VPN Changer

I. Introduction

A VPN or Virtual Private Network is an essential tool for privacy and security in the digital age. VPNs encrypt internet traffic and route it through remote servers, hiding a user’s identity and location. However, VPN services often connect users from a limited set of server locations only. This can allow online services to still gather some location and user data based on the VPN server used.

That’s where a VPN changer comes in – providing the ability to easily switch the server location users connect through on-demand for full location and identity masking. As VPN adoption grows globally, so too does the need for VPN changer tools.

A. Definition of VPN Changer

A VPN changer refers to any software, extensions, or platform capabilities that allow simple changing or switching of the server location used by a VPN tunnel dynamically while maintaining the encrypted connection. For example, connecting from a VPN server in the USA initially then with the click of a button shifting the tunnel to route through a Hong Kong or European server seamlessly.

This provides vastly expanded privacy benefits compared to typical static VPN connections. With dynamic server switching powered by a VPN changer, user location and network information exposed to sites is randomized fully at will rather than remaining semi-fixed to one region or IP address. Apps and sites cannot begin profiling activity, tracking identity signifiers, or flagging location discrepancies nearly as easily.

B. Importance of VPN Changer

The ability to manually shift VPN server endpoints with a built-in VPN changer is critical for enhancing personal security and privacy while connected. Changing servers regularly achieves several key advantages:

• Prevents user tracking based on persistent IP or location exposure
• Increases protection from targeted monitoring or exploits based on server profiles
• Circumvents region-based content restrictions easily when accessing streaming platforms
• Avoids platform restrictions triggered by detected VPN usage via randomized VPN servers
• Provides additional layers of identity protection when accessing sensitive apps and sites

Built-in VPN changer functionality is fast becoming an essential feature for privacy-focused VPN services to offer. As both individuals and enterprise organizations aim to limit their digital profiles being built via persistent identifiers over time, the ability to instantly re-route traffic is critical.

Let’s explore popular VPN platforms that offer reliable server switching capabilities through their VPN changer tools.

II. How to Change the Location of Outline Server

Outline VPN is one of the most user-friendly VPN solutions featuring reliable VPN changer technology built directly in. The Outline app makes switching server locations to anything country offered by the platform very simple.

A. Deleting and Creating a New Outline Server

One direct way to force a location change in Outline on Windows or Mac is:

1. Disconnect from the active Outline server by closing the app or clicking “Disconnect”
2. Next open the Outline app settings and select “Delete server” to remove any current stored server profiles
3. Once deleted, click “Create server” which will generate a brand new server credential with a random country location
4. Connect to this new server to redirect your traffic through the new country endpoint

Repeat this process whenever you want to force a location change. While deleting and recreating new servers requires a few extra steps, it ensures a completely fresh server.

B. Managing an Outline Server

An easier approach relies on Outline’s server manager instead:

1. In the Outline app navigation, click “Servers” to open server manager
2. Here you will see any currently configured server links under “My servers”
3. Click the More Options (…) menu next to any server profile then select “Remove” to delete it
4. Then click the plus icon to generate a new server which will randomly select a country
5. Connect to this newly created server link to change locations geography

Manually managing multiple server profiles using Outline’s server manager enables connecting through new countries with just two clicks – no need to fully recreate server credentials each time.

III. How to Change Outline VPN’s Port

Along with switching server locations using Outline’s built-in VPN changer technology, Outline also enables changing the port used by your VPN tunnel for added privacy.

A. Changing the Port for an Access Key

When connecting to an Outline server using an access key, changing ports is done via:

1. From Outline’s menu, select “Keys” then click the menu next to your registered access key
2. Choose “Change port” then select any available outlined port (80 and 443 work with all firewalls)
3. A notification will confirm when your new port is activated

New connections via this access key will now use your chosen port for routing encrypted traffic instead of standard VPN ports.

B. Manual Installation Server SS with Port 443

If using the manual Outline Server installation method, the port can be set during initial configuration:

1. When installing the Outline Server software manually, use the command line flags –port 443 which will make the server run on standard HTTPS port 443 automatically.
2. Follow the rest of the installation prompts to finish configuring your server instance on the target port you selected.

Both access keys and directly managed servers can easily use customized ports thanks to Outline VPN’s solid VPN changer support. Consistently altering identifying information like server port is key to maximizing anonymity.

IV. How to Set Up Your Own VPN Server in 15 Minutes

While Outline VPN provides easy access to thousands of shared VPN servers to route traffic through, power users can also deploy their own private VPN server instance with full admin access for maximum control.

A. Deploying Your Own Instance of Outline VPN on AWS

Amazon’s AWS cloud platform enables launching a personal Outline VPN server in your own AWS account quickly:

1. Login to the AWS console and launch a new Ubuntu 18.04 instance on EC2 with appropriate VPN traffic capacity
2. SSH into the Ubuntu instance once launched then run bash <(curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Jigsaw-Code/outline-server/master/src/server_manager/install_scripts/install_server.sh)
3. This automated script will handle the dependencies and Outline Server setup process automatically
4. Manage further configuration like adding access keys using the Outline Manager admin console now running on your VPN instance

In 15 minutes your own dedicated VPN can be up providing full control for changing server locations, port forwarding, keys, and user access management.

B. Hosting Outline with Lightsail

Amazon Lightsail functions essentially like a cut-down EC2 just for basic VPN hosting needs:

1. Launch a new Ubuntu instance on Lightsail with the $5/month plan
2. Once running, SSH in then use same Outline server install script as above
3. The low-cost Lightsail instance will then power your personal Outline Server with solid reliability

Lightsail simplifies deploying a private Outline Server into your own VPC quickly with fewer network management requirements versus EC2.

C. Outline as a VPN

Whether self-hosting on EC2 or Lightsail, your privately administered Outline Server will function as its own full VPN once configured:

• Traffic is encrypted via Outline’s Shadowsocks-based protocol with ChaCha20 and other modern ciphers
• Customize access keys and distribute to devices you want to tunnel traffic through your server
• Set firewall rules, forward ports, tailor bandwidth – server is completely within your control
• Switch between IP addresses or AWS regions anytime to re-locate endpoints

While more involved to orchestrate than using shared Outline VPN resources, driving your own server provides the ultimate VPN changer adaptability.

V. Outline Manager Should Update (or Allow to Update) Its Info

One shortcoming currently for privately hosted Outline Server instances is the lack of automatic updates for the Outline Manager admin console. When running your own server, staying on top of Outline VPN software updates is key to performance and security.

Making the Outline Manager which runs on self-installed Outline Server environments automatically self-update would streamline critical VPN maintenance. Server admins could also benefit from more customization options for the Manager’s appearance and interface to match specific branding needs rather than only using Outline’s standard theme.

Integrating the ability to push VPN configuration changes from the Manager to connected clients more seamlessly would also help administrators in managing access keys and user connections efficiently.

As Outline’s developers at Jigsaw refine features tailored towards enabling privately-hosted Outline Server deployments, improving the Outline Manager capabilities must remain a priority. Especially as organizations operate global outlines for internal business use, ensuring the latest VPN efficiencies are always available is crucial. Extending the Manager console to simplify overlay network oversight for admins fits the larger mission of VPN access for all.

Simple usability enhancements granting server operators more insight and less manual management of Outline resources may seem incremental. But improving transparency around internationally distributed connection strings and access points will continue opening avenues circumventing censorship worldwide.

VI. Conclusion

A. Importance of VPN for Privacy and Security

Fundamentally, VPN usage boils down to a personal choice privileged communities take for granted but which remains controversial and outright illegal in authoritarian states: freedom of information. As more governments move towards a China-esque model of internet regulation, that window allowing citizens full webpage access may keep narrowing.

Fortunately, decentralized communities of open-source developers like those behind Outline keep actively pushing the boundaries of censorship with open hand gesture firmly extended. Empowering people with tools to control their own network access presents one peaceful path forward amidst clashing ideological forces.

B. Future of VPN Changer Technology

Looking ahead, integrating reliable VPN changers natively alongside privacy-first apps could significantly move the needle in shifting user perspectives on traffic tunneling. Much like encryption navigated paths transitioning norms from paranoia towards mainstream over recent decades, so too can even simple VPN changer utilities gradually normalize bypassing blocks instinctually.

Technology may progress linearly but cultures often adapt more exponentially during periods of turbulence. By preparing optionality for users now via unobtrusive anti-censorship tooling built into their daily workflows, the coming tide of totalitarian crackdowns may well be blunted. Or at the very least, citizens can access lifelines like Twitter as the waves arrive at their digital doorsteps.

Though predicting the exact trajectory societies follow stays impossibly cloudy, enterprising VPN changer communities seem poised to offer citizens stuck inside at least a few rays of hope. Come what may, those rays could make all the difference as the bellwether internet platforms of today and tomorrow get decided behind closed doors.