Staff

It's the Cochran's formula. When you want a 95% confidence with an error margin of 5%, you need 383 samples out of 322 millions or infinite population. With 1009 samples you get a confidence of 95% with an error of +/-3.1%, which is accurate and acceptable for our business and for this conversation to show that your claim must be incorrect. However the Cochran's formula assumes that there's no bias in picking the sample and the above is based on an optimistic estimate of p=0.5 variability. Therefore, let's compare other surveys. An important source is GWI as it covers 2.7 billion Internet users through various tools. You must pay for their reports and insights but we found that Meltwater / We Are Social / Kepios published for free some GWI data here: https://learn.meltwater.com/rs/814-WJU-189/images/2025_Kepios_Digital_Global_Overview_Report.pdf Another source (using different tools) such as Anlyzify / Shopify publishes a few data here: https://analyzify.com/statsup/vpn You may notice that all of the above show consistent data within the confidence and error margins and they all agree to compute the amount of Internet users connecting to VPNs to 1.7 billion persons globally. There are even more surveys confirming this. They are reserved to paying companies but you can trust us, they show the same within a 5% error margin. Your estimate of 10-15% therefore lacks credibility as it is outside the error margin of many other reputable surveys which are consistent with each other. You may have a problem in how you picked your sample, it could have been unintentionally biased. On the other hand, if your sample amount is n0=40 with a high variability then you have a confidence level of 90% on an error margin of 13%, which would explain the discrepancy with no need to assume a bias. Thus VPN usage is indeed mainstream, if we agree to consider "mainstream" the usage of something with an agreed frequency by 1.7 billion people out of 6.4 billion people (26.5%). It's a design choice based on community feedback and a few considerations. The main consideration is preventing lock out from remotely administered machines, whereas community considered a permanent system modification too invasive for a program that has the responsibility to run with admin privileges. Anyway, it's true that the the previous considerations have been partially ignored by the new "persistent network lock" implemented in the AirVPN Suite for Linux daemon (Bluetit). The daemon, when this option is enabled (anyway it's off by default), sets network lock as soon as the machine has a default gateway, emulating therefore your request (as long as the daemon is allowed to start during the system bootstrap), but avoiding at the same time to set permanent changes to the system. It must also be said that implementing permanent "block all outgoing Internet traffic" rules by default on a system is a trivial task. Then, when the Network Lock comes in, the traffic towards VPN servers is re-allowed, permitting VPN connections... thus the matter does not seem relevant at all: the idea behind the whole matter is that if you know how to use a firewall, you need 30 seconds or so to set proper permanent rules; if you don't know, it's preferable that a software does not modify permanently your system in a way that you might not be able to roll back on your own. The type of double hop you suggest is a client side feature that you can easily achieve by yourself (feel free to open a ticket if in doubt). It may be integrated on our software, no rocket science here, but remember that double hopping on servers administered by the same entity is not an optimal solution and could potentially provide a false sense of security. As suggested, running Tor over a VPN connection is a much, much more robust solution for privacy purposes. The VPN hides Tor usage to your ISP and snoopers, while at the same time helps build a circuit outside a potential cage you might have been put inside by your country regime. At the same time Tor hides from the VPN servers any information related to your Internet usage. With that said, double hop for marketing reasons and for specific needs tied to jurisdictional monitoring could make sense, so we will re-consider its integration in the future. Kind regards

Hello! You polluted both commands with syntax errors (note the spurious spaces). Please re-check. If you enter the correct commands and you still get the other errors you reported then your device is probably customized in a way that doesn't allow this operation, unfortunately. Kind regards

It's a weird urban legend that the VPN clientele is a niche one, at least since 2015 (maybe even earlier). According to security.org and other sources 1.75 billion people "commonly" use a consumer VPN in 2025,. Usage in the USA has declined significantly to 32% (we had a 50% peak in 2022-2023), yes, but it's not a niche obviously. The decline is driven mainly by the shift of companies dropping VPN to replace it with zero-trust solutions (corporate VPN now account for just 5% of usage, 8% in the USA, so it's less meaningful). Worldwide, if 2024 survey of a specialized company we bought is correct, roughly 1/3 of the whole Internet population used a VPN at least "once per week". Unfortunately (for them too) of this 1/3, more than 30% used a "free" VPN (this implies that free VPNs are used commonly by more than half a billion persons in the world). Some more data showing usage from USA perspective: https://www.security.org/resources/vpn-consumer-report-annual Kind regards

Hello! It is because you have "brianz@tuta.io" as e-mail address linked to an account (whose linked e-mail address is different) and as username of another account. Only one of them has a valid plan. You can easily resolve this confusion but we have already done this for you. Please try again now. Kind regards

Hello! We have asked twice Wurren's datacenter support for investigations and interventions on intermittent Wurren malfunctions. Techies always claimed they found nothing, but we could clearly observe repeatedly a specific bandwidth choke on various (not all) IP addresses. Although the problem seems resolved and did not re-appear in the last week, we are waiting for delivery of 3 new servers in the same Kornephoros' datacenter to power up our presence in Toronto. They are currently at Canada custom, so it's likely that we will have them connected before the end of November. They feature powerful hardware and they will be connected to 10 Gbit/s full duplex lines. We are considering to decommission Wurren after the three new servers are operational. Kind regards

Hello! Thanks. It's strange because Eddie has the very same ability. Given this new information, it looks like an Eddie bug rather than a limitation enforced by your device manufacturer. However, we are unable to reproduce this problem on any of our Android TV devices and emulators. Can you explain the failure with adb and send us a complete report generated by Eddie in your machine to give us more clues (after the problem has occurred, in the "Logs" view tap the paper plane icon and send us the link that the app will give you back)? Kind regards

Hello! Thank you for the information. It is perfectly possible, and has been observed, that manufacturers restrict or block automatic startup of VPN apps (and other app categories) in their Android TV customized ("non-stock") versions. If that's the case, you could try to enable "Always on VPN", if it wasn't removed as well. On stock Android TV "Always on VPN" is available, and sometimes it is available even in non-stock Android TV versions, because it is removed only from the user interface. Link Always on VPN to Eddie in the following way: https://airvpn.org/forums/topic/65815-android-tv-vpn-connection-at-startup-why-openvpn-for-android-can-do-it-and-eddie-not/?do=findComment&comment=255925 and check whether it resolves the situation. It is possible that the settings are wiped out by the firmware or manufacturer's supervision programs so this solution will not work in any case (even when "Always on VPN" is successfully enabled and not removed completely) but it's worth a test. Please keep us informed. Kind regards

On July 2023 and only for new accounts, it was not retro-active. An official announcement was published well in advance. https://airvpn.org/forums/topic/56405-port-forwarding-availability-change/ FAQ and home page features were modified accordingly. On September 2024 a more powerful system was announced https://airvpn.org/forums/topic/63545-update-remote-port-forwarding-system-expansion/ We don't see the point: even if you can't read the news, the home page or the FAQ, you still have your old account, so you can cut it out with the gratuitous arguments. Kind regards

Hello! A couple of clarifications or additions. Multiple devices with the same key can connect to multiple servers and have the linked port(s) forwarded on all of those servers. You may also specify "All devices" for each port. Such port(s) is/are forwarded to all the connected devices, no matter through which key, on all servers. The limit is 5 ports per account but additional ports can be purchased (for this purpose you can open a ticket). Kind regards

Hello! PPPoE adds some overhead https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point-to-Point_Protocol_over_Ethernet#Protocol_overhead therefore WireGuard interface 1280 bytes MTU is recommended. Kind regards

Hello! Everything looks fine, please re-check your "Client Area". Anyway, to stay on the safe side, please browse ipleak.net. Make sure that your "real" IP address doesn't appear anywhere, so you can be 100% positive that your connection works as expected. If you see any issue, please do not hesitate to update this thread and above all open a ticket for pro support. Kind regards

Hello! You should enable IPv6 to resolve the problem at the moment. Yes, WireGuard works only over UDP. The author of the thread uses AirVPN Suite - pay attention not to hijack the thread or mix different problems, if in doubt feel free to open your own thread. Kind regards

Hello! We're very glad to inform you that Eddie Android edition 3.3.0 has been released. Eddie Android edition is a fully integrated with AirVPN, free and open source WireGuard and OpenVPN GUI client. It is based on official WireGuard library and latest OpenVPN3-AirVPN library (free and open source software library by AirVPN), allowing comfortable connections to both OpenVPN and WireGuard servers. Source code is available on GitLab: https://gitlab.com/AirVPN/EddieAndroid Eddie Android edition 3.3.0 is linked against updated libraries. It is compatible with Android 5.1 and higher versions, up to Android 16, and features revamped ergonomics and important new features. What's new full compatibility with Android 15 and 16 compatible with Android 5.1 and higher versions new, remarkably improved NetworkMonitor improvements in ergonomics for faster and more comfortable use updated OpenSSL, OpenVPN3-AirVPN and WireGuard libraries ability to start and connect during the device bootstrap on all supported Android TV and Android versions, with or without "Always on VPN" opt in ability to auto connect when the app is launched through the new option Settings > AirVPN > Start quick VPN connection at application startup. It requires an account that had logged in with "Remember me" checked updated code, SDK 16 100% compliant see the complete changelog here: https://gitlab.com/AirVPN/EddieAndroid/-/blob/master/ChangeLog.txt Main features WireGuard and OpenVPN support Battery-conscious application, with low RAM footprint Ergonomic and friendly interface Ability to start and connect the application at device bootstrap and/or at app launch, with or without "Always on VPN" GPS spoofing Traffic splitting and reverse traffic splitting on an application basis. You can define which apps must have traffic inside or outside the VPN tunnel through white and black list Localization in simplified and traditional Chinese, Danish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish Full integration with AirVPN Quick tile button Enhanced security thanks to locally stored encrypted data through optional master password (warning: this option prevents the app from automatically connecting during the startup) Quick one-tap connection and smart, fully automated server selection Smart server selection with custom settings  Manual server selection  Full Android TV compatibility including D-Pad support. Mouse emulation is not required.  Ability to generate configuration files based on the user settings for both OpenVPN and WireGuard Increased accessibility for visually impaired persons  Download link Eddie Android edition 3.3.0 APK can be downloaded here: https://airvpn.org/android/eddie A quick start guide is available at the same above linked page. Quick link to the APK: https://airvpn.org/tv Eddie Android edition is also available on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.airvpn.eddie and on the Amazon App Store: https://www.amazon.com/Eddie-AirVPN-official-OpenVPN-GUI/dp/B07KTD6DH9 Eddie Android edition is the only VPN application developed by AirVPN for Android. Beware of imitations on the Play Store with very similar names that conceal potential scams. How to sideload Eddie Android edition on Android TV and FireOS devices https://airvpn.org/android/eddie/apk/tv/ Kind regards & datalove AirVPN Staff

Hello! This option has been always available, you can find it in "Preferences" > "UI". Check "Skip promotional messages" and click "Save". In Eddie Android edition just tap "Do not show anymore" option, located at the bottom of the promotional picture. You can configure Eddie to connect when it is launched. Kind regards

@Emergency9 Hello! OK. Please keep us posted after you have disabled "Fast startup". In order to address the port problem please start with this checklist: https://airvpn.org/forums/topic/66388-port-forwarding/?do=findComment&comment=243305 Kind regards

Hello! Apparently it is related to OpenVPN 2.6.x that pushes IPv6 no matter what. We will probably need to patch internally if this is indeed a necessity (nowadays you can safely keep IPv6 enabled, moreover you can disable it by yourself with WireGuard that does not support any DHCP-push). We will keep you posted in the near future. @jdelliott Please consider to upgrade to AirVPN Suite 2.0.0. You will have complete WireGuard support, very many additional features, new libraries, improved systemd and firewall support, important bug fixes. Kind regards

This way I can't use port forwarding right? Hello! Wrong: of course you can. It's a server side feature that's not affected by the client software and protocol you run. Please see also: https://airvpn.org/faq/port_forwarding/ The problem you mention is unexpected. Can you tell us whether you have "Fast startup" enabled? If so, can you please disable it and check whether the problem gets resolved or not? How to disable it: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/turn-on-or-off-fast-startup-in-windows-11.1212/ Kind regards

@unrealcoder Hello! The message "No ports open" is thrown by the port tester available in your AirVPN account "Client Area" when you test ports and not when you reserve a port for your account. The message means that you tested a port that is either linked to a device which is not connected to any VPN server, or has been reserved and then disabled on your port panel settings. Kind regards

Hello! We reluctantly have to announce gloomy news to you all: Spooky Halloween Deals are now available in AirVPN... Save up to 74% on AirVPN longer plans (*) (*) When compared to 1 month plan price Deal will expire on 2025-11-04 UTC Check all plans and discounts here: https://airvpn.org/plans If you're already our customer and you wish to jump aboard for a longer period with this un-boo-lievable deal, any additional plan will be added on top of already existing subscriptions and you will not lose any day. Every plan gives you all the features that made AirVPN a nightmare for snoopers and a scary service for competitors. Just check this frighteningly long list of terrific features if you dare: a clear mission without compromises https://airvpn.org/mission exclusive and comfortable remote inbound port forwarding system flexible, opt-in block lists against malware and other hostile entities. Pick predefined lists, add exceptions or additional blocks, define your own lists, or just use our totally neutral DNS by default improved API functions to let you control and configure VPN features and account settings active OpenVPN 3 AirVPN library open source development WireGuard integration IPv6 support, including IPv6 over IPv4 refined load balancing to squeeze every last bit per second from VPN servers free and open source software for Android, Linux, Mac and Windows offering advanced features easy "Configuration Generator" web interface for access through third party software guaranteed minimum bandwidth allocation GDPR compliance and very high privacy protection standards no log and/or inspection of clients' traffic effective traffic leaks prevention by AirVPN software Tor support via AirVPN software on Linux, Mac and Windows various cryptocurrencies accepted without any intermediary no obligation to use our free and open source software to enter AirVPN infrastructure. Interoperability is an AirVPN priority. perfectly clear and easy to read Privacy Notice and Terms https://airvpn.org/privacy No tricks, only treats! We witch you a spooktacular Halloween AirVPN Staff

Hello! Starting from Eddie 3.3.0 RC 1 now available, the app is capable to auto connect when it is launched, on both Android and Android TV, according to the quick connection scheme. Check it out! Kind regards

Hello! We're very glad to inform you that Eddie Android edition 3.3.0 Release Candidate 1 is now available. Link on the announcement first post has been updated accordingly. Thank you very much if you decide to test this new version and report any problem and bug you experience! New in Release Candidate 1: all the beta 2 reported by testers problems have been addressed ability to auto connect when the app is launched. Opt in: please note the new Start quick VPN connection at application startup option in Settings > AirVPN. It requires an account that logged in with "Remember me" checked ability to start and connect during the device bootstrap on all supported Android TV and Android versions, with or without "Always on VPN" further ergonomic improvements on Android TV revamped ability to start and connect during the device bootstrap finalized full code compliance with SDK 16 new, improved NetworkMonitor bug fixes Kind regards

Hello! Error 110 (timeout) implies that either your service did not reply at all, the firewall dropped the incoming packet, or the port doesn't exist on the VPN interface and your system is configured to drop silently packets with non-existing ports as destination. Please follow again the checklist. Kind regards

Do any readers know whether it is would be normal for VPN providers to liaise with the biggest blocklists? (I would imagine it would be a lot of manual work, so I could understand why Air would not want to take it on). Hello! We confirm that we actively keep "our" IP addresses out of major blacklists, including the sector leader Spamhaus. Most address providers mandate that this is done as they want to keep their addresses "clean". Unfortunately there are thousands of black lists so it is not possible to know and intervene on all of them. About the IP address you mention, you can see here that it's "clean" on almost 100% of the minor black lists and on 100% of the major ones. https://check.spamhaus.org/results/?query=213.152.187.235 https://whatismyipaddress.com/blacklist-check https://dnschecker.org/ip-blacklist-checker.php?query=213.152.187.235 https://mxtoolbox.com/SuperTool.aspx?action=blacklist%3a213.152.187.235&run=toolpage Also, please be aware that some minor lists that you see above include an IP address simply because it is shared, regardless of anything else. Kind regards

Hello! Error 111 means that the initial SYN packet was forwarded but it was actively rejected by your system or firewall that replies with a TCP RST (reset) packet. Possible causes: either your receiving host VPN interface port does not exist and your system is configured to send back a TCP RST when a packet to a non-existing port is received (instead of silently dropping the packet), or a firewall is configured to reject (and not to drop silently) packets. Please follow this checklist: https://airvpn.org/forums/topic/66388-port-forwarding/?do=findComment&comment=243305 Kind regards

Hello! As you may have inferred from the "Login required" string visible on your screenshot you need to log your account in to the infrastructure. You can do it from Eddie's main window. Now, in a few countries (Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan) the login procedure to the servers that have this purpose ("bootstrap servers") may have been blocked. If you see that Eddie throws error messages such as "Login failed" or anything related to bootstrap server you will need to (try to) circumvent the block, probably by not using Eddie. This thread may help you: https://airvpn.org/forums/topic/59479-block-vpn-in-russia/ You can also open a ticket to get assistance by AirVPN support team. Remember to include a system report generated by Eddie, please see here: https://airvpn.org/forums/topic/50663-youve-been-asked-for-a-support-filesystem-report-%E2%80%93-heres-what-to-do/ Kind regards