What is a Double VPN? Double VPN is an attribute that employs two VPN servers rather than one. This VPN server loop method, called multi-hop, provides additional privacy and security. You must be thinking should I use a Double VPN? Well, a dual VPN could be beneficial if you travel or reside in a severely restricted nation with state censorship, tracking, and surveillance.
Despite this, most VPN providers do not offer this feature. Why is Double VPN not used widely? or Is Double VPN safe? A few drawbacks to using a Double VPN include slow connection, power consumption, limited server options, etc.
Ignoring its drawbacks, Double VPN may be a helpful tool, particularly for such types of individuals. Additional security is often a smart option when you’re a political reformer or a writer writing on sensitive issues. Utilizing two separate VPNs could be even secure in this case.
In this article, I’ll cover all your queries and concerns about Double VPN, from its types and how it works to what are the Best VPNs for Double VPN in Canada.
So, let’s start the discussion with What is Double VPN!
What is Double VPN, and How Does it work?
Double VPN is a function that enables you to connect to 2 VPN servers at the same time. A multi-hop connection provides double encryption and additional security for your Internet address. One significant difference between a normal VPN connection is that you frequently have limited options among servers and must select from the provided sets.
Double VPN is a rare feature. The large bulk of services does not have it. This is because the site is unpopular due to a considerably slower link. When your traffic is routed via two VPN servers located in various nations thousands of kilometers apart, a slowdown is unavoidable. Furthermore, using double encoding is particularly resource-intensive.
The key premise behind Double VPN is to conceal your Internet address and encrypt your traffic twice effectively. The VPN server chain can be technically extended by including more servers, resulting in triple and even quintuple VPNs. However, these configurations frequently have more disadvantages than advantages.
To understand better how Double VPN works, consider a standard connection initially:
- A VPN encrypts your data and transmits it over to a VPN server.
- The server decodes your traffic and conceals your IP address.
- The server then sends unencrypted traffic to the specified destination.
- The user’s response is found in the salvage pathway.
Let’s check out what happens if we enable the Double VPN feature:
- A VPN encrypts your data and routes it to the first VPN server.
- The first server encrypts the traffic once more and conceals your IP address.
- The first server sends encrypted traffic to the second VPN server.
- The second server decodes your traffic and transmits it to the specified destination.
- The user’s response is obtained in the salvage pathway.
As a consequence, your traffic is encrypted twice, and the target web page or provider sees the Internet address of your 2nd VPN server.
What are the Types of Double VPN (Multihop)
Double VPN is primarily a form of VPN chaining, also known as MultiHop or VPN cascading. The chain is a double VPN setup is composed of 2 VPN servers. However, this idea can be enlarged to shape a VPN chain, which consists of several VPN connections linked together into a network.
Your VPN traffic can be routed via 3, four, or even several different VPNs in “multi-hopping” setups before arriving at their destination.
The two most common forms of multi-hopping are nested and cascading chains.
Cascaded VPN Connection
Cascade VPN connections are generally used when two or even more VPN servers from the same major VPN service are being used. In this setup, your traffic passes via multiple servers from the same service before arriving at its final destination. A fresh Ip address identifies you with each server or “hop.”
In general, the more data centers you use to transmit traffic through, the further your Internet address will change. It is important to note that a cascade-type linkage has multiple servers, but the VPN service or supplier is single.
Nested Chain Connection
More than one VPN provider frames the linkage in a nested chain connection. That is, the facilities of two or more distinct services are utilized and then arranged so that one VPN operates on top of another.
A nested chain structure is more difficult to install than the others and needs some technical expertise to set up effectively. As a result, it is less common than cascaded connections.
What are the Differences between Onion Over VPN and Double VPN?
Both Double VPN and Onion over VPN safeguard your personal information by directing it through numerous safe ‘hops,’ which can be servers, nodes, or a blend of both. This urges comparability, but there are important differences between the two configurations:
| VPN features | Double VPN | Onion Over VPN |
| Configuration Challenges | Simple configuration within the VPN software settings on a solitary device. | A complex setup necessitates using a suitable VPN and the expertise of the Tor browser. |
| Encoding | The power and duration of encryption vary depending on the provider. | Your data will be encrypted 4 times when using Onion over a VPN |
| Server Selection | Server coverage is frequently restricted to a few territories. | Tor node locations are anonymous and randomized. |
| Number of Server Hops | The number of server hops is restricted to two VPN servers. | Tor over VPN is often a VPN start point, and 3 nodes are required |
| Cost | Just one VPN service membership is required. | Just one VPN service membership is required. |
| Secrecy | One provider receives all of the private details. | Your private details are divided into two kinds of software. |
| Speed | Connection speeds for double VPN are typically slow. | Tor over VPN connections are typically slow |
How to Set Up Double VPN?
Various double VPN processes ensure varying levels of difficulty.
- Use Built-in Double VPN Functionality
- Use VPN with Router Connection
- Use VPN Machine
- Use Browser Add-on with VPN Client
- Use Nested Chains along Different providers
Use Built-in Double VPN Functionality:
The simplest method is to use a VPN provider that offers the double VPN function as an aspect of its bundle. When you enable this feature, you can link to one server as the entry node and another as the exit node.
With a double VPN activated, a provider will allow you to connect via a server chain consisting of a Canada-United States link. This signifies that your traffic will access the Canada server first and then be transferred to the target host via the United States, with two different IP addresses delegated at each link step.
Use VPN with Router Connection
If you do not own a VPN with built-in double VPN features, you could install a double VPN connection using a VPN + router combo.
This method entails configuring a VPN on your router and then on your gadget. In this configuration, the traffic would always pursue the VPN chain that begins with your router and ends with the 2nd VPN client you’ve configured on your gadget.
However, this is only possible if you know how to set up a VPN with a router.
Use VPN Machine
This is among the most technically complex double VPN configuration methods. Essentially, it entails installing a virtual OS within your existing OS using software such as VirtualBox or Hyper-V.
After configuring two operating systems in this manner, you can activate your VPN client from the major operating system and link the 2nd VPN connection from your virtualized operating system.
You might notice that the Internet address you start receiving in the virtual machine matches the Internet address of the VPN server to which you are linked from the initial OS.
To operate a virtual operating system consistently, you should have a reliable computer with a robust CPU and a huge RAM capacity. The setup of the virtual machine is extremely demanding on computer systems.
Multiple encoding, decoding, and VPN tunneling procedures operating between two OS may burden your device even more. As a result, you must use this procedure if you are self-assured in your device’s ability to manage a virtual machine.
Use Browser Add-on with VPN Client
Along with their computer clients, many VPN providers provide add-ons. Your add-ons create a VPN chain consisting of the customer and the add-on.
Since browser extensions only encode your browsing sessions, other programs and apps remain unaffected. Furthermore, most services’ browser extensions are proxies, so you’ll get a chain consisting of VPN and proxy instead of a VPN over VPN type link.
Nonetheless, this is among the simplest ways to add an additional layer of safety to your online browsing sessions.
Use Nested Chains along Different providers
Each of the methodologies of double VPN setup mentioned above can be carried out by using multiple servers of a solitary VPN service or by employing numerous VPN services that have their network segments shackled together utilizing any of the procedures mentioned above.
This procedure, however, will become more costly than using a solitary VPN provider because you will have to pay for separate memberships for each service you use.
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Double VPN
The main advantage of a double VPN is that it alters your Internet address numerous times and enables you to use combined guidelines. These processes help to improve privacy and security, but possessing your data encoded twice is a gimmick that adds no real value and is not something that most services do when transmitting your traffic via multi-hop.
However, if you are unwilling to sacrifice speed, it is best to refrain from using a double VPN. Let’s have a look at some other undeniable advantages and disadvantages that double VPN provides:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| A double VPN connection imposes two IP addresses to conceal Internet addresses more effectively than standard VPN encryption. | Conveying your information via numerous VPN servers and protocols adds overhead to the network connection. |
| Due to the multiple IP modifications, anyone attempting to monitor your web would lose track. | Double VPN setups consume a lot of resources and can degrade your computer’s or gadget’s overall efficiency. |
| To enhance internet security, you can switch between 2 distinct protocols. | Your data would have to travel a greater distance to get the same target, resulting in sluggish pings and connection speeds. |
When and Why Should I Use Double VPN?
In the following situations, we suggest allowing Double VPN:
- To Get Around State Censorship:
Large-scale web censoring attempts, such as China’s Great Wall, encompass obstructing or limiting access to particular foreign sites.
Double VPN can get around these restrictions by directing your traffic via a VPN server in an obtainable nation first, then transporting it to a 2nd VPN server in an obstructed nation.
For example, if you are in China and need to access a site in the United States, you could use Double VPN to link to Singapore, then to a second server in the United States. The Chinese government mods will only recognize your linkage to a Singaporean server; it won’t identify an American Internet address.
Other obfuscation functions that can circumvent web restrictions, including Shadowsocks and Obfsproxy, may be included in a VPN.
Double VPN is the best VPN for Photographers and an amazing VPN for Whatsapp that may offer two servers and get through a nation’s censors.
- To Prevent Enhanced Attacks on Sensitive Information:
Traffic correlation attacks can compromise standard VPN connections. Whenever an attacker tries to de-anonymize information by detecting the changes on both ends of the communication system, this is what happens.
Double VPN obscures one end of the communication system and protects you against all these attacks by routing your information via two servers in two different places.
Even when your first server is compromised, the endpoint of your data will be concealed behind the 2nd VPN server.
When and Why Shouldn’t I Use Double VPN?
We advise against using Double VPN in the following situations:
- Streaming Restricted-Region Content
Double VPN should not be used to obtain geo-restricted material such as Disney+, BBC iPlayer, or Netflix.
Fast connection speeds are required for uninterrupted streaming. When you use Double VPN, your traffic is routed via various servers before linking to the streaming platform, which increases latency and causes the broadcast to buffer.
It’s also much tougher to locate Double VPN servers in various countries. Server coverage is critical for streaming because linking to a server in another nation enables you to access content that is only available in that nation.
- Online Gaming
To matchmake, avoid delay, and sustain connection to the server or adversary, playing online games requires fast network speeds. Perhaps the best gaming VPNs raise your ping, causing your game to lag. When you use a double VPN, your traffic is routed to a 2nd server, increasing your ping even more.
Surfshark, one of our fastest Double VPNs, could not link to the online game server during our testing. When trying a connection, we recorded a ping in an abundance of 100ms.
Due to Double VPN’s constrained server coverage, you may be forced to play a match in a location far from your actual location. This would exacerbate your lag and may cause you to detach from your game altogether.
- Torrenting & Peer-to-Peer Activity
A good torrenting VPN will hide your Internet address from the torrent swarm, encode your Peer to peer traffic, and cover up your torrenting actions from your ISP without compromising your torrenting speeds.
Before obtaining the torrenting swarm, your traffic is routed via two VPN servers. This greatly reduces your upload and download speeds, both of which are required when torrenting larger files.
We tested torrenting with NordVPN’s multi-hop VPN and averaged 5.5 MiB/s. This represents a 15% reduction from NordVPN’s already average torrenting speeds.
Torrenting with NordVPN’s Double VPN vs. P2P Double VPN significantly slowed our download speed. It is possible to torrent using NordVPN’s Double VPN function. However, there are faster options. It is also improbable that each of your VPN data centers is optimized for Peer to peer traffic and arranged to allow such connections.
What are the Best VPNs for Double VPN in Canada
We checked a few VPN services that offered a Double VPN feature, out of which we listed down 2 VPN providers that provided amazing results:
Surfshark – Budget-Friendly VPN
Surfshark is excellent for data protection because it does not log online activity and is cost-effective at CA$ 3.4/mo (US$ 2.49/mo)- Save up to 77% with exclusive 2-year plan + 30-day money-back guarantee.
The VPN has 3200 data centers across over 100 nations, including 600 in the United States, allowing users to circumvent geo-restrictions. If you’re an online trader, then Surfshark is also the best VPN for Bitmex and the top VPN for Coinbase, making trading easier and less risky.
DNS leak protection, ad blocking, obfuscation, Kill Switch, and spyware protection are also included. Surfshark provides unlimited simultaneous connections to its users. This pocket-friendly VPN is our top choice for Spectrum, allowing live broadcasting to exclusive on-demand video. It also includes a free Smart DNS service.
Besides bypassing geo-blocks of all streaming platforms, including Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer, gamers benefit from Surfshark. It is the best VPN for Valorent and a reliable VPN for Warzone, which provides steady pings and the closest server connection for lag-free gaming.
NordVPN – Largest VPN Network
NordVPN has a significantly greater number of servers than many other VPN providers, especially in the United States. There are 5999 servers in 61 countries.
The VPN is perceived as among the best VPNs for various reasons. That can be used on up to 6 devices at the same time and charges CA$ 5.46/mo (US$ 3.99/mo)- Save up to 63% with exclusive 2-year plan + 3 months free for a friend along with a 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 live chat support to fix your questions.
Besides Double VPN features, NordVPN has AES 256 Bit Encryption, a rigorous no-logs policy, a kill switch, leak security for DNS, an ad-blocker, WebRTC, and IPv6.
Due to its advanced security mechanisms, NordVPN service is the Best VPN for Photographers and the leading VPN for Chromecast. It provides high-quality security protocols to access geo-restricted websites or protect their sensitive information from the government.
FAQs – What is Double VPN
Is Double VPN overkill?
Is Double VPN traceable?
What happens if you use 2 VPN?
Final Verdict
That brings us to the end of the What is Double VPN guide. While double VPNs are certain to provide extra confidentiality security for those who truly need it, one server VPN from a top-quality provider will meet the needs of the majority of users.
However, if you believe a double VPN is required for your work or internet activities, you should first ensure that your standard internet connection provides adequate speeds. We recommend NordVPN for its convenience of use and dependability.
Its Multihop Double VPN android functions provide exceptional privacy and security. Furthermore, its extra features and techniques significantly increase your