WireGuard® is often touted as the best VPN protocol, known for its speed, stability, and efficiency. But what makes it so special – and is it really as good as it’s made out to be? Let’s take a closer look at what WireGuard® is, how you can use it, and how it compares to other VPN protocols.
Quick Guide – How to Set Up WireGuard® in 3 Steps:
CyberGhost VPN comes with WireGuard® built in, so you don’t have to fuss with installation or configuration. Here’s how you can get started:
- Get CyberGhost VPN and install the app on your device.
- Launch the app, head to Preferences, and select WireGuard® as your protocol.
- Connect to a VPN server and secure your traffic without compromising your connection speed.
What Is WireGuard®?
WireGuard® is a VPN protocol. Simply put, VPN protocols are rulesets that determine how data is transferred between your device and a VPN server. When you connect to a VPN, the active protocol determines things like the type of encryption used, the speed of data transfer through the VPN tunnel, and more.
No two VPN protocols are the same. Some encrypt your data faster, but perhaps not to the strongest degree. Some have stronger and more stable encryption, but at the cost of speed.
How Does the WireGuard® VPN Protocol Work?
As with other VPN protocols, Wireguard® serves as a tunnel between you and your VPN server. When you connect to a VPN, your traffic is rerouted through this tunnel, where it’s encrypted – turned into unreadable code that can only be deciphered with an encryption key. This protects your data and activity from prying eyes and cybercriminals.
WireGuard® uses ChaCha20, a cipher that makes use of shorter cryptographic keys, to outspeed other popular ciphers, like AES-256, resulting in faster encryption and decryption.
It also routes your network traffic based on cryptographic keys. In this process, called cryptokey routing, each connected device IP gets assigned a unique public key. WireGuard® then uses the key to match and route data packets to their destinations, ensuring secure and encrypted communication between devices.
Wireguard® is a connectionless protocol, preconfiguring the connection between your client and VPN server, eliminating the need to reconnect every time. It’s also integrated fully into the Linux kernel, removing the need to transition between user space and kernel space, thus optimizing its performance and efficiency, and adding even more speed.
If you don’t come from a technical background, don’t worry. CyberGhost VPN comes with the WireGuard® protocol built in, so all you have to do is select it in the settings and you’re good to go.
Is WireGuard® Secure?
Absolutely. Even though AES-256 is the industry standard, ChaCha20 is just as efficient at protecting your data, and in some cases, is the more impenetrable of the two. It’s also been suggested ChaCha20 has a higher safety margin than AES-256 because it takes fewer rounds of encryption to render your data unreadable.
WireGuard VPN Protocol Pros and Cons
WireGuard® is well-known, but like all other protocols, it comes with its own pros and cons. It’s relatively young compared to other established protocols, so it has a few creases to iron out. Still, its benefits outweigh its drawbacks.
WireGuard® Pros
- It’s ultra fast. WireGuard® uses ChaCha20 and is a connectionless protocol. It uses fewer resources, so its speeds are excellent.
- Extra efficiency. WireGuard® only contains approximately 4000 lines of code. This makes it easier to install, use, and troubleshoot, and it means VPN providers can more easily maintain it.
- Rigorous security. ChaCha20 is a powerful cipher with a higher safety margin than AES-256. WireGuard® is also less vulnerable to direct attacks, since its minimal code is easier to protect.
- It’s open source. This has a few benefits in and of itself, including transparency and customization, and continuous improvement. It also means VPN providers can build on it.
- It runs on a range of devices. WireGuard was once a niche protocol only available on Linux systems, but it’s branched out to all major operating systems including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
WireGuard® Cons
- Lack of features as a standalone VPN. WireGuard® can be installed and used on its own, but you won’t get all the features that CyberGhost VPN offers.
- No obfuscation. If you use WireGuard® as a standalone app, it will hide your activity, but it won’t change your IP or hide your connection. This means you can’t use it to get around network blocks, and your ISP or Wi-Fi admin could know you’re using it.
- It still has a few weaknesses. Even though WireGuard® is an extremely secure protocol, it’s slightly more vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks than other protocols. However, even if your connection is intercepted, its encryption is strong enough to keep your data safe and sound.
WireGuard® vs. Other VPN Protocols
WireGuard® is a fantastic protocol, but is it better than the others? How does it differ from the likes of OpenVPN and IKEv2? Take a look.
| Speed | Stability | Security | Accessibility | Open Source | Efficiency | |
| WireGuard® | Fastest | Great | Excellent | Improving | Yes | Best |
| OpenVPN | Slowest | Best | Excellent | Most popular | Yes | Good |
| IKEv2 | Very fast | Great | Excellent | Popular | No | Great |
WireGuard® vs. OpenVPN
OpenVPN is the most popular protocol among providers, because it’s reliable and fast, and has robust encryption. It’s open-source like WireGuard®, so VPN providers can modify it and build onto it as needed.
OpenVPN can be the better choice if you’re willing to sacrifice some speed for more security and stability. It will also obfuscate your connection if you don’t want to leave any traces of your VPN activity.
WireGuard® overall is still considered the better option thanks to its speed, while still giving OpenVPN a run for its money in security. WireGuard® is your best bet if you prioritize efficiency.
Not sure which VPN protocol is best for your needs? Download CyberGhost VPN and you can easily try out WireGuard® and OpenVPN and switch between them if you need to. You can also let the CyberGhost app automatically pick the best protocol for your connection.
WireGuard® vs. IKEv2
IKEv2 comes close to WireGuard® in almost all facets. It’s faster than OpenVPN and its encryption is powerful. It’s extremely accessible, and is built into many devices, including mobile. However, depending on your network stability, IKEv2 might not be as reliable as WireGuard®, and WireGuard® is faster. Another drawback to IKEv2 is that it’s not open-source, so VPN providers can’t add to or improve its code.
Is WireGuard® the Best Protocol?
It depends on your needs. WireGuard® is the best choice if you’re looking for a powerful VPN protocol that uses little resources and won’t impede your connection speeds. It’s free and open-source, and has a large community constantly working to improve it.
OpenVPN and IKEv2 are still excellent options, and might be more appealing if you want an established VPN protocol with an emphasis on privacy and security. IKEv2 is best for mobile, OpenVPN is best for reliability, and WireGuard® is best for speed. Regardless, they all shine in security and encryption, and will protect your data reliably.
How to Set Up the WireGuard VPN Protocol
If WireGuard® sounds great but you don’t want to install it as a standalone or run your own personal VPN, there’s an easy way to use it without the fuss or hassle of setting it up yourself. Here’s how:
- Install CyberGhost VPN.
- Launch the CyberGhost VPN app and click on the cog icon to go to your Settings or Preferences.
- VPN Protocol will be set to Automatic by default. Click the arrow to open the drop-down menu, and choose WireGuard®.
It’s as easy as 1-2-3, literally. CyberGhost VPN will be configured to WireGuard®. You can switch to a different protocol any time you like using this same method.
Try WireGuard® with CyberGhost VPN
WireGuard® is great, and although you can use it as a free VPN, it’s intended as a VPN protocol. It will encrypt your data and secure your connection, but beyond this, it won’t offer much.
Cyberghost VPN has a huge network with server locations in 100 countries, so you can easily hide your IP address. You’ll also get automatic Wi-Fi protection, DNS Leak Protection, and a handy kill switch to guarantee you won’t accidentally expose your data if you lose connection to the VPN. CyberGhost operates under a strict no-logs policy, so your browsing data is never saved on our servers.
Ready to secure your digital life? Try WireGuard® with CyberGhost VPN risk-free with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
FAQ
WireGuard works best as a VPN protocol, and is considered one of the best in this regard. It encrypts your data reliably without sacrificing your connection speed.
Many experts prefer WireGuard® over OpenVPN for speed and efficiency, but whether it’s better than OpenVPN depends on your needs. They’re both open-source and customizable, and both use 256-bit encryption to secure your data. OpenVPN has more robust security, is more stable and reliable than WireGuard®, and is more accessible through commercial VPNs.
WireGuard is free and open-source, but you might still incur a few fees depending on how you use it. You might have to pay for server space if you’re setting up a personal VPN, but, you’ll likely pay a subscription fee for a VPN with WireGuard® included. Get CyberGhost VPN to take WireGuard® for a test drive. It’s risk-free with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Yes. WireGuard doesn’t obfuscate your connection, but it does encrypt your data. This means no one will be able to tell what you’re using WireGuard for, but your ISP or Wi-Fi admin will be able to see that you’ve used it.
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