Remote work is set to increase, especially as workers desire the “flexibility of working in a non-traditional location.” In fact, a report from the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 mentioned that “by 2030, the number of these global digital jobs that can be performed remotely from anywhere is expected to rise by roughly 25%, to around 92 million,” and this lifestyle easily extends to those with the “digital nomad” lifestyle.

You’ve seen influencers on Instagram and TikTok—posting glamorous trips to Bali or other exotic destinations, making it all look carefree and easy. But let’s be real: these influencers often aren’t managing a “real job” that comes with strict demands for secure access to company data or constant connectivity. They’re not worrying about meeting deadlines while ensuring their online activity is secure and compliant with corporate standards.

If you’re working in tech, the reality is much different. You need to be fully prepared for the work you have to do abroad, which includes ensuring you have secure access to sensitive company files, communication platforms, and the ability to meet deadlines without interruptions. And that’s exactly where a reliable VPN comes in.

What Is a VPN and Why Do You Need One?

A VPN functions like an invisibility cloak for your online presence. Imagine you’re working in Porto, Portugal, but anyone tracking your internet activity sees you in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. That’s the the power of a VPN: it masks your real location to keep your online activity secure.

A VPN allows you to access the files you need most when you need them—while also providing the added benefit of masking your true location. If that sentence doesn’t make sense, don’t worry. I’ll explain further. Think of it this way: a VPN is like an invisibility cloak you wrap around yourself. Even when someone shines a light on you—metaphorically speaking—all they see is “Tuscaloosa, Alabama,” while you’re actually sitting in a café in Porto, Portugal.

So, what’s the best VPN? And, how do you choose the best VPN? That’s a tricky question. If you’re an Avgeek, then It’s similar to asking which stealth technology is better: the SR-71 Blackbird or the F-22 Raptor. Both are renowned for evading detection, but each serves different purposes and excels under different conditions. The SR-71 was built for high-speed, high-altitude reconnaissance, while the F-22 Raptor is designed for combat stealth and agility. In the same way, VPNs vary based on several factors, such as the size of the company, its ability to scale, how accessible the service is to users, and how effectively it masks your location.

CNN’s Underscored Money came up with their list of Best VPN services in 2024 and the Best VPN for iPhone in 2024, but let’s be honest—they didn’t really test these services under real-world conditions. Their staff isn’t running their machines 24/7 with actual work on the line, truly benchmarking how these VPNs perform when you need them the most. You can’t just pick a VPN for casual use; you have to push these services to the limit—pedal to the metal—especially when you’re working remotely in high-stakes environments. Take it from someone who’s been there: as a real remote traveler working in tech, I’ve put VPNs through the wringer. After a litany of travels, including a 7-week, 7-country, straight-back-to-back trip from the middle of the Atlantic to near (kind of) the Russian border and rural Norway—I’ll show you what you REALLY need to get work done.

The Key Features of a VPN for Remote Work

CNN’s scoring system includes a bunch of stuff that doesn’t really matter. When working remotely for major U.S. companies, the following five points matter most in a real-world setting:

• DO NOT care about the cost: You’re masking your location and ensuring your freedom to work remotely, anywhere in the world.
• Low Latency: Make sure you run tests and have a low ping. If you have a high ping, your Zoom or MS Teams won’t run smoothly, reducing productivity. If you’ve ever played online games, you know what happens with high latency.
• IP Switching: If you’re in Taiwan or New Zealand, can you easily select a West Coast-based server? If you’re in Portugal lounging on the Algarve or in London, can you easily switch to an East Coast server?
• TEST, TEST, TEST: You want to stress-test VPNs in real-world conditions where reliability matters most. Can your VPN handle simultaneous tasks like video conferencing, uploading large files, and running Chrome with 30+ tabs open? Can you access your work logins—like HubSpot or Salesforce? If you login to these services, did you get an error? Did you do a dry-run at home before you leave. This is where services like NordVPN can fail and get you in trouble.
• Uptime and Reliability: What’s the average uptime for a VPN service? If you leave your computer running for 16+ or 24+ hours straight, will the internet connection drop? Does it give you the freedom to select between dedicated, shared VPNs, or rotating sticky IPs?

Bonus: Can you run this from your mobile device?

Choosing the Right VPN Based on Your Needs

The reason for a VPN can be a multitude of factors, but it really depends on your needs—whether it’s for work, travel, or both.

You might be wondering, what’s the difference? Well, if you have a lax job that doesn’t care how or where you work (and I’ve met people like that during my travels), then you don’t really need to worry about getting a VPN.

However, if you have a job where they require you to work within a specific U.S. state, within the continental 50 U.S. states, or only allow certain countries—then that’s where having a VPN is your friend.

Then there’s the case when you’re just traveling. If you’re just traveling and want to watch your favorite streaming services or YouTube channels, you can get away with something like ExpressVPN, and load that up on an Amazon Fire Stick / Fire TV Stick or Roku. But again, this is a lower-risk situation, and you won’t run into many of the checks you would encounter with a company.

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Choosing the Right VPN Based on Your Needs

The reason for a VPN can be a multitude of factors, but it really depends on your needs—whether it’s for work, travel, or both.

You might be wondering, what’s the difference? Well, if you have a lax job that doesn’t care how or where you work (and I’ve met people like that during my travels), then you don’t really need to worry about getting a VPN.

However, if you have a job where they require you to work within a specific U.S. state, within the continental 50 U.S. states, or only allow certain countries—then that’s where having a VPN is your friend.

Then there’s the case when you’re just traveling. If you’re just traveling and want to watch your favorite streaming services or YouTube channels, you can get away with something like ExpressVPN, and load that up on an Amazon Fire Stick / Fire TV Stick or Roku. But again, this is a lower-risk situation, and you won’t run into many of the checks you would encounter with a company.

How Companies Monitor IP Addresses for Security

You have to take into consideration why a company would want to monitor IP addresses and the location of where you’re logging to and from for different services.

I mean, place yourself as CEO—would you want to find out unexpectedly that your employee is brazenly working from Azerbaijan? You might be even asking–where is that? 

That’s the point.

Many companies want to protect their intellectual property (IP) and for good reason. And they want to know where their data is being accessed, who’s accessing it, and under what conditions. There is also legislation around what information can and can’t be “transported” across country lines and those tied into business or info related to national security.

But these can also be linked to companies that really favor strong secure storage of data and data transactions. You will see these policies especially with healthcare companies where they have to adhere to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) / General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) compliance. If you don’t know those terms don’t worry, just now they are super specific. And then when dealing with patient data going to and from insurance companies by law a lot of that information cannot be accessed overseas. See more on privacy laws around the world here. 

Most importantly, if you’re working on sensitive technology related to U.S. defense and national security, you need to be certain that you’re complying with export control laws like the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). These laws restrict sharing sensitive technical data with foreign entities. Accessing this information while abroad could be considered an export, leading to significant penalties.

Additionally, there’s the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). The CFAA is designed to protect against unauthorized access to computer systems. If you’re accessing sensitive U.S. data while abroad, make sure you have proper authorization to avoid falling afoul of this act.

Unfortunately, many remote roles may not lend themselves to a truly digital nomad approach. This is why I’ve stressed that a job in marketing, particularly working for an early-stage startup, is ultimately your best bet for getting a more relaxed approach to remote work and travel. However, this might mean trading some of your career for a less prestigious company name and storied career. But again, there are still plenty of people working for F50 and F100-500 companies who can work remotely abroad just fine.

Using a VPN to Protect Your Privacy While Working Remotely

If you’ve gotten through the more legal parts of this article—and you have a role that’s malleable and flexible for nomadic travel—then you might want that extra protection to keep your travels private. You don’t want the world, your boss, or your co-workers to know where you are. In that case, having a VPN is key to ensuring peace of mind during your travels, where your work experience remains uninterrupted.

But there’s just one thing stopping that from happening: your company’s prying eyes, knowing exactly where you’re located.

Many companies have policies in place that you may not even be aware of. But trust me, once you touch down in a different country, you’ll likely get a blocked screen from Microsoft Office telling you that you’re unable to access your email. You may try to switch to a VPN service that you thought might work, only to realize that your company’s IT department already has a list of the most popular VPN service companies and their servers on file. So once they get a ping from you and your VPN service, you’ll receive a notification or get flagged.

Setting Up Your VPN for Remote Work

So, what do you need to do?

The best way is actually a little complex for most users, which is using a self-hosted VPN through a service like Tailscale. In fact, I don’t actually go this route since it requires more technical know-how, but it’s a great option for those who can manage it. If self-hosting isn’t for you, I recommend a solid VPN provider such as Surfshark or Proton VPN. After testing several, I’ve settled on StarVPN, which offers a significant advantage by using residential IPs.

Why residential IPs? Well, residential IPs are unique because they appear as regular home internet connections (like your Comcast connection at home), which is different than the datacenter IPs used by most VPN providers, like NordVPN. Many websites (even airline booking websites), services, and apps block or restrict access to traffic from datacenter IPs to prevent VPN usage. And the reason why that sucks is that this causes issues when trying to access region-restricted content or avoid CAPTCHA challenges (you would end up in a “Are you human?” loop). Residential IPs help bypass these restrictions, making your connection seem more natural and less likely to be flagged. This makes StarVPN especially valuable for digital nomads or remote workers who need uninterrupted access to services like banking, streaming, and other location-sensitive applications. However, just to be clear that doesn’t mean it makes it faster. For your needs a service like NordVPN could easily do the trick. I’ll go into more detail into what exactly I was looking for when testing and selecting a VPN service.

Why did I choose StarVPN?
I needed to consider these key 10 things:

• Video and Meeting Performance & Multitasking Capability: Can I be on video and host meetings without lag? Can I run a meeting with Chrome open with 30+ tabs, and productivity tools including Slack, MS Teams, and Figma?
• File Sharing Efficiency: Can I upload documents to and from HubSpot, Google Drive, and share large files to our video and graphic vendors (300MB+)?
• System Stability: If I leave my PC on for 24+ hours using apps like Caffeine, does the VPN stay connected without timing out or crashing? (You want the connection to stay on, especially when you’re working odd hours and in vastly different time zones).
• Concurrent Usage: Can I watch YouTube, download videos via their iOS app, and manage my work setup all at the same time without issues?
• IT Detection: Does my company’s IT department flag anything suspicious or do I appear on any security alerts while using the VPN?
• Mobile Compatibility: Can I access the VPN directly from my mobile device or through apps like OpenVPN on iOS with no issues?
• VPN Detection Websites: How does this VPN appear or get detected on VPN Detection websites? Is it easily detected or can it bypass detection systems? See here and here. 
• IP Address Type: Does the VPN use residential IPs (which are less likely to be blocked or flagged) or datacenter IPs (which can be restricted by some services)?
• Speed and Latency: Does the VPN provide sufficient speeds for seamless work tasks, including streaming, uploading, and downloading, without significant latency? 

However, before you go on a major overseas trip. You want to make sure things are working properly. In my case, I’d suggest adding an extra day to a holiday where you have to “work” remotely from a different location. Or, if you have the flexibility, try working from Hawaii or a distant state to see how the latency works with your VPN service provider.

Now’s it’s Time to Set up Your VPN

Here’s a brief overview of what you’ll need with StarVPN and the equipment you need:

• Ethernet Cables (x2): One to connect your laptop to the Berlyx router and one from that router to the Airbnb’s modem (or router).
• USB-C to Ethernet Adapter: If your work provides a Microsoft Surface, use an adapter to connect your laptop. This way, nothing is installed directly on your work laptop.
• GL.iNet GL-MT3000 / Beryl AX: This is an amazing travel router that pairs best with your favorite VPN provider. I’ve used this in over 10+ countries without issue. 
• Your Preferred VPN Service: This could be ExpressVPN, Proton VPN, or any major provider you find suitable. I personally use StarVPN, but you should decide for yourself. You can view reviews and comparisons between VPNs at RestorePrivacy; see here. 

Here are the basic setup steps. If you want a more detailed guide, I can provide one.

1. Get a VPN service. I use StarVPN. See instructions here for setting up with your Gli.Net router with WireGuard, here for OpenVPN, and here if you want to run it from your personal Windows PC.
2. Log in to your VPN service website. I log into the StarVPN member dashboard and select my VPN server location. If I’m headed to Europe, I select an East Coast-based server (New York state, for example). If I’m headed to Asia, I use a West Coast-based server (like San Francisco).
3. Choose the IP configuration you want, whether it’s “Static Residential” or “Rotating/Sticky Residential.” Depending on your VPN service, there may be more or fewer ISPs that offer that capability.
4. Download the “OpenVPN Config (UDP Recommended)” file.
5. Log into your GL.iNet Router. On the admin panel, find “VPN” on the left-hand side, then select “OpenVPN Client” and “Add a New OpenVPN Configuration.”
6. Drag and drop the file.
7. Connect to the Open server.

Now you’re online! Connect all your devices (from iPad to iPhone, and even your family’s devices) to the router. That way, whenever the router is connected, all your devices will be too.

Next Steps and Troubleshooting

Now that you’ve got your set up and running, you might be thinking what’s next? What additional steps should you take or consider for troubleshooting?

Here are my suggestions that I’ve found helpful based on my travel experience and work responsibilities.

Check Your IP Address: Use this website to check your IP before logging into your normal work programs. Make sure your phone and laptop both show the same location.

Ping Test: Use this website and click “Begin Test” to check your latency. This is essentially your internet speed with your VPN service. If your ping is 130 ms through VPN, that’s tolerable for concurrent tabs in Chrome to host Zoom and MS Teams video calls without lag. Once you get lag, then that’s when questions start. So when you see a ping of 200ms-400ms, you will not be able to do your work properly, especially if you have recurring meetings. This ties into my next point

Internet Connection & Speed: This partially dictates your speed on the Ping Test above. This is where having a wired connection to your router can help eke out that every last bit of bandwidth that you need. However, keep in mind that some hotels and hostels have shared internet, which means that it runs REALLY, REALLY slowly. Or, you might have an Airbnb with a low-grade ISP, causing your speeds to crawl. In that case, you need a backup plan. Where would you go? What would you use? You can run into a coffee shop, but if people are speaking Estonian in the background will your work raise an eyebrow? If it’s dark outside when it should be light, will that cause concern? This is where your phone’s “Personal Hotspot” on iPhone or Android comes in handy for internet access. This is where annoyingly expensive phone plans like AT&T work really well and are worth their high cost. I had to use this method in Auckland, New Zealand and was able to work perfectly fine before getting to the Airbnb.

Background & Settings: Make sure you either have your corporate Zoom wallpaper or a blurred background. Trust me, you might not notice your surroundings, but others will quickly spot a change in scenery. There will be times when you’re in a dark room or space—like when I was in Finland and had to artificially augment the light more than necessary. In that case, make sure you have a webcam that can illuminate the area around you. Oh, and don’t be like me and forget your webcam back in the States, only to find it costs over $100 overseas! A side note: If you’re going to an area with the Midnight Sun, you can position the camera to face the wall or outside, so it looks like regular time back in the States!

Tips, Tricks, and Logistics

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Conclusion

Well, that summarizes the article’s goal, which was to give a little more context around VPN usage and needs in today’s increasingly remote world. If you’re on the fence about getting a VPN, then just keep in mind that having a reliable VPN is essential for both security and flexibility while working abroad.

By considering some of the key features above—low latency, reliable IP switching, etc.—you can better protect your work experience, even while visiting the most remote locations in the world. 

Similarly, investing in the right VPN service—this means absorbing the necessary cost to be a true digital nomad and truly investing in a reliable service (like StarVPN)—will enable you to work from anywhere without compromising your professional responsibilities and expectations.

If you have any questions, or think I should create a detailed guide, then feel free to ping me at info@homsontravels.com.