Airport Wi-Fi. Hotel Wi-Fi. The café around the corner from your accommodation.

Public Wi-Fi is convenient when you travel, but it means connecting your phone or laptop to a network you don't control.

A VPN adds an encrypted connection between your device and the VPN server, helping protect your internet traffic while you are connected to public or shared Wi-Fi.

The good news? Setting one up takes a few minutes - and it's much easier to do before you leave home.

The short version

  • Install your VPN before you leave.
  • Confirm you are joining the venue's real Wi-Fi network.
  • Turn off automatic connection to public networks.
  • Complete the hotel's or airport's Wi-Fi login page first, then connect your VPN.
  • Choose a nearby VPN server for the best balance between privacy and speed.

If you don't already have a VPN, Arresti VPN starts from AUD $3.99/month or $43/year, covers up to five devices and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Protect your devices with Arresti VPN

Why use a VPN when travelling?

Public Wi-Fi is everywhere when you travel: airports, hotels, cafés, lounges, shopping centres and public spaces.

The problem isn't that every public network is dangerous. It's that you generally don't control the network and may not know who else is connected to it.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre recommends taking precautions when using public Wi-Fi, including confirming the legitimate network, disabling automatic connection to public hotspots and considering a reputable VPN.

Most modern websites already use HTTPS, which encrypts communication between your browser and the website. A VPN adds another layer by encrypting the connection from your device to the VPN server.

That makes a VPN particularly useful when you're regularly moving between networks you don't control.

Arresti branded graphic: Public Wi-Fi. Private browsing. Added encryption to your connection.

Set up your VPN before you travel

Don't wait until you're standing at an airport gate with 12% battery and unreliable Wi-Fi. Set everything up at home.

1. Create your Arresti VPN account

One Arresti VPN subscription can be used on up to five devices, so you can protect your phone, tablet and laptop under the same plan.

Create your Arresti account

2. Install Arresti on your devices

Arresti supports:

  • Windows
  • macOS
  • iPhone and iPad
  • Android

If you're travelling with multiple devices, install the app on all of them before you leave.

3. Test your connection

Open Arresti and connect to a server. Then browse a few websites and make sure everything works normally.

Doing this before you leave means you're not trying to troubleshoot your VPN from an airport, hotel lobby or overseas mobile connection.

4. Know which server to use

For everyday browsing, start with a server geographically close to you. Generally, the further your traffic has to travel, the more latency you can introduce.

If you're travelling overseas and specifically need an Australian connection, you can switch to an Australian server when required.

How to use a VPN at an airport, hotel or café

Step 1: Confirm the Wi-Fi network

Don't connect just because a network name looks legitimate. Check the Wi-Fi name against signage or ask a staff member. Public Wi-Fi names aren't unique, and fake hotspots can imitate legitimate networks.

Step 2: Connect to the Wi-Fi

Join the legitimate network and complete any captive portal first. That's the webpage asking you to accept terms, enter your room number or otherwise authenticate.

Step 3: Connect Arresti VPN

Once the Wi-Fi connection is established, open Arresti and tap Connect. Your internet traffic can then travel through the encrypted VPN tunnel.

Step 4: Browse normally

You can now use your normal apps, email, maps and websites. For highly sensitive activity, mobile data or a trusted network may still be preferable where available.

Don't let your phone automatically join public Wi-Fi

One simple security improvement is disabling automatic connections to public networks. Otherwise, your phone or laptop can attempt to reconnect to networks it recognises without you deliberately choosing them.

When you've finished using a public network, consider forgetting it from your device if you don't expect to need it again.

What about speed?

A VPN introduces another step between your device and the internet, so some performance impact is possible.

For normal travelling, the easiest rule is: Choose a nearby server unless you have a specific reason to connect somewhere else.

If you're in Singapore, for example, connecting to a nearby server will generally make more sense for ordinary browsing than routing everything halfway around the world. If things feel slow, switch to another nearby server.

What does “no logs” actually mean?

This is important because you're effectively choosing who operates the VPN infrastructure carrying your connection.

Arresti does not store your browsing history.

We do collect information required to operate your account and service, including your email address, country and payment information processed through Stripe.

A no-logs VPN doesn't make you anonymous to every website you use, nor does it make activity invisible in every circumstance. If you're logged into Facebook, Google or another service, for example, that service still knows you're logged in.

What the VPN does is protect the connection between your device and the VPN server.

You can read more in our No-Logs Policy explanation and Privacy Policy.

A VPN doesn't protect you from everything

This matters. A VPN isn't antivirus. It won't stop you clicking a phishing link. It won't make a malicious download safe. It won't protect an account if someone already has your password.

Good travel security should include:

  • keeping your devices updated;
  • using multi-factor authentication;
  • using strong, unique passwords;
  • checking unexpected payment or booking messages independently;
  • avoiding unknown public computers; and
  • using mobile data instead of public Wi-Fi where appropriate.

Think of a VPN as one important layer of your travel security, not a magic invisibility switch.

Why Arresti VPN?

There are plenty of VPN providers. Arresti is built as a straightforward Australian alternative for people who want privacy without complicated plans, inflated pricing or unnecessary extras.

Arresti VPN gives you:

  • Australian-owned
  • Veteran-owned
  • No browsing logs
  • Up to 5 devices
  • Access to all available servers
  • Windows, macOS, iOS and Android apps
  • Australian-based support hours
  • AUD pricing
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Plans from AUD $3.99/month
  • Annual plan from AUD $43/year

No complicated plan comparison. No need to buy a different subscription for every device.

Set it up before your next trip

If you're flying soon, don't wait until you're connected to airport Wi-Fi. Create your account, install Arresti on the devices you're taking and test the connection at home.

Then when you are at the airport, hotel or café: Confirm the network -> connect to Wi-Fi -> complete the portal -> turn on Arresti.

That's it.

Protect up to five devices from $3.99/month

Get Arresti VPN from AUD $3.99/month or $43/year, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Create your Arresti VPN account

Install the app. Tap Connect. Travel with one less thing to worry about.