Speedup a VPN Connection?

[bearcub]

First post here. Nice Site. I am curios if this is possible. I am using a Motorola Surfboard Cable modem model sb6141 with a pfSense router/ firewall using a VPN server. My non VPN internet speed is at 100Mbps. When I test my speed using the VPN I get 35.5Mbps.

 

From what I have read from the VPN service I should only loose about 30% of my speed wich should put me at around 70Mbps

 

Is there anyway to speed this up??

 

 

[mudmanc4]

You are tunneling to a remote host through your local pfsense, yes?  If not, what is the reason.

 

VPN takes math, so a fast proc is a requirement. The higher the hash the slower the throughput, considering packet assembly/ dis- assembly on the fly. 

[Sean]

Most VPN connections only run over a single TCP connection between the device and VPN server, so the maximum throughput will usually be what a single connection can handle to that server.  For example, if you run TestMy's multi-threaded test with the VPN connection, all these threads will be carried over the single TCP connection to the VPN server.

 

If you have control over that server (e.g. Workplace or VPS), then what you could try is FTP a dummy 200MB file to and from it to see what throughput you get.  For example, if you get a similar speed in a single FTP transfer (4.4MB/s down), then this is the maximum you'll get on the VPN also. 

 

I'm not sure where you got the 30% loss from, unless it's a VPN protocol with a large overhead.  The fastest speed I've got with a VPN is 60Mbps tested on a friend's VDSL connection, which gave a linear speed test of 70Mbps without the VPN, both tested on TestMy.  In this case I was using the HMA VPN service and the OpenVPN protocol from what I recall. 

[bearcub]

Thank You mudmanc4 and editorsean for your help. Sorry it took so long to respond.

 

@ mudmanc4, Yes I am tunneling through my pfSense router/firewall to a VPN server. Yes, I agree the higher the hash and packet assembly and disassembly would slow it down.. I was looking at a 30% throughput loss which was the figure the VPN service provider had said.

 

@editorsean, so it runs over a single TCP connection. I can see how that would slow it down. I have no control over the VPN server settings. My isp's connection is at about 100Mbps .

The VPN Service had said that speed loss should be about 30%. So that should put me at around 70Mbps. I also looked at the VPN server  load and it is around 7%.

 I just did a test just now , single thread, and it came back with 4.5Mbps. It seems like it has a hard time on test 3 at 35.1MB . It really slows down then. Not sure if there is anything I could do?

[mudmanc4]

Can I ask what client you are using? 

Is this OpenVPN? Or IPsec.

 

I've found UDP to allow slightly more speed for various reasons. Also, I use remote private servers running pfsense, where the local pfsense is basically meaningless at this point. Where TUN or TAP can be used depending on what the connection requires at the time. 

 Also, when you are relying on a service, there exit nodes could be choked, which again puts you at the mercy of the VPN provider. = thing you already knew

[bearcub]

Yes, mudmanc4,

I am using OpenVPN setup with the pfSense router/firewall. I am also using UDP. Yes , maybe it is the exit node. Strangely, the VPN server load is at 7% and just did another download speed test and it shows 19.5Mbps

 

I guess I'm just a little disappointed, since the VPN service touted its service as a high speed. Thanks mudmanc4.