Do Streamers Use a VPN (Do You Really Need It?)
The use of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a contentious subject in the online gaming community. Posts, tweets, and whole subreddits debate the advantages and disadvantages. Some people prefer a VPN for anonymity, fewer constraints, and protection, while others believe VPNs slow them down and make their experience worse.
But what if things get a little more complicated? When your internet connection is for more than just gaming, there are a few more variables at stake. When it comes to playing games and live to stream them to the world, streamers using sites like Twitch have some special concerns to consider.
What Concerns Do Streamers Have?
Content streamers have many of the same issues as gamers, whether they’re live streaming on Twitch, YouTube Gaming, Mixer, Drive, Hitbox, or other platforms, but there’s a lot more at stake, particularly for those with thousands of followers. As a result, many streamers depend on a VPN to support them with issues like these.
IP Leaks
When your IP (Internet Protocol) address is made public, it is known as an IP leak. Consider your IP address to be the online version of your physical address. Allowing access to it poses a significant security risk, especially when live streaming. Everyone wants to keep their IP address private because it allows hackers to gain access to their computers and potentially their data. Streamers must be particularly cautious, as their large following can make them a more appealing target. Since the user’s true IP address is always masked when using a good VPN, this problem is solved. The VPN connects to a server in another city or country through a virtual IP address.
DDoS and Swarming Attacks
When a target IP address is overloaded with traffic, a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack occurs. Since the IP address is swarmed with requests, these attacks are also known as “swarming” attacks. Since this requires a large amount of traffic, these attacks are distributed or sent from a large number of computers. This occurs in the gaming world when someone tries to achieve a competitive advantage over another player by slowing down or completely disconnecting them.
Since streamers’ gameplay is so public, this is a major issue. Other players may try to shut them down, but bad actors may simply want the thrill of bringing down a major player. All perpetrators need is the IP address they want to strike in addition to some technological know-how. Fortunately, the IP address is hidden behind a virtual address while using a VPN.
Geo-restrictions
Some streamers can find that their location is a barrier to accessing the best games as well as live streaming to the rest of the world. Streaming sites like Twitch are blocked in many countries. Streamers may change their position to any country in the world to stream and play games with the right VPN.
Quality Concerns When Streaming Over a VPN
A fast, high-quality, low-latency connection is required for both gaming and live streaming. So, how does streaming with a VPN affect performance? Some streamers assume that using a VPN reduces their speed because of the additional connections required to link to another server before connecting to their service. This has the potential to degrade streaming quality by lowering the bitrate and resolution of the stream, as well as harming gameplay. While a VPN can add latency, there is evidence that it can increase efficiency by routing traffic through more stable connections.
Throttling by ISPs (Internet Service Providers) is also a problem. Some ISPs throttle bandwidth to and from sites like Twitch because of the amount of data streamers upload. The ISP has no way of knowing where your data is going or coming from when you use a VPN, so they can’t throttle you depending on the website you’re using. This can result in a significant increase in link speed, especially during peak hours when ISPs are more likely to throttle.
How to Stream Securely Without Losing Your Speed?
If the pace is a problem, there is a compromise. Split tunneling allows certain streamers to get the best of both worlds. Split tunneling enables individual apps and websites to use a direct internet connection instead of the VPN. For example, a user may play a game directly connected to the gaming service while streaming using the VPN, maintaining privacy on the stream. Some VPNs, such as NordVPN (for Windows and Android) and ExpressVPN, provide split tunneling (for Mac users).
Do Streamers Use a VPN?
Yes and no are the answers. When it comes to seeking the best link to both game and stream, the top live streaming pros on sites like Twitch consider all. Pace and security are two of the most pressing issues. To get the best of both worlds, a streamer could use a direct link, a VPN, or a VPN with split-tunneling to get the best of both worlds.
Best VPN For Streamers
We find some suggestions to help you narrow down your choices.
The services were assessed based on which features streamers need the most. Here’s what makes a decent option for Twitch and other streaming websites:
- Fast Speeds: speeds are needed for high-quality streams and low latency.
- Available Split Tunneling: Having a large number of choices for unblocking content and finding the best fit for success is critical.
- Large Server Network: is ideal for those who want to stream privately and securely while keeping their apps untouched.
- No IP or DNS leaks: A VPN should always protect your true IP address, so there should be no IP leaks.
- No-logs policy: the best VPNs do not hold any records of your online activities.
The best VPNs for streamers are as follows:
NordVPN
Out of the three, NordVPN is most likely the strongest. It released the WireGuard-based protocol, which is fast, modern, and safe and speeds up connections significantly.
The provider is a solid alternative for streamers, with over 5000 servers in 59 countries and incredible speeds. It has an internet Kill Switch, uses next-generation encryption, and has no IP or DNS leaks.
Since split tunneling is only available on Android or via its VPN Browser extensions, NordVPN is for those who want to unblock content and use it across their entire device.
Aside from that, the service has been independently audited and found to be log-free. The security checks were also passed by the applications for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.
NordVPN is currently offering a 70 percent discount with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- 5200+ global servers in 59+ countries
- CyberSec malware and ad-blocking protection
- Next-generation encryption with double VPN servers
- Obfuscation technology that masks VPN traffic
- Strict no-logs policy
- Works with Netflix and good for streaming
- Lightning-fast with P2P support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Surfshark
Surfshark is a great budget option that includes all of the basic features of a VPN. It has over 1700 servers spread across 63 countries.
On Windows and Android apps, it has a feature called WhiteLister that allows for split tunneling. The deal is special in that it allows an infinite number of devices to be connected to the same account.
There are no IP or DNS leaks, and the service uses AES-256 encryption with an Internet Kill Switch. Since it is located in the British Virgin Islands, it is exempt from data retention laws and keeps no records.
It allows you to use the Shadowsocks protocol to unblock any streaming sites, including Twitch, if you want to get around content restrictions.
For all plans, including those as low as 1.99$/month, Surfshark provides a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- 3200+ global servers in 60+ countries
- CleanWeb ad-blocking feature
- Secure and strong encryption with OpenVPN
- Whitelist, Multi-hop VPN, and kill switch
- No-logs policy
- Works with Netflix and good for streaming
- Great speeds
- 30-day money-back guarantee
ExpressVPN
Since it is a privacy-focused VPN service, ExpressVPN is an excellent option for streamers. They run all of their servers on a RAM disk, which means they don’t hold any logs or personal information.
Split tunneling is possible on Mac, Windows, and Android apps. A router app is also available, which allows you to customize the functionality for each device on the network.
There are 160+ locations available around the world, which is ideal for unblocking content and websites from any place. The download and upload speeds are also excellent, so ping and output will be unaffected.
ExpressVPN employs industry-leading encryption and includes security features such as IP leak protection and an Internet Kill Switch. You may use the same account to link up to 5 devices at once with this service.
Although the service is not the cheapest on the market, all of its plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- 160+ locations and 3000+ servers
- Strict No-Log policy
- Unlimited streaming (Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer)
- Strong military-grade AES 256-bit key encryption
- Kill Switch, Split tunneling, and RAM-disk servers
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux support
- Fast speeds and reliable connections
Conclusion
For privacy and performance purposes, many streamers use a VPN to hide their real IP address. Some of them use it to unblock content and games, as well as access Twitch. To get the best of both worlds, some of them use VPN Split Tunneling for streaming only, leaving the rest of their apps alone. Yes, some streamers employ the use of a VPN. NordVPN is one of the best VPNs for streamers because it provides excellent speeds, performance, and split tunneling.
