# What is the difference between P2P and standard VPN servers?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-p2p-and-standard-vpn-servers/852773>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 28, 2020, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-p2p-and-standard-vpn-servers/852773 "2020-04-28T21:45:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Muddibog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Muddibog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muddibog)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-p2p-and-standard-vpn-servers/852773/1 "2020-04-28T21:45:30Z")

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I recently started to use a VPN. At times, I come across a website that is able to detect that I am using a VPN and will deny me access. However, I found that I can override these restrictions by switching to a P2P server.

What is the reason for this?

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**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-p2p-and-standard-vpn-servers/852773/2 "2020-04-29T01:01:07Z")

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I think that one of the ways services “recognize” VPN’s is that they recognize the well-known IP ranges used by well-known VPN’s. Possibly using a P2P VPN service, your apparent IP address is the IP address of one of the Peers, not a well-known IP range. What “P2P” service are you using?

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**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-p2p-and-standard-vpn-servers/852773/3 "2020-04-29T01:07:15Z")

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> [@Melbourne](#):
>
> I think that one of the ways services “recognize” VPN’s is that they recognize the well-known IP ranges used by well-known VPN’s. Possibly using a P2P VPN service, your apparent IP address is the IP address of one of the Peers, not a well-known IP range. What “P2P” service are you using?

This is exactly the case. Of course, if you are using a P2P VPN, someone else is using **your** IP address to access some service they couldn’t get to from their location.

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**Author:** ![Muddibog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Muddibog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muddibog)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-p2p-and-standard-vpn-servers/852773/4 "2020-04-29T04:44:53Z")

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> [@Melbourne](#):
>
> What “P2P” service are you using?

NordVPN.

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**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-p2p-and-standard-vpn-servers/852773/5 "2020-04-30T08:46:04Z")

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Ok, NordVPN offers a range of VPN services, and P2P is just a normal VPN that doesn’t block P2P. The VPN isn’t blocked by the website either because it it i requires a P2P protocol (are you trying to download something?) or because it doesn’t recognize that VPN server.

NordVPN also has some Obfuscated servers, and they might work as well.

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**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-p2p-and-standard-vpn-servers/852773/7 "2020-04-30T10:23:39Z")

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