If you wonder what VPN chaining is, you’re not the only one. The term became a frequent topic in recent years, following the popularity of VPNs (Virtual Private Networks). Technology also increased global Internet speed. Thus, VPN providers can afford to implement security-oriented features at the cost of some speed loss. That’s unsurprising since users want to know their data is safe from intruders of any kind. Those can be hackers or their employers, Internet Service Providers (ISP), or the government. We propose you read up on VPN tunneling and how a tunnel works first. You’ll have an easier time understanding the definition of VPN chaining. Let’s begin.
What is VPN chaining?
VPN chaining is the procedure of placing one VPN tunnel inside another VPN tunnel, creating inner and outer tunnels. That means that any steps involved in creating a VPN tunnel must be completed repeatedly. The base procedure of VPN encryption has to happen twice in VPN chaining. The data is encrypted at the client side then decrypted, re-encrypted, then decrypted again. The incoming traffic to the client has to go through the same process, too.
That adds a layer of security since the outer tunnel has no information on the inner tunnel. Note that VPN chaining provided by a single service usually uses one encryption layer. That is despite the fact it is connecting the VPN user to two VPN servers simultaneously. If you were to connect to multiple VPN servers operated by more than two different companies, VPN chaining would likely include two or more encryption procedures. In all cases, the first VPN server’s IP address, hidden by one encryption layer, is then concealed by the IP address of the second server.
Essentially, the goal of VPN chaining is to hide the inner tunnel VPN destination. Thus, the website will only see the traffic from the outer layer, i.e., the second VPN server. This is double protection of your original public IP address, even when encrypted only once. There are cases when VPN chaining refers to multiple encryption and providers, too. That depends on the user’s goals, finances, compatibility, and expertise in manual setups. We will explain that shortly.
Is VPN chaining different from Double VPN?
Yes, VPN chaining and Double VPN are usually two different things. Although, they are often used interchangeably if both apply to two VPN servers, i.e., two IP addresses. Both are advanced VPN features, but the devil is in the details, and VPN services usually clarify what is true. Double VPN also includes the existence of two VPN servers. However, the feature means that the incoming and outgoing traffic is encrypted twice, compared to only once for VPN chaining from one provider. In that case, Double VPN is slightly slower than VPN chaining but a lot more secure.
The double encryption means that even if hackers break through the first encryption, which is nearly impossible through brute-force attacks, the traffic is still hidden inside an encrypted tunnel they must break through. VPN chaining, unless it refers to repeated independent encryption, does not have that advantage. Luckily, one military-grade encryption suffices for most people. Another difference between Double VPN and VPN chaining is that the latter tends to use more than two VPN servers.
What is the connection limit for VPN chaining?
VPN chaining is not limited to two VPN servers, meaning the connection limit is as big as the network infrastructure allows. Since (and when) it can use more than two servers concurrently, VPN chaining is also known as Multi VPN or Multi-Hop network. Multi-Hop networks permit VPN providers to utilize two or more VPN servers and bounce user traffic between them. This conceals a user’s public IP address in one inner layer covered by multiple outer layers. Because the data is not encrypted more than once, the slowdown in network traffic does not get progressively worse even when multiple servers are employed.
Therefore, providers with a VPN chaining network can employ additional security without having to set up separate machines necessary for Double VPN. Note that this depends on a VPN service and its advertising. There are cases when providers market ‘VPN chaining’ as triple separate encryption. However, if they’re advertising AES 256-bit encryption, you will not get 768-bit encryption. Instead, the connection will only be encrypted with a 256-bit one but repeated as many times as promised.
Does VPN chaining reduce Internet speed?
Yes, the procedure of bouncing user traffic between two or more VPN servers reduces network traffic speed. The degree of reduction varies. If offered by the same provider and with single encryption, the process is optimized to decrease speed as little as possible. That is because VPN services own all servers in the chain, and can streamline the procedure.
However, should VPN chaining be configured between multiple servers belonging to different VPN providers, users can expect a larger drop in speed. That’s because users must usually utilize virtual machines to create a chain, like with Double VPN, but more. Such a chain would look something like this: Your PC → VPN 1 → Virtual Machine → VPN 2 → Virtual Machine → VPN 3 → Internet.
Reasons to use Multi VPN or Multi-Hop VPN
There are many advantages and disadvantages of VPN chaining, and we will cover them separately. For now, we will outline some reasons to use VPN chaining:
1. VPN chaining is more secure than regular VPN
If applied with a single encryption, it adds an extra layer of security without a drastic traffic speed decrease. More servers in the equation bolster security at the cost of speed.
2. Intruder, censorship, and spy protection
Hackers, ISP, governments, and websites you visit can only view the public IP address of the outer layer (the second VPN server). Your traffic is safely hidden in the inner layer with a separate IP address.
3. Cost and resource efficiency compared to Double VPN
If used with a single encryption service, users pay less to get similar protection as Double VPN, i.e., chaining between two VPN servers from separate companies. Therefore, it represents a middle ground between a boost in security and speed reduction.
4. You can bounce traffic between several VPN servers
Although there are diminishing returns, users can chain their traffic between three and more VPN servers. That doesn’t make sense for the regular user. However, users in high-risk jobs and those paranoid about online security don’t mind the progressively increasing speed loss.
