid using PPTP, L2TP, or weak encryption, as they are easy to crack or bypass. You can usually change the VPN protocol and encryption in the VPN app settings, or contact the VPN provider for assistance.
• Enable leak protection: A VPN leak is when your IP address, DNS requests, or web traffic are exposed to the school’s WiFi network, despite using a VPN. This can happen due to various reasons, such as software errors, network changes, or malicious attacks. To prevent VPN leaks, you need to enable leak protection features in your VPN app, such as kill switch, DNS leak protection, and IPv6 leak protection. A kill switch will automatically disconnect your device from the internet if your VPN connection drops, while DNS leak protection and IPv6 leak protection will ensure that your DNS requests and IP address are routed through the VPN server, not the school’s WiFi network.
• Use a VPN server that is close to your location: When you use a VPN, you need to choose a VPN server that will act as a proxy for your online requests. The location of the VPN server can affect the speed, performance, and security of your VPN connection. Generally, the closer the VPN server is to your location, the faster and more stable your VPN connection will be. However, if you want to access geo-restricted content or services, you might need to use a VPN server that is in a different country or region. In that case, you should choose a VPN server that is in a reputable and privacy-friendly jurisdiction, and that has a good speed and uptime.
• Avoid using unsecured or public WiFi networks: When you use your tablet with the VPN on, you are still connecting to the school’s WiFi network, which might be unsecured or public. This means that anyone who is on the same network can potentially see or intercept your data, or launch attacks on your device. To avoid this, you should only use your tablet with the VPN on when you are on a secured or private WiFi network, such as your home or office network. If you have to use your tablet on an unsecured or public WiFi network, you should also use a firewall, antivirus, and password manager on your device, and avoid accessing any sensitive or personal information, such as your bank account, email, or social media.

Conclusion

Using

a personal VPN on your tablet can help you hide your network traffic from the school’s IT department, but it does not make you completely invisible or anonymous on the internet. The school’s IT department can still see some information about your network traffic, such as the amount and timing of your data usage, the type and quality of your VPN, and the policies and logs of your VPN provider. To protect your network traffic from the school’s IT department, you need to use a reliable and trustworthy VPN that offers strong encryption, leak protection, and a strict no-logs policy. You also need to configure your VPN settings properly, and avoid using any features or services that might compromise your privacy or security.