Which VPN Protocol is Right for Me?

One of the best things about PrivadoVPN is that you can choose among several VPN protocol options. Having a wide range of protocols to choose from allows users to better customize their Internet experience. 

Let’s explore what VPN protocols are, which ones are available on PrivadoVPN, and why you would want to choose one over the others.

What is a VPN Protocol?

Whenever you use a VPN, your data is encrypted and transmitted, then received and decrypted. But there have to be rules for how to do that. A VPN protocol is that list of rules.

Imagine that you were accepting a shipment at a warehouse. Every box that comes in represents one package of data. How do you verify that the shipment you received is the one you expected to receive?

Well, you would have received a manifest in advance. Now, you can check every box that’s unloaded as it exits the truck, which is the best way to ensure that you have exactly what you agreed to. Or you could just compare the labels on the boxes to what’s on your shipping manifest. Or you could combine those two and even reorganize the unloading process to make it more efficient.

A VPN protocol tells the other computer you’re communicating with how your computer will be sending and receiving information. Then it can handle the data properly. The way that a computer handles data can change the speed and accuracy of your downloads, sometimes by a significant amount.

Types of VPN Protocol

There are several different types of VPN protocols available. However, PrivadoVPN gives you the option to use one of three of the best.

What makes them the best?

First of all, all of these protocols are secure. None have been broken as of the time of this writing despite years of being actively used on billions of devices. Secondly, they allow users to balance speed and security to their specific use case.

OpenVPN

One of the oldest and strongest encryption protocols in the world. OpenVPN has been utilized by countless developers to provide the ultimate security for your data for decades. It verifies every byte of data before asking for the next one. That way, you can be sure that your transfer is complete and correct. Moreover, the complex 256-bit encryption key makes it functionally impossible to break through brute force.

The drawback to OpenVPN is that it’s somewhat slow. Because of the extra security and detailed verification, it takes significantly longer to process your data. This can have a dramatic impact on your overall Internet speeds.

If you’re not in a hurry and prioritize accuracy over speed, OpenVPN might be the best option for you.

IKEv2/IPSec

IKEv2 is a version of the IPSec protocol that slightly tweaks the process of sending and receiving data. Instead of every package being checked for accuracy, IKEv2 compares what it received to a list of what it expects called a “checksum.” As a result, using IKEv2 will provide you with much faster transfers while maintaining excellent security. Remember: it has also been in circulation for years and has never been broken. It was originally created to digitally transfer Classified documents by the US government.

However, there is a higher chance that your data will be corrupted during the encryption process because it’s not being checked with the same detail as OpenVPN. If you’re not as worried about that or feel you can try a bad download again, then IKEv2 will give you plenty of speed to watch online videos or download large files.

WireGuard®

The newest VPN protocol on this list, but one that has had immediate success and widespread adoption. WireGuard® is a middle ground between OpenVPN and IKEv2, providing better speeds than the former and better security than the latter. What’s unique about it is that the developers found ways to speed up data processing without reducing security as much.

Many people use WireGuard® when they want a good balance of security and speed. It’s the default VPN protocol for a lot of users. OpenVPN and IKEv2 are then used for specific situations where more speed or security is necessary.

The Right VPN Protocol for You

This is just a cursory overview of how VPN protocols work. Ultimately, you will have to test them on your system to find when it’s best to use them. The reason PrivadoVPN provides so many options is that we want you to have as much control over your online security as possible.

So take the time to find which VPN protocol works best for you.

Powerful VPN Protection from PrivadoVPN

When it comes to protecting yourself on the Internet with secure and reliable encryption, PrivadoVPN has your back. With powerful VPN protocol options, powerful encryption, and a variety of privacy features, PrivadoVPN makes it easy to give yourself the online experience that you deserve. Premium users get unlimited monthly VPN data, hundreds of global servers, and even the ability to create up to 10 connections from just one account. It’s never been a better time to sign up with PrivadoVPN!