Why a VPN here?
Three frequent attacks on these networks: (1) Evil Twin — a fake "Free Airport WiFi" access point sniffing everything. (2) SSL Stripping — transparent HTTPS downgrade to HTTP. (3) DNS Hijacking — redirection to phishing sites mimicking your bank. A VPN encrypts the network layer and severs all of these at the root.
Full procedure
- 1
Identify the right SSID
Ask reception for the official Wi-Fi name ("WiFi-Paris-Airport" vs "AirportFree-CDG" which could be an Evil Twin).
- 2
Portal authentication
Complete auth via form (flight number, name). Internet must work before the VPN.
- 3
Enable VPN before any action
Before checking work mail, opening Gmail, accessing banking. Kill switch must be on.
Roissy CDG and Orly offer free unlimited Wi-Fi — no payment needed. Heathrow caps at 45 free minutes (then paid). JFK is fully free. Always prefer your personal 5G hotspot if you have an unlimited plan (safer and often faster).
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Is the airport Wi-Fi safe if WPA2-encrypted?
Better than open Wi-Fi, but not enough. WPA2 protects between you and the router, not between the router and the internet. A VPN complements Wi-Fi encryption.
How long does it take to get hacked?
On an Evil Twin, the time it takes you to type bank credentials (~30 seconds). On a standard MITM, a few minutes suffice to intercept a Gmail session cookie.
Does VPN slow down already-slow airport Wi-Fi?
Slightly, but airport Wi-Fi rarely is the bottleneck (latency to the captive portal datacenter usually is). The VPN doesn't meaningfully worsen the experience.