Why and How to use two VPNs on the same device

Not all VPNs offer the same benefits, which is one reason why sometimes you need two to get the level of security you want.

Installing a VPN gives you many benefits; it’s well known. As an example, you are more protected when using a public Wi-Fi network, you can unblock Netflix and hundreds of other sites, download torrents safely.

But sometimes this VPN may not be fully satisfactory. For example, some free VPNs offer some useful benefits, but lack some other crucial features. That’s when you start to wonder if it’s possible to install a second one that will offer the expected functionality. It is quite possible.

Can you install two VPNs on the same device?

Yes, it is possible to install and use two VPNs on the same computer. And contrary to what people say, the download won’t be as bad.

Of course if you live in an area where the internet connection has not yet reached respectable speeds, you will be frustrated because indeed the download will be slow.

What are the advantages of using two VPNs

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Having two VPN applications available is convenient, it adds a layer of privacy. Your data is encrypted twice, your real IP address is doubly protected, hackers have a harder time reaching you.

What’s wrong with using two VPNs on the same device

Unfortunately, there’s also a big problem, at least when using two applications on the same device: you’ll have trouble getting them to work together.

The problem is that when you connect using VPN #1, it reconfigures your device so that your internet traffic is routed through the VPN provider’s network. When you connect with VPN #2, it too will try to route your traffic to its network. So the two VPNs will not work in cooperation but in competition.

You will witness a scenario where one of the VPNs will not be able to connect, or the whole internet connection will be blocked until one of the two VPNs is closed.

So how to install multiple VPNs

Start by installing the two VPN applications. On Android and Ios this is done simply by going to Playstore or AppStore.

On PC on the other hand, it is often a bit more complicated. Some VPNs, when installing, configure TAP and TUN services and adapters that prevent other VPNs from installing afterwards. If you can’t install a second VPN, uninstall the first one, restart the computer and then restart the installations starting with the second VPN.

Once you have installed both, restart your computer again to make sure the two VPNs are not in conflict. Specifically, there will be no error message if neither VPN displays a message indicating an inability to connect or any other error at startup.

Then start the VPN that you think is more important, then start the second one.

Open the settings of both VPNs and check that they do not have their kill switches enabled. If they do, disable the feature in both VPNs. Feel free to read the options and change anything that might create conflicts with other VPNs.

Change the protocols that the VPNs use to connect so that they are different on both. If the first uses WireGuard, OpenVPN or another provider-specific protocol, configure the second to use a native Windows protocol such as IKEv2 or L2TP.

Another trick is to configure one provider on your router and run another on your device.

Finally, an alternative is to use Tor. In fact, cybersecurity experts advise using Tor coupled with your VPN for maximum security.

You can connect to your VPN and then to Tor. Your traffic will be encrypted by the VPN, then passed to Tor, where it’s encrypted again and routed through a group of randomly chosen servers. It’s Great for privacy, but it’s pretty average in terms of performance.

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