None of this is true. Proxies use HTTP and can therefore use "keep-alive"; they are usually HTTPS. VPN are usually UDP and therefore connectionless. The usual

None of this is true. Proxies use HTTP and can therefore use "keep-alive"; they are usually HTTPS. VPN are usually UDP and therefore connectionless. The usual difference is that they operate at application layer (proxy) or ethernet/IP (VPN). Which would make this a proxy, not a VPN.