‘VPN’ and ‘GPN’ are two similar concepts and words: in both cases we are talking about certain network connection services. But their use and functionalities differ, so it is convenient to know how to differentiate them from each other (and both from the web proxies).
VPNs (Virtual Private Network) are undoubtedly much more popular, and you’ve probably resorted to one at some point: they are servers that allow us to route all our online traffic and tunnel it (encrypting it and preventing its interception).
Although its most obvious utility is to use it to avoid surveillance of our communications – either by cybercriminals or by the authorities – many users also turn to VPNs to bypass the geographic limitations of many online services, as they allow it to appear that we do not connect from the country where the server in question resides.
When the enemy is latency
However, the mission of the GPN is very different; its name (Gamers Private Network) already gives clues about it: connecting to a We will not be anonymizing or encrypting our connection, but rather prioritizing the speed between our router and the video game server online that we are accessing at that time.
In fact, some GPN services even they automatically detect which video game we are playing and they proceed to route it automatically (and prioritize it over other applications that are currently running).
And what is the meaning of that? Very easy: reduce connection latency as well as ping, which will prevent packet loss… and will have an impact on the gaming experience; and it can be key during the game, when it comes to improving the reaction speed of our ‘avatar’.
This, speeding up the connection, is the main goal of using a GPN. Although, as in the case of the VPN, there is another extra function that both share: connecting from a GPN, it is possible access games or DLCs that are not yet available in our country (or worse, they are never expected to be).
Despite this separation between VPNs and GPNs, it is relatively common for VPN tool providers to offer GPN services as well, many times integrating them into the same app. On the other hand, among the services exclusively aimed at players, applications like KillPing stand out ($ 1.6 per month) or WTFast ($ 9.99)