OpenVPN - Open Source VPN Protocol

OpenVPN protocol is a configurable open-source VPN. And, almost all the major operating systems support the protocol.

OpenVPN

What is OpenVPN?

It is an open-source technology that uses both TCP and UDP ports for transmission. OpenVPN also offers users 256-bit AES encryption. Since it is open-source, security vulnerabilities are usually fixed by the open-source community.

This protocol is often used due to the various advantages it offers. For starters, unlike other protocols, it is compatible with mobile OS like Android and iOS. Most important of all, it can bypass any firewall. And, it can access many ports for communication. If you are looking for the best OpenVPN client, you need only PureVPN!

Key Features of OpenVPN

Full Anonymity

If you are looking for the best OpenVPN client, you need only PureVPN!

Fast Speed

The TCP tunnel transport support on the OpenVPN protocol offers you many benefits. It includes seamless online gaming, video conferencing, audio conferencing, & more.

High Security

It keeps all your communications secure by using various methods. For starters, it uses shared keys, HMAC authentication, and 256-bit encryption via OpenSSL.

Beats Firewalls

It can run on any port between 1 and 65535. This multi-port functionality makes OpenVPN ideal for bypassing firewalls.

Perfect Forward Secrecy

The PFS feature in OpenVPN adds an extra layer of security. As a result, you get complete secrecy and data integrity.

More Portable

OpenVPN is more portable and secure than other protocols. After all, you can use it in the user space and requires the TUN/TAP virtual network driver.

OpenVPN Protocol Comparison

OpenVPN vs L2TP vs IKEv2 vs SSTP vs PPTP

The following is an in-depth comparison of OpenVPN against other common VPN protocols.

OpenVPN IKEv2 SSTP L2TP PPTP
Encryption 256-bit 256-bit 256-bit 256-bit 128-bit
Security It can be considered extremely secure when used in conjunction with robust cipher and ephemeral keys Latest VPN protocol which implements IPSec and is highly secure Can be considered as secure as OpenVPN when used in conjunction with robust cipher and ephemeral keys IPSec over L2TP, when properly implemented, has no major known vulnerabilities PPTP implementation has several known security vulnerabilities
Stability Stable Connection Highly stable and consistent connection once established Stable, but more so on Windows Stable Connection Unstable and may disconnect frequently
Speed Great speed across long distances and on connections with high latency Faster than other VPN protocols due to MOBIIKE support, which makes it stable and resilient Faster than PPTP and L2TP L2TL/IPSec is still fast, despite tunneling overhead, due to high encryption/decryption efficiency. Fastest VPN protocol because of basic encryption
Supported OS Windows OS iOS (Manual) Android Mac OS X (Manual) And More... Windows OS iOS Android (Manual) Mac OS X (Manual) BlackBerry (Manual) Windows OS iOS (Not Supported) Android (Not Supported) MAC OS X And More... Windows OS iOS (Manual) Android (Manual) Mac OS X (Manual) And More... All Platforms (Manual)
Conclusion Good speed, strong security, native support for most OS. Fast speed, strong security, the only VPN protocol supported by Blackberry Safer and faster than PPTP and L2TP, ideal for Windows OS, can easily bypass firewalls Easy-to-setup, stable, and secure Highly recommended for bypassing geo- restrictions quickly, but isn’t the best option for security

PureVPN offers support for all major VPN protocols and platforms.

Advantages and Disadvantages of OpenVPN?

Advantages

  • The open-source community loves the protocol. The community catches and fixes any security issues in a prompt manner.
  • Capable of bypassing any firewall as it supports multiple ports.
  • It is secure as it uses up to AES 256-bit encryption
  • Provides the best blend of both security and speed.
  • Compatible with major OS like Windows XP and later versions, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS.

Disadvantages

  • It requires third-party apps to run on every OS because you cannot configure it as is.

How to Setup OpenVPN

  • Subscribe to PureVPN
  • Download PureVPN Android app for your device
  • Launch the app and enter username and password
  • Select your desired mode
  • Enjoy secure and speedy VPN connection!
openvpn for android

For manual configuration on your preferred devices, check out these guides.

  • Subscribe to PureVPN
  • Download PureVPN Windows app for your device
  • Launch the app and enter username and password
  • Select your desired mode
  • Click the OpenVPN Protocol
  • Enjoy secure and speedy VPN connection!
openvpn for windows

For manual configuration on your preferred devices, check out these guides.

How to Select the Best VPN Protocol?

Automatic Selection

PureVPN is all about ease of use. Our VPN client selects the best virtual private network protocol for your connection. So, what you only have to do is to click, connect and enjoy

Manual Selection

If you want to change auto selected protocol you can select a different protocol. See our VPN protocols comparison chart to select the right one according to your need. If you are unsure try setting up protocols in following order:

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OpenVPN
Frequently Asked Questions

How Does OpenVPN Work?
OpenVPN uses the OpenSSL library for providing encryption to users. The protocol allows the OpenSSL technology. It manages not only the encryption but also the authentication. The protocol uses UDP port 53 and TCP port 80 for transmission. Moreover, it can also send data through other TCP ports 5500 – 55000.

What is UDP?
UDP is the acronym for User Datagram Protocol. UDP does not perform error correction. As a result, the packets are received without any retries or acknowledgements. This makes UDP faster, but less reliable.

What is TCP?
TCP is the acronym for Transmission Control Protocol. Unlike UDP, TCP performs error correction. And, its retransmission mechanism ensures both ends can receive packets. The increased reliability results in increased latency.

TCP vs UDP: Which one to Choose?
If speed is your primary concern, then UDP is better for doing a great number of things. For instance, you can play games, do VoIP communications, stream, and etc.

But, TCP, will slow down your connection depending on various network factors. For this reason, you should switch to TCP if you are experiencing connection issues with a VPN server.

TCP = Reliable
UDP = Fast

Which UDP Port and TCP Port Does OpenVPN Support?
OpenVPN uses UDP port 53 and TCP port 80 for transmission. Also, it can also send data through other TCP ports of the range 5500 – 55000.
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