OpenVPN
The long-established open-source VPN protocol, slower than WireGuard but more configurable and more widely supported.
Glossary
Obfuscation
Also called: Stealth mode, scramble
Disguising VPN traffic so it resembles ordinary encrypted web traffic to a system inspecting the connection.
Why it matters
Standard VPN protocols have recognisable handshakes. On a network that inspects protocols rather than only blocking addresses, an unobfuscated tunnel is detected and dropped regardless of which server you pick.
What most explanations leave out
Obfuscation costs throughput and adds latency, so it should be an option rather than a default. It is the deciding feature in a small number of countries and irrelevant in most, which is why it appears in our country briefs rather than the main ranking.
Related terms
Deep packet inspection
Network equipment that examines the structure of traffic rather than only its destination address.
VPN protocol
The set of rules governing how the tunnel is established and how data is encrypted inside it.
Terms are defined here because they appear in our scoring rubric or in provider reviews, not to fill a glossary.