KotoVPN

Glossary

VPN detection

What is VPN detection?

VPN detection is techniques services use to identify and block traffic arriving from known VPN infrastructure. It is why streaming access is unstable and why no honest review can promise a specific service will work.

Why it matters

It is why streaming access is unstable and why no honest review can promise a specific service will work.

What most explanations leave out

Detection mostly relies on commercial databases of datacentre address ranges, plus behavioural signals like hundreds of unrelated accounts on one address. It is a continuous cycle: providers rotate ranges, databases catch up. Any claim about a named service is accurate for a few weeks at best.

Related terms

Geo-blocking

Restricting access to content based on the country your address appears to be in.

Shared IP

A VPN address used simultaneously by many subscribers.

Smart DNS

A service that redirects only the DNS lookups used for region detection, without encrypting your traffic.

Questions

What is VPN detection?
Techniques services use to identify and block traffic arriving from known VPN infrastructure.
Why does VPN detection matter when choosing a VPN?
It is why streaming access is unstable and why no honest review can promise a specific service will work.
What do most explanations of VPN detection leave out?
Detection mostly relies on commercial databases of datacentre address ranges, plus behavioural signals like hundreds of unrelated accounts on one address. It is a continuous cycle: providers rotate ranges, databases catch up. Any claim about a named service is accurate for a few weeks at best.

Terms are defined here because they appear in our scoring rubric or in provider reviews, not to fill a glossary.