OpenVPN®: What is it and How it works?
Updated on July 13, 2021: From now on, traffic filtering, malware protection, and suspicious DNS activity blocking are available as a part of the separate DNS Firewall app.
VPN (Virtual Private Network) technology becomes more and more popular every day, many people with different needs find some use for it within their everyday life. However, with diversity comes complexity, as it’s quite difficult for an everyman to go into the matter deep enough and sort out all the technical terminology. Worry no more, in this piece we will provide you with all the information you need! We’ll also explain why we believe OpenVPN® to be one of the most effective solutions.
OpenVPN®: A closer look
Putting it simply, a VPN is a technology that allows users to share data via the internet through a secure and encrypted connection. Most of the time people using VPN pursue two goals: to secure their connection (e.g. to safely access corporate network from a public computer or to protect personal data while using open WiFi hotspots), and to mask their real IP, thus hiding their actual location to circumvent certain websites’ censorship and geo-restrictions. This is achieved thanks to VPN protocols like PPTP, L2TP, SSTP and OpenVPN® (in this article we will concentrate on the last one).
OpenVPN® is a relatively new open source technology. It allows flexible customization, meaning that OpenVPN® clients are different and can accomplish specific goals. What’s more, this protocol supports many cryptographic algorithms, thus OpenVPN® providers can choose the one that works best at any given moment.
This technology has two flaws worthy of mention though. First, mobile OpenVPN® clients are still in development, and even though it’s possible to use them, their functionality is restricted. Second, its flexibility means a complex setup process, though it’s totally a VPN provider’s headache, not a client’s. Basically, a user will only face OpenVPN®’s boons – it’s extremely secure, it doesn’t get blocked by firewalls, and it’s significantly faster than a number of its counterparts.
Unleash the full potential of OpenVPN® with VPN Unlimited
VPN Unlimited features OpenVPN® client as one of the solutions available, fully utilizing the strengths of this protocol. It runs over a UDP port, which is the most effective in situations where you need perceived latency. Hence, it is mostly used for voice and video communication, and for online gaming. Thanks to this OpenVPN® transport tunnel, you can enjoy synchronous Skype conversations or lagless high-paced online game sessions.
Another great feature based on OpenVPN® client is the encryption key of up to 256 bits long. Nowadays, most VPN providers still use the 128-bit encryption, claiming it’s enough and that no modern computer can brute force such a key. While it is true, one must not forget about Moore’s law. Solutions that work fine today will be twice less efficient in two years. That’s why 256-bit encryption is currently used to provide the best level of long-term data security (for example, US government uses the NIST certified 256-bit AES encryption).
Want to know more? Click here to check out a more detailed description of OpenVPN® technology. Or download VPN Unlimited and enjoy a FREE 7-day trial!
“OpenVPN” is a registered trademark of OpenVPN Inc.