VPN Protocols Explained – Which One Should You Use?
VPN protocols significantly influence the VPN’s efficiency, reliability, and safety. They control the data transfer between the device and the VPN server and must be secure. However, it’s crucial to use the right VPN protocols to meet your needs. Every VPN protocol works differently; they have different levels of performance and speed. Here we will discuss VPN protocols in detail so you may decide which one will work for you.
Why Understand VPN Protocol?
A reliable VPN plays an important role in keeping your data private and secure from third parties. But have you ever wondered how these VPNs work? What are the important concepts behind them to make a secure VPN?
To end the curiosity, the VPN protocols are the root thing of creating a VPN. Without a protocol, a VPN is just nothing. However, there are several types of VPN protocols, and each one of them has distinct features, including compatibility, speed, and encryption.
Let’s uncover each protocol in detail with their strengths and drawbacks to get familiar with each in-depth and to know which is the best protocol for VPN.
OpenVPN
OpenVPN is the most secure VPN protocol in terms of keeping your online activities secure. Most advanced VPN service providers use this because it provides the best encryption. It uses two modes of connection, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol).
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol):
It makes sure that all of your data is transferred in the correct order, and if anything is missed in the way of transmission of data, then it sends it again. Since it goes through everything systematically, it makes it a bit slower.
UDP (User Datagram Protocol):
UDP transfers the data carelessly. By sending the data packets quickly, it doesn’t care if any data is missing in the process. No doubt it is faster than TCP, but data transmission is not reliable.
Pros
- OpenVPN is open source, so any skilled developer can contribute to its source code to make it more secure to use.
- You can comprehensively set the settings according to your needs.
- Easily access blocked sites and content over the internet.
Cons
- For learners, it is difficult to set up and involves manual configuration.
- Slow speed protocol related to other VPN protocols.
- Make your phone battery drain fast.
Best Feature:
Robust security and steadfast connectivity on public Wi-Fi.
IKEv2
IKEv2 is another one of the best VPN protocols; it stands for Internet Key Exchange Version 2. It is good for setting up a connection amongst devices, including your cell phone or desktop and laptop. Protects Internet traffic. To make the connection more secure, you need to unite it with the IPsec protocol.
Pros
- Setting up your VPN with IKEv2 provides higher security and better performance.
- IKEv2 supports different operating systems like Windows and iOS.
- It uses the strong encryption algorithms of AES-256 and AES-128.
Cons
- Configuring on obsolete devices, you may require third-party software.
- Clear networking concepts are required for configuration.
- It is a closed source, so no skilled developers can contribute to making better security.
Best Feature:
The best aspect of IKEv2 is that it reconnects instantly between different networks, like Wi-Fi to cellular data or vice versa. It reconnects in a way that doesn’t drop your VPN connection.
WireGuard
It’s one of the highly advanced protocols. All new and modern VPNs are using this protocol as it uses the leading cryptographic methods. WireGuard uses the ChaCha20 encryption algorithm. It is also an open-source protocol.
Pros
- There are no complicated steps to follow while setting up the WireGuard protocol.
- Compared to OpenVPN, it’s a battery-supportive VPN protocol.
- Creating fewer lines of code makes performance more efficient.
Cons
- ISPs can easily detect that you are using a VPN.
- It’s still under the process of scrutiny, as it’s new.
- Some devices do not support the WireGuard protocol.
Best Feature:
WireGuard speed is unmatchable because it processes fewer lines of code. If you are looking for a security-enhancing VPN protocol, WireGuard is perfect for you.
Due to the excellent security of WireGuard, iProVPN uses this protocol to make the experience more secure than using other protocols.
IPsec
IPsec protocol secures your data over the internet; VPN service providers use this to keep your data encrypted and private. It is responsible for verifying the information from where the data comes and to whom the data has been sent and making sure that data isn’t tampered with during transmission.
Pros
- When used with other protocols like IKEv2, enhanced security.
- IPsec uses public keys, which makes sure that your data has come from the authorized source.
- Observe fake data transfers.
Cons
- More bandwidth is used in checking the traffic and sources.
- It can be complex to use.
- Many small data packets can make it less efficient.
Best Feature:
Reconnects the connection in no time.
PPTP
It is the oldest and most first-designed VPN protocol. PPTP uses telephone lines to connect it to the internet. And connection used to be slower. iProVPN does not support this protocol as it is considered to be obsolete in the world of VPN protocols.
Pros
- Use fewer resources.
- Easy setup, compatible with all devices.
- Able to control transmission using many protocols.
Cons
- Has low-level encryption.
- Not supported on new versions of Apple devices.
- Risky to use.
Best Feature:
PPTP creates a fast connection; less resources are used, so it is lightweight. You can use this protocol if security is not your concern and speed matters.
SSTP
SSTP stands for Secure Tunneling Protocol and is the product of Microsoft. It is used more on Windows. And much better than PPTP and L2TP. However, it is also used in other systems as well.
Pros
- It uses the highly encrypted method of AES-256-bit encryption.
- Escape all the firewalls easily.
- Users can easily access restricted websites.
Cons
- Fantastic support for Windows, but it has few options for different devices.
- Can be sometimes slow.
- May require third-party software for the configuration.
Best feature:
Bypasses all the firewalls using port 443. It’s the same protocol that is used in making web traffic secure: HTTPS.
L2TP
This protocol (Layer 2 tunneling protocol) is a VPN tunneling protocol that connects your device to the VPN server. For encrypting the data, it works with the IPsec protocol, as it cannot encrypt data on its own.
Pros
- Use other protocols like IPsec to make the connection secure.
- Can be set on every device effortlessly.
- It uses UDP to enclose data.
Cons
- Speed is affected because it encapsulates data more than one time.
- Security keys must be updated at both connections.
- It uses more processing power.
Best Feature:
It provides the best security when interlinked with IPsec, which results in making your connection stable.
How to Figure out the Best Protocol for VPN
You cannot directly judge one protocol to make it the best VPN protocol; every protocol has its strengths and weaknesses. It depends on your needs to determine which protocols work best for you among many other VPN protocols. You must check VPN protocols in terms of security, speed, and privacy. Additionally, the selection of the best VPN protocol can be made knowing the level of your activity, whether it be for gaming, downloading, or you want to use it for streaming purposes.
For Security:
If you do not compromise your security, then OpenVPN and WireGuard are the best VPN protocols for you. As both provide you with the best security. The WireGuard protocol is new, and the use of the ChaCha20 encryption method makes it faster and more famous in the VPN world. However, OpenVPN uses highly encrypted AES-256-bit encryption.
For Efficiency:
If you are a gamer, then WireGuard is the best protocol for VPN; it will allow you to play games at a faster speed with no lags in between. Furthermore, it has an excellent battery life for cellular phones, so you can play games for a long time with your friends online. iProVPN offers this protocol. In addition to it, IKEv2 combined with IPsec provides good security and restores your VPN connection quickly if it disconnects.
For Adaptability:
OpenVPN, because of its open-source nature, works well on all devices smartly. However, IKEv2 works efficiently on mobile phones, so if you are more of a mobile phone user, then it’s the best protocol for VPN on mobile phones. SSTP is for Windows and can be set on Windows with no trouble.
For Configuration:
Since WireGuard is one of the most advanced and new secure protocol protocols, it is easier to configure as compared to other VPN protocols.
How can I use the VPN protocol on iProVPN?
After you install the app and sign in to it, then from the settings you can find different VPN protocol options. You can select the most secure VPN protocol among them, like WireGuard or OpenVPN, and connect according to your needs. However, if you don’t enable any of the VPN protocols, the automatic VPN protocol will be connected to keep you safe while browsing.
Conclusion
VPN protocols are the important aspect of a VPN with them there is no existence of VPN. There are several protocols of VPN, all have different levels of security and performance criteria. Depends on your needs on what to choose. If you are looking in terms of security then OpenVPN is the best protocol for you, WireGuard gives you excellent performance. Since it has good speed, IKEv2 works well on your mobile phone which gives you the balance of security and speed.
Whenever you select VPN protocols make sure you are aware of them in depth so you can select them wisely.
FAQs
- Which is the most advanced VPN protocol?
The WireGuard protocol is said to be the most advanced protocol. It is more efficient compared to other protocols because it consists of fewer lines of code. Which makes them easy to process.
- Can I change the VPN protocol on iProVPN?
Yes! From the settings of the iProVPN application, you can easily select any protocol as per your needs. If you don’t select any still it will be connected on auto for your security.
- Is PPTP still in use?
Point-to-point tunneling protocol is considered to be an obsolete protocol and is unsafe to use.
- Do I need a subscription to use iProVPN?
Yes! You need to purchase any of the iProVPN subscriptions to avail all the features of VPN.
- Does VPN protect my anonymity?
Free VPN services do not protect your anonymity; they usually get your data and sell it to online attackers. However, using a reliable VPN like iProVPN will not compromise your anonymity and will protect your privacy.
- Which is better: WireGuard or OpenVPN?
OpenVPN is older than WireGuard and is inspected more times. However, in terms of speed and advancement WireGuard is best.
