What's the fastest VPN protocol?

arda

Another +1 for Softether. Easier to install, supports more protocols, (at least for me) easier to manage.

emg

In the past, I used netperf to measure network throughput performance through various encrypted network protocols, including those used by VPNs. I ran netperf on the local LAN most of the time, but you can also run it over the internet.

http://www.netperf.org/netperf/

One possible issue is that if the network (internet) bandwidth between the client and the server is very low, you may not see any significant throughput difference between two different protocols. That can happen if the two protocols under test are able to keep up with maximum network throughput. (Yeah, there may be minor differences due to latency, context switches, etc., but you get the idea.) Allow me to point out that if the network/internet throughput is that slow, then it really doesn't matter which protocol you use, as long as it is secure.

If you have a sufficiently high bandwidth network, then throughput may be limited by the resources on the client and server computers. If you are using VPSs, where resources are shared, then the available resources will vary from moment to moment, depending on what the other VPSs on the same host node are doing (and maybe the provider's overall network utilization, too). That makes replicating results difficult.

Another consideration is how many resources each protocol requires. Even if two protocols can achieve the same throughput for a given client/server configuration, one protocol may require more CPU, memory, context switches, etc. that can degrade the overall performance of the systems. In other words, testing with netperf on an idle system may not yield a complete picture of overall system performance under load.

Benchmarking can be tricky, n'est ce pas?

sangdogg

@BAKA said:

dfroe said: run a proxy on it and connect to it through a SSH tunnel

1. Good connectivity to China is expensive. Low- to mid-end VPS usually suffers packet loss (3%~60%) in the evening, which is not suitable for SSH tunneling at all.
2. SSH connection is easily identifiable by GFW and gets blocked quickly if you use it to tunnel much data.

what a smelly noob.

TimboJones

@sangdogg said:

@BAKA said:

dfroe said: run a proxy on it and connect to it through a SSH tunnel

1. Good connectivity to China is expensive. Low- to mid-end VPS usually suffers packet loss (3%~60%) in the evening, which is not suitable for SSH tunneling at all.
2. SSH connection is easily identifiable by GFW and gets blocked quickly if you use it to tunnel much data.

what a smelly noob.

Thread necro award goes to...

lantudai

@dergelbe said:
@Jonchun
Generally yes. I like to setup something for a China trip. So I just wonder what to setup (I have already PPTP, L2TP and OpenVPN via a NAS, and it works, but it's out of the box and I can't edit anything).
I just like to try some different protocols and see how that goes, whether it's better or not.

As you are going to China, you shouldn't use traditional protocols, because they can be detected and blocked easily in China. The best thing you should use is shadowsocks (kind of easy) or v2ray(kind of complex). If you insist to use VPN, OpenConnect is relatively more stable than the traditional.

ehhthing

@dergelbe said:
@Jonchun
Generally yes. I like to setup something for a China trip. So I just wonder what to setup (I have already PPTP, L2TP and OpenVPN via a NAS, and it works, but it's out of the box and I can't edit anything).
I just like to try some different protocols and see how that goes, whether it's better or not.

Standard VPN protocols do NOT work in China. Do not use them, you will have your server's IP blacklisted.

Shadowsocks (even with obfs) has been detected. You should try instead to use something like v2ray (mentioned above) or just buy a paid VPN service like vpn.ac. They monitor blocking in China and change their IPs when they get blocked.

eva2000

Only use 2 myself OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSEC custom rolled and speeds I get from my Android 8 mobile speedtest are

• no VPN direct = download 114Mbps
• OpenVPN = 40-66Mbps
• L2TP/IPSEC = 40-88Mbps

Of course my VPN servers are within 10-40ms ping from me - chosen for proximity to get the best speed.

dergelbe

@ehhthing said:

Standard VPN protocols do NOT work in China. Do not use them, you will have your server's IP blacklisted.

My question was a bit rhetorical. I was really just interested in the speed and not in the China issue.

To the latter, Outline works well, so does ShadowsocksR. Great is also that you can channel V2Ray now through Cloudflare.

ehhthing

@dergelbe said:
@ehhthing said:

Standard VPN protocols do NOT work in China. Do not use them, you will have your server's IP blacklisted.

My question was a bit rhetorical. I was really just interested in the speed and not in the China issue.

To the latter, Outline works well, so does ShadowsocksR. Great is also that you can channel V2Ray now through Cloudflare.

Well, Wiregaurd is probably your best bet for "fastest vpn protocol"

h2o

There is no best protocol but only the suitable is.
Protocol is just a tool.

hyperblast

maybe wireguard? -> https://www.wireguard.com/

graphic

IKEv2

doghouch

@h2o said:
There is no best protocol but only the suitable is.
Protocol is just a tool.

What do you mean...?

micjustin33

OpenVPN and L2TP

hyperblast

wireguard is damn fast. testing it right now.

v3ng

indeed, Wireguard is awesome

tonyapac

I vote for wireguard, it is easy to set up and it is fast. You can use it on Windows (unofficial client), Linux, Mac OS and Android. I am waiting for iOS client.

dragon1993

@tonyapac said:
I vote for wireguard, it is easy to set up and it is fast. You can use it on Windows (unofficial client), Linux, Mac OS and Android. I am waiting for iOS client.

Why is it better than shadowsock?
Another question is which VPN / encryption is the most energy-saving?

tonyapac

@dragon1993 said:

@tonyapac said:
I vote for wireguard, it is easy to set up and it is fast. You can use it on Windows (unofficial client), Linux, Mac OS and Android. I am waiting for iOS client.

Why is it better than shadowsock?
Another question is which VPN / encryption is the most energy-saving?

Literally Shadowsocks is not a VPN protocol, although it is very powerful, it was designed to break through the GFW. I did not say wireguard is better than Shadowsocks. They are two different tools.
AES has less energy consumption, http://www.eejournal.ktu.lt/index.php/elt/article/download/7118/3654

ehhthing

@dragon1993 said:

@tonyapac said:
I vote for wireguard, it is easy to set up and it is fast. You can use it on Windows (unofficial client), Linux, Mac OS and Android. I am waiting for iOS client.

Why is it better than shadowsock?
Another question is which VPN / encryption is the most energy-saving?

Shadowsocks isn't a VPN protocol, it is just a socks proxy.

Well, it depends on your CPU architecture, if you have a x86 CPU without dedicated instructions for AES, ChaCha20 is much faster, however it is slower on ARM. (This is assuming energy saving means faster, which is generally does since the faster something runs, the fewer CPU cycles it requires and thus the less energy it uses.)

hyperblast

testing wireguard on a netcup root. runs fast like hell.