SparkUpVPNGet early access
Guides

Guides

What we have worked out about sharing a connection, written for people deciding whether to.

  1. A direct VPN connection can still be the wrong path

    Two SparkUp paths were both direct. One moved about 42 Mbps; the other managed roughly 1 Mbps. Connection type alone was not a useful quality score.

  2. Why VPN speed drops over time: the bottleneck may not be the network

    Our VPN speed test fell from 77.4 to 16.6 Mbps in twelve minutes. The link was not getting worse. A control loop was measuring the wrong delay.

  3. VPN or proxy: which one do you actually need?

    The difference that matters is how much of your machine goes through the tunnel, and whether DNS goes with it. A practical guide, with the leak that catches most people.

  4. How to use your home IP address while travelling: five ways compared

    Router VPN, Tailscale, a travel router, a commercial VPN, or a sharing app. What each one gives you, where each one breaks, and which survives a household whose only always-on device is a phone.