How to Turn Off VPN on Samsung Galaxy S5

There’s no question that Samsung is among the most popular brands when it comes to mobile phones. The company also makes some of the most reliable and best-selling laptops and desktops available on the market. All of this has made Samsung the brand to beat when it comes to security. This is exactly why so many individuals choose to use a VPN with their Samsung devices. We’ll discuss a few different ways you can use a VPN with your Samsung Galaxy S5.

Allowed and Prohibited Network Activity

One of the first things you’ll want to do with any VPN is to configure the device to allow or prohibit certain types of network activity. You’ll typically want to allow web browsing, email, and other types of network activity. You may also want to permit certain apps to access the Internet, while preventing others from doing so. For example, you might want to allow Facebook to connect to websites, but prevent Instagram from doing the same. If you’re not sure what type of network activity you want to permit or prohibit, simply ask your provider about the various services they offer, and choose one that suits your needs.

Most providers will happily walk you through the various steps involved in configuring your device. If you’re searching for a free VPN, you may also want to look into the documentation associated with the one you select. Some free VPNs are quite simple to use, and you may not need any help at all to get set up. You should definitely be able to figure out the basics of using a VPN with your device. For more experienced users, many providers offer plenty of help online through forums, wiki’s, and other types of documentation. Don’t forget, when in need of technical support, you can always contact the various providers directly and ask for help. Most people will be happy to help you out with any VPN-related question you might have.

VPN Mode

Next, you’ll want to decide what type of VPN connection you want to use. Remember, only HD-quality video can truly be considered high-quality video. This means you’ll want to select a VPN that supports the various video codecs used by modern websites and apps. For example, if you use Netflix, you’ll want to make sure they don’t block any videos because they don’t use H.264.

Many providers offer dedicated IPs, which are private addresses that allow you to access websites and content that are geo-blocked (segregated by location). These addresses are often very expensive to purchase, and require an annual fee to maintain. If you don’t own a dedicated IP, you’ll have to share an address with other users on your network. This is called a shared IP, and it’s often very cheap, but because it’s shared, your internet connection is at risk of being interfered with by hackers, foreign agents, and other undesirable entities. If you’re not comfortable with the idea of sharing your IP, then consider paying for a dedicated IP.

VPN mode can also be a deciding factor in selecting the right VPN for your needs. For example, if you’re looking for a free VPN, you may want to avoid ones that are based on OpenVPN (OpenVPN is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, open-source VPN protocols available). If you’re looking for a security-focused VPN, you’ll want to choose a protocol that is considered to be very safe and secure, such as the L2TP/IPSec VPN protocol. (You’ll need to have a security-focused mindset when it comes to your device’s VPN.)

Logging

Next, you’ll want to establish a few different logging policies with your VPN. How you log is very important, and it can vary from protocol to protocol. For example, the OpenVPN protocol allows for remote logging, which means that all of your activity can be remotely monitored and stored for later review. You may also want to consider using the No Logging policy, which will prevent any of your activity from being stored. This is a popular choice with privacy advocates, people looking to hide their identity online, and others who just want to be certain their information is never logged. In some cases, where one or more sites you visit regularly demand a log, you may want to consider enabling remote logging.

You’ll also want to establish a policy for how long your VPN logs should be saved for. The longer the data is stored, the more difficult it will be to review. If you think you’ll need to review past activity for legal or other types of compliance issues, then you may want to consider choosing a VPN that has a longer retention policy. Typically, providers will offer you a three-month free trial, at which point you’ll have the option to continue using the service or cancel.

DNS Leaks

Last but not least, when establishing a password for your VPN, you’ll need to make sure it is strong and complex. Complex passwords are harder for attackers to guess, and they also require more time to crack. Depending on your personal preferences, you may want to choose a password that is either mixed case or includes special characters. As a security precaution, you may also want to consider enabling two-factor authentication, which will require you to input a code (typically sent to your phone via text message or email) when you log in.

Enabling two-factor authentication is quite simple, and many VPNs offer this feature as an option. You can also use a strong password to encrypt your whole network connection, preventing any type of data from being intercepted while it’s transmitted. If data security is a concern, you may want to consider paying for a VPN that offers both strong passwords and two-factor authentication. Many free VPNs only offer basic security features, which is why they are considered to be ‘free’.

Once you’ve successfully set up your Samsung Galaxy S5 with a VPN, you’ll want to ensure that it stays connected at all times. To do this, simply turn off the option to preserve connection when turning off airplane mode. When you do this, a small icon will appear next to the battery icon, showing that the VPN is active, and you are connected. Simply flip the switch back when you’re finished using the device, and you’ll be able to reconnect at any time without having to reconfigure anything.

Use a Proxy

Proxy servers are typically used when you’re on a public Wi-Fi network, and you don’t want to incur the high costs of directly connecting to the website you want to visit. When using a proxy, all of your traffic is routed through it, so any website you visit will act as if you are directly connected. This is called ‘caching’ and it’s a common practice on public Wi-Fi networks. If you’ve ever used a VPN on a public Wi-Fi network, you may have noticed that browsing can take a bit longer than usual. This is because your traffic is being routed through the VPN, which has to process all of your requests before passing them along to the website you’re requesting information from. This can also cause significant performance issues on older or slower devices.

Proxy servers are also useful for accessing sites that are blocked in your country, or for those that don’t operate within your country’s DNS. For example, if you live in the United States, but want to visit a site that’s blocked in your country, you can use a US-based proxy server to access that site. DNS Leaks are another situation in which you might want to use a proxy. If you use public Wi-Fi to do your banking, you might want to consider using a VPN that doesn’t log your activity (no DNS Leaks).

If you frequently visit one or more news websites that are known to block significant portions of the world wide web, you may want to consider using a VPN that offers a ‘Tor mode’ (or similar feature). This will allow you to access the sites that are blocked, while still having your IP address obscured by the VPN. (Some news websites are better than others when it comes to accepting VPNs, so you may want to check with their individual policies before committing.)

Proxy servers are quite useful for accessing content that is blocked by your country’s ISPs (Internet Service Providers). For example, if you live in the United States but want to visit a site that is geo-blocked by your Internet Service Provider, you can use a proxy to access that site. If you don’t want to use a VPN for this purpose, you may want to consider looking into the no-logging policy of a specific site, or asking your provider if they can unblock the site. (Some ISPs are better than others when it comes to accepting VPNs, so you may want to ask around first to see what type of feedback you can expect.)