WORLD · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Travelers Warned of VPN Disconnection Risks
WHY IT MATTERS
Travelers can reduce their risk of VPN disconnection by checking their auto-connect and kill switch settings, and testing their VPN setup before leaving home.
What happened
Travelers are advised to check their VPN settings before their next trip to avoid potential disconnections. A VPN works by building an encrypted tunnel between a device and the internet, but it may need to re-establish this tunnel when switching between networks.
This can create a brief period when a device has internet access before the VPN reconnects, potentially exposing sensitive information. To reduce these connection gaps, travelers should check their VPN's auto-connect setting, which allows the VPN to attempt to restore its connection automatically when the device gets back online or joins a new network.
Additionally, a kill switch can provide an extra layer of protection by blocking internet traffic if the VPN unexpectedly disconnects. Travelers should also test their VPN setup before leaving home to ensure it is working correctly.
PRIMARY SOURCES
3 VPN settings to check before your next trip
Fox News · Discovery only; publisher copyright terms apply
CORRECTIONS & UPDATES
- Revision 1 · Initial ingestion · Sep 21, 2026, 9:15 PM
- Revision 2 · Source update detected · Sep 21, 2026, 9:15 PM