No VPN during streaming is the rule that catches the streamer who turned on a VPN for browser privacy and forgot it was running when they went live. VPNs add latency, often re-route traffic through distant servers, and can cause packet loss patterns that the platform's ingest server reads as a degraded connection.

The fix is procedural. Disable any VPN on the streaming PC before going live. Add "disable VPN" to your pre-stream checklist. The 5-second check eliminates the entire category of "why is my stream lagging tonight" problem.

The exception case: streamers in regions where local ISP routing to the platform's ingest is genuinely degraded, and a VPN to a region with cleaner routing measurably improves connection stability. This is rare. The default assumption should be "VPN off." Only enable a VPN if a controlled test (run the pre-stream ping test from lesson 5.4 with VPN on versus off) shows the VPN is improving rather than degrading the connection.

For most streamers, the rule is absolute: no VPN.