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How a VPN works
Tunnels, IP addresses and why your traffic looks different from the outside.
Without a VPN, every request your device makes goes from your network, through your internet provider, to the site you're visiting. Each party along the way can see where the request comes from, and anything not otherwise encrypted can be read in transit.
The tunnel#
When you connect, the Pivien app creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and a Pivien server. Everything your device sends goes into that tunnel first. To your Wi-Fi network and your internet provider it looks like a single stream of encrypted data to one server; they can see that you're using a VPN, but not which sites you visit or what you send.
Your IP address#
The server takes your requests out of the tunnel and forwards them to the internet. Websites therefore see the server's IP address and approximate location, not yours. This is why choosing a server in another country changes the location websites think you're in.
What each party can see#
| Who | Without a VPN | With Pivien |
|---|---|---|
| Your Wi-Fi network | The sites you visit and any unencrypted traffic | Only that you're connected to a VPN server |
| Your internet provider | Every site you visit and when | Only encrypted traffic to the VPN server |
| Websites you visit | Your real IP address and approximate location | The server's IP address and location |
Something unclear? Write to support@pivien.example