There is a lot of information and endless discussion about which VPN provider is best. Let’s take a look at a few popular VPN solutions today and then decide what you should choose.
OpenVPN
The OpenVPN tunneling protocol uses the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption protocol to ensure data shared via the Internet remains private using AES-256 encryption. It’s not only considered the most secure VPN tunneling protocol, it also delivers faster connections and can bypass most firewalls.
Pros:
- Solid security with the best encryption algorithms
- Decent speed
- Highly customizable
- Regularly updated
- Extensively tested and audited
- Works on all platforms
- Gets around firewalls
Cons:
- Difficult to set up manually
- Requires third-party software to set up
L2TP/IPsec
Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) is a tunneling protocol used to support virtual private networks (VPNs). It uses encryption (‘hiding’) only for its own control messages (using an optional pre-shared secret), and does not provide any encryption or confidentiality of content by itself. Rather, it provides a tunnel for Layer 2 (which may be encrypted), and the tunnel itself may be passed over a Layer 3 encryption protocol such as IPsec.
Pros:
- Decent speed
- Good security package
- Easy to set up
- L2TP is native to Windows /macOS /Mobile
Cons:
- Resource-intensive due to double encapsulation
- Only three ports available (Easily blocked by firewalls)
IKEv2/IPSec
IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange) is a joint VPN protocol project developed by Cisco and Microsoft and specifically focused on mobility, making it suitable for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. For example, IKEv2 allows your VPN to stay connected seamlessly, even if your device changes from a Wi-Fi network to a mobile network or vice versa or if you temporarily lose connectivity. IKEv2 is commonly used in conjunction with IPSec for even greater data encryption and authentication security.
Pros:
- One of the fastest VPN protocols
- Immense stability
- Easy to set up
- Compatible with many cryptographic algorithms
Cons:
- Easily blocked by some firewalls
- Supported by fewer platforms than other VPN protocols
SSTP
SSTP (Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol) was developed by Microsoft and first introduced with Windows Vista. It’s largely seen as the successor of PPTP and L2TP and can be found in the later versions of Windows as well. Its security almost rivals OpenVPN and it can also bypass firewalls.
Pros:
- Good security with solid encryption algorithms
- Decent speed
- Gets around firewalls
- Intuitive design and easy use for Windows integration
Cons:
- Poorer performance on non-Windows operating systems
- Difficult to set up on non-Windows devices