What VPN Protocol Should I Use

Pptp: Outdated And Insecure

PROS

• Reportedly cracked by the NSA
• Ineffective as a privacy tool

Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol was the original VPN protocol. Developed by Microsoft engineer Gurdeep Singh-Pall in 1996, it marked the birth of VPN technology.

Nowadays, PPTP is outdated and completely unsafe to use in a consumer VPN.

We dont recommend using PPTP unless it is absolutely necessary. It is obsolete as both a privacy and security tool.

PPTP does deliver fast speeds, but this is partly because the strongest encryption key it can use is 128-bit. It is not compatible with the military-grade AES-256 cipher that the most secure VPNs use.

The protocol trades off speed for security in a way that leaves it with several known vulnerabilities. For example, it has been shown that a skilled attacker can hack into a PPTP-encrypted VPN connection in just a matter of minutes.

The NSA have also reportedly exploited PPTPs insecurities to collect huge amounts of data from VPN users.

While its still sometimes used within business VPN networks, you should definitely avoid using PPTP for your personal VPN. Some VPN providers have even chosen to stop supporting PPTP altogether because of its vulnerabilities.

When to use PPTP:

• We dont recommend ever using PPTP. The only exception might be if youre just looking for fast speeds and dont care about privacy or security.

When not to use PPTP:

SUMMARY

Simple Explanation Of VPN Protocols

Before I go into detail on each of the above connection protocols, heres a quick synopsis of the pros and cons of each:

To dive a bit deeper, heres what you need to know about each individual VPN connection protocol.

What Is The Easiest VPN Protocol To Set

PPTP is currently the easiest VPN protocol to set up simply because it is built initially into many platforms. L2TP/IPSec and IKEv2 are also simple to configure for the same reason. SSTP can be easy to set up if you are on a Windows platform. WireGuard’s set-up is also relatively simple when using a Linux platform.

However, if you are using a third-party VPN software, you can easily access a VPN protocol of your choice as long as the VPN provider offers it. Of course, the protocols also have to be compatible with your device or operating system.

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What Are Proprietary VPN Protocols

Some of the best VPN providers have custom protocols of their own.

ExpressVPN has developed Lightway, for instance NordVPN has a protocol called NordLynx, and Hotspot Shield’s offering is Catapult Hydra.

These are usually fast and very secure , but there are down sides, too. Although Lightway is open source, NordLynx and Catapult Hydra are not, so there’s no way for experts to verify how they work. And because these are proprietary protocols, they’re not supported by other providers or device manufacturers. You can only use them via the provider’s own apps and hardware.

Firestick/fire TV VPN Protocol Speed Tests

Prior to testing different VPN protocol speeds, its important to understand how to change protocols within the IPVanish app.

Follow the quick steps below for how to change protocols.

1. Launch the IPVanish VPN App on your Firestick/Fire TV and click the Settings icon on the right

2. Select VPN Protocol

3. Notice the two options OpenVPN and IKEv2 Beta, we will be testing both of these protocols

4. To switch between OpenVPN UDP and OpenVPN TCP, make sure OpenVPN is selected, click the back button, and click Protocol

5. Here you can choose between OpenVPN UDP and OpenVPN TCP

Thats it! Now check out our results below after testing the various protocols.

When testing we used the same country, city, server, and port to make sure these factors were constant.

Note: When switching between protocols to test speeds, always click Disconnect before changing to another protocol.

OpenVPN UDP 51 Mbps down & 20 Mbps up

OpenVPN TCP 54 Mbps down & 21 Mbps up

IKEv2 Beta 25 Mbps down & 19 Mbps up

Fastest VPN protocol on Firestick/Fire TV OpenVPN TCP

Important: If you are still experiencing slower download speeds on your Firestick/Fire TV after adjusting protocols, I suggest looking into a Firestick Ethernet Adapter.

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Best VPN Protocols To Protect Your Business

If you dont want cybercriminals to wander near your business, use a VPN. But heres the catch: Not all VPN services can keep your business safe. Some of the services are unreliable and even prone to hacks and exploits. So, how do you determine if a VPN service will be effective in protecting your business online? Through the VPN protocols it uses. This article will explain what a VPN protocol is and share the best VPN protocols you can use. With this information, you can easily choose the best service for your business.

Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol Over Internet Protocol Security

By default, L2TP doesn’t have any encryption, so it’s added via IPSec, and it uses a 256bit AES variant. L2TP creates the tunnel and handles authentication.

L2TP itself is a combination of two protocols that proceeded it: Layer 2 Forwarding Protocol and Point to Point Tunneling Protocol. This VPN protocol is considered secure, but there’s a caveat. L2TP/IPSec was co-developed with NSA, and there are suspicions that there may be backdoors to L2TP/IPSec traffic.

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What Is The Best VPN Protocol

Simply put, there is no one-size-fits-all protocol for all users mainly because different protocols serve different needs. The best VPN protocol is, therefore, the one that fits your needs best.

For example, if you are an avid gamer, you will need a VPN that ranks high on speed and stability. On the other hand, if you enjoy watching TV shows or rely on public WiFi while working online, you will probably need a VPN with strong encryption and good streaming quality.

Need A Service With A Nice Selection Of VPN Protocols

Weve got you covered CactusVPN provides access to the most popular VPN protocols there are: OpenVPN, Wireguard, SoftEther, IKEv2, SSTP, L2TP/IPSec and PPTP.

Choosing which VPN protocol you want to use is extremely simple just use the drop-down menu in our VPN app to make your choice before connecting to one of our servers, and youre good to go. No complex setup processes at all.

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What Is The Fatest VPN Protocol

If you want to stream at high-speeds, PPTP is the fastest VPN protocol because of its weak encryption. L2TP and IKEv2 are also fast, while OpenVPN and SSTP are slower than other VPN protocols. Connection speeds are closely related to the security provided by your VPN protocol. After all, high-grade encryption requires a lot of processing power and time. As a result, it slows down the performance. Winner: PPTP

Internet Key Exchange Version 2

IKEv2 is very common on VPN mobile apps. It’s a compound tunneling protocol, which uses Encapsulating Security Payload to secure the packet transmissions with Mobility and Multihoming Protocol for endpoint tunnels. The latter means that when the connection with a VPN server is interrupted, you can reconnect without resetting the connection. If you live in a remote location, this is a lifesaver. IKEv2 will automatically reconnect after disconnecting and continue as if nothing happened. Plus, it works great on mobile devices because of widespread support and the fact that you can seemlessly switch between wifi and cellular data.

The protocol also supports advanced cipher functions. You can use it with 3DES and AES for encryption, with the latter being the safest method. By default, IKEv2 uses UDP port 500, so it provides good compatibility and should bypass most firewalls.

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What Is A VPN Protocol

A VPN protocol is the set of instructions/rules that outline how a connection should be made between your device and the VPN server. The protocol in some way determines the speed and may use encryption algorithms to help keep your data secure.

Different protocols have different parameters and specifications when in use. These include authentication techniques, error correction types, address format, data packet size, among other things.

This guideline will focus more on security and privacy, speed, and even stability.

Notable VPN protocols supported by most commercial VPN providers include PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, and WireGuard.

Without further ado, lets get started!

A brief comparison of various standard VPN protocols:

Which Is The Best

Given the discussions above, which is the best VPN protocol? If you have to pick only one, it would be OpenVPN. It may have its own set of weaknesses, but the strengths are just too attractive to be ignored. It is the newest amongst the VPN protocols, making it able to withstand current threats. It uses highly-innovative technologies that are basically responsible for the provision of layers of security in the absence of compensating speed. It is also open source, can bypass firewalls, and highly configurable. Given these benefits, there should be more than enough reason for you to believe that this is indeed the best VPN protocol.

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Why Does A Fast VPN Protocol Matter

Even though speed should not be the deciding factor, a slow VPN will discourage users and will therefore quickly be abandoned. You dont pay top dollar for a fast internet connection just for the VPN to slow it down. Or, when you have a slow connection, you dont want your VPN to make it even worse. But speed is often a trade-off with other characteristics like the encryption strength and security. And the speed also depends on factors outside of the protocol, like the distance to the VPN server, and obviously the basic speed of your internet connection. Using a VPN will never make it faster.

VPN Protocols: Openvpn Vs Ipsec Wireguard L2tp & Ikev2

What are VPN protocols and why do you need to understand the different options?

With most VPN providers offering a variety of VPN protocols to choose from, it is good to know the pros and cons of these different options so you can select the best fit for your unique needs.

In this guide, we will compare the most popular VPN protocols, including OpenVPN, IPSec, L2TP/IPSec, IKEv2/IPSec, WireGuard, PPTP, and SSTP. This is meant to give you a brief overview of the pros and cons of each VPN protocol.

So lets dive in.

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Is VPN Good For Torrenting

For a quick torrenting activity, should I use a VPN?? To torrent, you should always use a VPN. VPN services encrypts your IP address and prevent your Internet Service Provider from monitoring your online activities. The Internet Service Provider is able to see your online activity when you torrent without a VPN.

Pptp Or Point To Point Tunneling Protocol

One of the first tunneling protocols, PPTP is gravely outdated. This protocol encrypts data in transit with the MPPE cipher, which is very vulnerable to attacks using modern computers. Sent data packets could potentially be intercepted and modified, which is the main concern. The protocol has no methods to verify whether legitimate sources sent the data.

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VPN Protocols: What Are They And Which Should I Use

Getting technical with your VPN could help you stay safer online – the choice is yours

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The best VPN, or virtual private network, is a wonder of security that works to keep you more secure, anonymous and unblocked when online using protocols. That means you can have your identity hidden, internet activity masked and even appear to be somewhere you’re not.

The way a VPN works is to assign you a new IP address which makes it look like you’re somewhere else. This is done by routing your data through one of the VPN service’s servers located in a different location. All that data is encrypted, keeping it secure in transit. But how the process works and which is best depends on protocols. There are lots of these and they can get quite complicated so we’re sticking to the five most common to explain what they mean to you.

Why Wireguard Openvpn And Ikev2 Are Better Than Other VPN And Tunneling Protocols

Most older protocols outside of WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 are outdated and full of vulnerabilities and obsolete. There is no real reason to use any other VPN protocols outside The Big Three. In truth, one protocol would be enough to provide a good VPN service, but due to differences in compatibility for routers and different OS , we provide all three.

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The Easy Way: VPN Apps With Openvpn Support

The easy way refers to downloading a VPN application that already has support for OpenVPN. Its the go-to solution for casual users who dont want to worry about misconfiguring any settings that would weaken the protocol.

On the other hand, this solution may be costly when opting for a premium VPN service. We strongly advise against using free VPN services since they will most likely compromise your privacy as well as harass you with premium offers in the process.

The following VPN apps have been reviewed by our team, support the OpenVPN protocol, and are listed by ranking :

• ExpressVPN: Options -> Protocol -> UDP OpenVPN and TCP OpenVPN
• NordVPN: Settings -> General -> Advanced settings -> Protocol -> TCP and UDP. OpenVPN is used by default, but you can select between OpenVPN with TCP and OpenVPN with UDP
• Ivacy: Settings -> Connection -> Select Protocol -> TCP and UDP. Only OpenVPN can be used with TCP and UDP, so you can pick between OpenVPN with TCP and OpenVPN with UDP
• CyberGhost VPN: Settings -> Connection -> Use TCP instead of UDP
• Mullvad VPN: Settings -> Advanced -> Network protocols -> UDP and TCP. Just as with the previous VPN apps, only OpenVPN is used in combination with TCP and UDP

Which Is The Best VPN Protocol Pptp Vs Openvpn Vs L2tp/ipsec Vs Sstp

Chris Hoffman

Chris Hoffman is Editor-in-Chief of How-To Geek. He’s written about technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Chris has written for The New York Times, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami’s NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000 articles that have been read nearly one billion times—and that’s just here at How-To Geek. Read more…

Want to use a VPN? If youre looking for a VPN provider or setting up your own VPN, youll need to choose a protocol. Some VPN providers may even provider you with a choice of protocols.

This isnt the final word on any of these VPN standards or encryption schemes. Weve tried to boil everything down so you can grasp the standards, how theyre related to each other and which you should use.

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Types Of VPN Protocols And Which One You Should Use

In modern society, its very important to be able to browse the internet safely and securely. Using a VPN is a way to ensure your security and anonymity are guaranteed.

VPNshave many uses, including enhancing online anonymity, allowing you access to websites which are unavailable in your region and most importantly, making sure you have privacyon the internet.

But did you know that there are different VPN protocols you can use? Read on to find out more about them and which one you should use.

What Is A VPN

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is an international network of servers designed to hide your physical location and encrypt your data when using the internet. A VPN protocol creates secure tunnels that make your online activity extremely difficult to track from the outside.

We explained how VPNs work at length in this article.

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What Is The Least Resource

Without a doubt, PPTP is one of the least resource-intensive options simply because it offers such inferior encryption which doesnt eat up a lot of CPU power.

SSTP is normally a better choice, though, because it eats up less resources while also offering decent security all thanks to the fact that its strongly integrated into Windows platforms. If you use a different operating system or device, you could try OpenVPN instead of PPTP since it can optimize its processing power usage.

But we think WireGuard is the perfect choice for any platform because its optimized to efficiently use CPU cores. Also, it has a very small code base , so its very lightweight.

Our Recommendation: WireGuard

Layer To Tunneling Protocol / Ipsec

Considered a replacement of a more vulnerable protocol , L2TP does not use any encryption method whatsoever. For that reason, it is paired together with IPSec so it can provide additional security for your data.

But how is L2TP superior to its PPTP predecessor? Well, it uses something called double encapsulation the first one sets up a PPP connection to a remote host, while the second encapsulation contains IPSec. While this works wonders in terms of security, it reduces the speed at which your data travels.

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