Millions of people subscribe to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to keep their browsing anonymous and undetected … but VPN for school wifi? Why would anyone need one of those?
The simple answer is that as schools provide internet access, they decide that students’ access is limited to educational material. This prevents them from binge-watching anything that isn’t educational, like Netflix shows. It also prevents them from wasting precious learning time on social media and recreational websites of all kinds.
All very admirable, but as the saying goes, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. And as another saying goes, “A little of what you fancy does you good”.
While we’re not actively promoting the use of a VPN for school wifi, we also appreciate that a change – whether a Netflix show or anything else – can be as good as a rest. And besides, what student isn’t connected to at least one social network?
Schools and Colleges Block More Than Just Websites and Social Media
VPNs allow subscribers to access websites in total anonymity by re-routing their web traffic through a complex network of servers around the planet. And by the time that traffic reaches its ultimate destination there’s no indication of where it originally came from.
So as well as watching out for attempts to visit blocked websites and social media pages, school admins are also keeping an eye on students trying to gain access to streaming or torrenting sites. Since virtual private networks are very useful for both streaming and torrenting, admins are always on the lookout for any kind of VPN activity in order to block it.
Some ways to get around your school blocking a VPN
Many VPNs won’t make it through a school system’s firewall, but with a little bit of tinkering, it can be possible. Ways to get a VPN round school wifi include:
- Using a stealth VPN – This scrambles VPN traffic to prevent it being identified as such, or else disguises it as normal, encrypted, web traffic
- Changing ports – You could change your port number and set up a different kind of VPN connection, but you’ll likely need technical support from your VPN provider
- Using the TOR network – Again, configuration can be tricky, and once it’s up and running properly your traffic goes through so many encryption layers it can end up being painfully slow
The Best VPN for to Bypass School Wifi
A better (and easier) way to bypass your school blocking a VPN would be to subscribe to a simple-to-use VPN that’s affordable even for high-school students. For example, how does $1.99 a month sound to you? It sounds great to us, and that’s how much a subscription to Surfshark – our recommended VPN – can cost.
But there’s more to Surfshark than just ease of use at a great price:
- Multiple platform compatibility – Surfshark works with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and many gaming consoles and smart TVs – and offers connections to unlimited devices
- Safety and security – Surfshark uses the same AES-256 encryption used by the banking industry and governments because it’s impossible to break.
- Decent connection speed – Any VPN will slow traffic down somewhat, but with Surfshark you don’t notice any difference
- Geared for torrenting – and Netflix!
- 24/7 live chat support – whenever you need it, for whatever reason
So why waste hours tinkering with settings and software, or waste money on an expensive subscription, just to get a VPN for school wifi… when all you really need is Surfshark?
