VPNs are crucial in today’s digital age. They encrypt your internet connection, making it difficult for ISPs, governments, and malicious actors to track your online activities. Think of it as a secure tunnel for your data, protecting your personal information and keeping your browsing habits private.
However, my journey with VPNs has been a mix of necessity and frustration. As an occasional developer and a frequent traveler, I found that no single VPN could meet all my needs. Here’s a breakdown of my current setup and why it’s both essential and unnecessarily complicated.
StrongVPN: The Backbone of My Home Network
StrongVPN is my go-to for a persistent WireGuard connection. They offer a configuration tool that makes it easy to connect via the protocol from routers and other devices. Other providers often change their server configurations, making it a hassle to maintain a consistent setup.
😩 Frustration Point: They don't stay on top of IP blacklisting as well as other providers, which limits their usefulness for region-unlocking media. I get it, guys: it’s a full-time job to keep up with IP blacklisting. But isn’t that why we pay you the big bucks?
NordVPN: The Mobile Companion
When I’m on the go, NordVPN is my preferred choice. Their iOS app is the best I’ve come across, and they have one of the largest server farms, making it ideal for travel and region-unlocking media content. Switching servers in the same region is incredibly easy when an IP gets blacklisted.
😩 Frustration Point: NordVPN only allows easy WireGuard connections through their apps. Setting it up on a router is time-consuming (if you don’t have a Merlin-capable router), and the lack of an automatic server rotation tool for routers adds to the complexity. Basically, it’s like having a fancy sports car that you can only drive in your driveway.
Tailscale: My Private Mesh Network
A friend introduced me to Tailscale, and it revolutionized how I secure access to my Digital Ocean and AWS servers. Tailscale lets me create a mesh network where only devices on my Tailscale network can access my resources, locking things down completely.
😩 Frustration Point: The battery life for mobile devices suffers significantly, and Tailscale only integrates with Mullvad for traffic exiting the mesh network. This limits the flexibility to use my other VPN accounts. I already have enough energy-hungry devices, don’t make them even hungrier; that doesn’t help me at all.
Mullvad: The Exit Node Specialist
Mullvad is the only option integrated with Tailscale for securing traffic leaving my mesh network. It ensures that sensitive information doesn’t go out in the open.
😩 Frustration Point: It's yet another VPN provider to pay for, adding to the financial burden and cognitive load of managing multiple services. My wallet weeps every time I think about it.
The Frustration of Needing Multiple VPNs
Using four different VPNs is a hassle for several reasons:
💰 The money: Each service comes with its own subscription fee. I’m basically paying for four different gym memberships because one has a pool, another has yoga, and the third has the only working treadmill in town!
🧐 The cognitive load: Managing settings and configurations across multiple providers is a pain in the ass. Imagine juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle—blindfolded. You can’t? Welcome to my world.
🤔 The setup complexity: Creating macros to switch between VPNs and dealing with the inability to run multiple VPNs simultaneously on one device is cumbersome. I’m putting together a jigsaw puzzle with pieces from four different boxes; and while I’m fine doing that as a developer, I don’t want to have to do it just to actually develop securely!
My Ideal All-in-One VPN Solution
In a perfect world, a single VPN service would:
✅ Allow setting up a mesh network like Tailscale.
✅ Handle media region-unlocking as efficiently as NordVPN.
✅ Offer easy WireGuard configuration like StrongVPN.
✅ Be flexible enough to work with other applications and VPN providers when necessary, with built-in split tunneling capabilities.
Such a solution would let me drop from four VPNs down to two, simplifying my digital life significantly. My brain cells and my bank account would throw a party.
Practical Benefits and Challenges
👍🏾 Despite the frustrations, my multi-VPN setup has its perks. Securing my servers on a mesh network has made my work as a developer easier and more secure. Allowing household members to secure their communication independently and the flexibility to region-unlock media without disrupting my primary VPN setup are additional benefits.
👎🏾 However, managing this setup means constantly creating macros and dealing with the limitations of not being able to run multiple VPNs simultaneously on the same device. This juggling act adds unnecessary complexity to my digital routine and makes me wonder why I ever thought this was a good idea.
Conclusion
While using multiple VPNs has its benefits, the drawbacks are significant. The financial cost, cognitive load, and setup complexity are daily reminders that the current market lacks a comprehensive solution. It's time for a more versatile VPN service that can meet diverse needs without requiring a patchwork of providers.
There have got to be better options out there for us!