How to Turn On Obfuscated Servers NordVPN
VPN obfuscation is increasingly becoming common among most internet security service providers. One such service is NordVPN which has obfuscated servers. They have become essential tools for most people nowadays. So how do you turn on obfuscated NordVPN servers?
Firstly, launch the NordVPN app. Open the Settings menu and go to the Advanced tab. Flip the switch on under the “Obfuscated servers (OpenVPN)” option. Exit the settings menu and then select a server to connect to.
In this article we are going to discuss what NordVPN obfuscated servers are, why use obfuscated servers, and how to enable NordVPN obfuscated servers. So read on to find out more.
What Are Obfuscated Servers NordVPN?
NordVPN is one of the most trusted VPN service providers out there. It is a secure service that is packed to the brim with well thought out features. One of the many features that are offered by NordVPN is server obfuscation. This is a feature that most of us don’t necessarily use and most probably aren’t even clear on.
The truth is that it can be quite a useful tool. In short, obfuscation is a method that a VPN uses to hide its traffic and make it seem like you are not using a VPN at all. Obfuscation is useful for several reasons.
For one, you can use it to arm yourself against excessive snooping from your ISP (Internet Service Provider). It can also be used to bypass VPN blockers in countries with restricted access.
So what are NordVPN obfuscated servers?
They are servers that are used by NordVPN to mask/hide its VPN traffic. They can also bypass internet restrictions such as network firewalls.
A NordVPN obfuscated server makes sure your VPN connection looks like typical internet activity such as secure HTTPS traffic. This makes it quite hard for anyone to detect you’re connected to a VPN and do anything about it.
Why Use Obfuscated Servers?
Obfuscation hides the fact that you are using a VPN. To some people, this may not seem like so much of a useful feature, but the truth is that an obfuscated server can be quite useful. Some of the reasons why you should use obfuscated servers are:
- Bypass censorship
Some countries such as China and Russia have a censorship problem. The use of VPNs is banned in such countries. So you will need obfuscated servers for your VPN to work in the first place.
Such servers will prevent the government from keeping tabs on your online activities and from censoring information.
- Security from ISP snooping
Some Internet Service Providers track your online activities and keep tabs on you. To prevent this, obfuscation masks your online activity and hides the fact that you are using a VPN from your ISP.
- Get around strict internal networks
Some universities, schools, and organizations ban the use of VPNs. In such cases, using obfuscated servers will hide the fact that you are using a VPN and therefore get around detection measures put in place by network administrators. This will let you access the internet freely.
- Improve anonymity and privacy
Many people use VPN s to safeguard their online privacy and anonymity. By using an obfuscated server, you can take your privacy to a whole new level.
With an obfuscated server you gain the benefit of an encrypted data stream and no one can tell you’re even using a VPN. It, therefore, provides an extra layer of protection.
- Streaming geo-blocked content
Most regular VPN servers can unblock geo-restricted content on streaming services. These streaming services have, however, devised methods to block the use of VPNs such as blocking server IPs.
With an obfuscated server, you would be able to make it seem as if you aren’t using a VPN. This will enable you to trick the streaming services and therefore stream whatever content you like.
Why Can’t I Turn On Obfuscated Servers NordVPN?
It’s extremely rare that one of NordVPN’s obfuscated servers isn’t working as it should. Although it’s quite rare, it doesn’t mean that it still can’t happen. Technology, is, after all, technology.
Some of the reasons you may be unable to turn on NordVPN obfuscated servers include:
- The server you are trying to connect to maybe having a technical glitch, be overloaded, or offline. So you could try connecting to another obfuscated server to fix this.
- The NordVPN app may have temporary glitches. To mitigate this, log out, restart the app, and log in once again.
- Your security software may be preventing the NordVPN client from working correctly. This is because security software is often quite choosy about what it allows. To mitigate this consider disabling your antivirus or firewall software momentarily.
- Your NordVPN app may be permanently in a bad state so connecting to an obfuscated server may be impossible. Reinstalling the app may fix the issue.
- If OpenVPN (TCP or UDP) is not selected as your protocol, it may be impossible to connect to an obfuscated server. To fix this you need to select OpenVPN as your protocol.
If you are still unable to turn on NordVPN obfuscated servers, you can get in touch with NordVPN support. They are available 24/7 through email or chat.
How Do I Enable Obfuscated Servers on NordVPN?
Before you can enable NordVPN obfuscated servers you will have to:
- Sign up for NordVPN.
- Download and install the NordVPN app on your device.
- Sign in to the NordVPN app using your account credentials.
With this done you can proceed to enable obfuscated servers. This is how to do it (using Windows as an example):
- Launch the NordVPN app
You will notice that obfuscated servers are not listed under the “Specialty Servers” tab on the left side of your screen. You will only see Dedicated IP, Double VPN, and P2P servers.
- Open the settings menu
In Settings, go to the Advanced tab. This is where you will find Obfuscated servers.
- Flip the switch on under the “Obfuscated servers (OpenVPN)” option
If the option is grayed out, make sure that OpenVPN (TCP or UDP) is selected as your protocol. This can be done under the “VPN protocol” option which you will find on the “Auto-connect” tab of the Settings menu.
- After that VPN obfuscation is enabled. Proceed to exit the Settings menu
Obfuscated servers will then be visible in the app’s main view.
- Select a server to connect to
You can do this by:
- Selecting a pin on the map.
- Selecting a country under the “All countries” tab on the left side of your screen.
- Clicking on the three dots that are next to the Obfuscated Servers option under the “Specialty Servers” tab on the left side of your screen.
All in all obfuscated servers provide an added layer of security when using a NordVPN. So try it out and see how it works for you.
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