What a provider learns without reading anything
HTTPS keeps your provider from reading pages and streams. It does not hide where your traffic goes. A provider can see which services each device in the house connects to, at what times and how much data moves. In 2021, an FTC staff report found that many large internet providers collect troves of personal data and that users have few real choices about it.
What a streaming household reveals
- Which streaming services you use, and on which nights.
- Roughly how many hours of video the house watches each week.
- When the game console is online and which online services it uses.
- Which smart TVs and boxes contact their makers throughout the day, even when nobody is watching.
Running an IP check at home
- 1
With the key off, open an IP lookup page on a laptop or phone at home.
- 2
Note the address and the network owner it shows; that is your provider.
- 3
Turn the key on and reload the page.
- 4
The address and owner should change to the server's.
- 5
If they do not, check that the client runs in full-device mode.
Data caps and video slowdowns
Some plans cap monthly data or slow video at busy times. Your provider's network management disclosure says what it does. A key hides which service a stream comes from, so it can stop a provider from singling out one service. It cannot help with a data cap: the data still counts, plus a little overhead for the tunnel.
On cellular data, the mobile carrier plays the provider's role and sees the same kind of list. The key on your phone covers that connection as well, wherever you are.
Where a key changes the picture
With the key on, the provider sees one encrypted connection to a Softech VPN server instead of a list of services. That list moves to the VPN server, so the choice is about whom you trust. Softech VPN says it does not record what you watch or browse. Softech VPN wrote this page with AI assistance, using the FTC report cited below.
Sources
Questions
Can my ISP see what I watch on Netflix?
Not the titles. It can see that you use Netflix, when and how much.
Does a VPN help with a data cap?
No. Tunnel traffic counts toward the cap, slightly more than without it.
Can I find my IP address in my router?
Yes, the router's status page shows the public address your provider assigned.
Does my provider sell my data?
That depends on its privacy policy. The FTC's 2021 report on six large providers found that some combine browsing and app data to target ads.
Will a VPN hide that I am online?
No. Your provider still sees an active connection, just not where it leads.
Does my provider see my smart TV's traffic?
Yes, the same way, unless the TV sits behind a router that runs the key.