VPN tunneling protocols are a technology that helps VPNs securely send your data over the Internet, something that is necessary if you want to use social media, surf the web, or do almost any other online activity.
The various protocols differ in terms of speed and security. Most of them are considered obsolete and insecure, so they are rarely used - like PPTP or L2TP, which we don't offer in any of our applications.
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OpenVPN
Reliable, stable, and secure protocol with 18+ experience of open source development.
Using OpenVPN you connect to CyberGhost via an encrypted TLS (Transport Layer Security) connection. Originally released in 2002 OpenVPN has become very popular and a de-facto standard, among others, because it isn't impressed by wireless access points, firewalls, NAT-based routers, and HTTP proxy servers and will bypass them without problems, can use different ports, and keeps its speed even on long-distance Internet routing. As for the security, OpenVPN is a must-have for it provides an up to 256 bits encryption and works with the OpenSSL library of both the control channels and the data you send through. the easiest task ever.
Availability: Windows , Android, Linux, and Fire TV app.
IKEv2
Fast speed, strong security.
IKEv2 (short for Internet Key Exchange version 2) is a fast and secure protocol that tends to work best when the server you’re connecting to is physically nearby. It was developed by Cisco and Microsoft security engineers.
Availability: Windows, macOS, and iOS.
WireGuard®
Newer, more efficient protocol with the potential for increased performance.
WireGuard® is a fast and modern protocol taking the world of VPN connections by storm. Its state-of-the-art cryptography makes it the best alternative for OpenVPN.
An important element that makes WireGuard different from other VPN protocols such as OpenVPN, IPSEC, L2TP, and PPTP is the layer at which it works. It supports only layer 3.
WireGuard® is widely regarded as the most secure, user-friendly, and simple VPN protocol solution in the industry. WireGuard® offers a number of advantages that outperform other types of VPN protocols :
- Offers faster speeds than OpenVPN
- Boosting performance
- Less memory and CPU resources required than IPsec
- Available on all major operating systems
It supports IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, as well as the ability to encapsulate IPv4 packets into IPv6 and vice versa. WireGuard uses "crypto-key routing", i.e. each IP address allowed on the VPN is associated with a public key. WireGuard also guarantees the perfect confidentiality of the transmissions.
Availability: Windows ( CyberGhost 8 only ), macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and Android / Fire TV App.
L2TP/IPSec
Easy-to-setup, stable, and secure.
L2TP (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol) is the next good guy on our list to protect your data inside public networks and a merging of Microsoft's PPTP and Cisco's L2F (Layer 2 Forwarding) protocol.
Contrary to OpenVPN, L2TP does not provide any encryption by itself and instead relies on a third party encryption protocol, the Internet Protocol security (IPSec), which takes care of your privacy inside the VPN tunnel.
In terms of security, L2TP with IPSec comes next to OpenVPN and is highly recommended on your Android or iOS gadget, be it a Smartphone or a Tablet-PC. Usually, OpenVPN is not supported on those devices, or, if supported by the respective Operating System, it's not to be installed in one weekend (if successful at all). Here is where L2TP/IPSec comes in handy, for it is secure and easy to set up. The downside: You need to set up one unique connection for each server you might want to use.
Availability: Manual setup
PPTP
Highly recommended for speed, but isn’t the best option for security.
PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) is another technique to establish your VPN connection – but, sorry to say, the least secure one. Developed by Microsoft in conjunction with other companies, the technique had been compromised lately and according to security specialists, it's possible to unveil passwords while connecting. Then again: the chances it happens to you at someday in the future are highly unlikely.
Like L2TP, PPTP also uses a separate encryption model, which is Microsoft's Point-to-Point Encryption (MPPE). Furthermore, it does not rely on a certification infrastructure like OpenVPN but is easy to set up and because of its low overhead, it's said to be faster than other VPN methods.
But anyway, since PPTP actually has been compromised, it's only recommended to use it, if neither OpenVPN nor L2TP/IPSec are an option. And, by the way, of course, you need to set up one unique connection for each server you might want to use with PPTP as you need with L2TP.
Availability: Manual setup.
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