Abstract : This study aimed to identify the differences between state-of-the-art VPN solutions on different operating systems. It was done because a novel VPN protocol is in the early stages of release and a comparison of it, to other current VPN solutions is interesting.
It is interesting because current VPN solutions are well established and have existed for a while and the new protocol stirs the pot in the VPN field. Therefore a contemporary comparison between them could aid system administrators when choosing which VPN to implement.
To choose the right VPN solution for the occasion could increase performance for the users and save costs for organizations who wish to deploy VPNs.
With the remote workforce increasing issues of network reliability also increases, due to wireless connections and networks beyond the control of companies.
A remote worker may use different types of connections that are not managed by the remote workers company. This could lead to an unstable network connection as it is not controlled by professionals directly, as they preferrably are on-site.
Considering this scenario, VPN can potentially differ in performance if the connection is unreliable. The fact that the amount of remote workers is increasing and that VPN is a multi-billion-dollar industry,which is also projected to grow further according to Khan et al.
(2018), begs the question to be answered; how does the performance of certain VPN implementations differ? This project compares state-of-the-art VPNs and how they differ in performance under normal and unreliable network conditions on different operating systems (OSs).
The performance is measured in throughput and degradation is measured in how much, if any, performance was lost after the connection unreliability were introduced.
Reduced Speed: VPNs can slow down your internet connection. This is due to the encryption process and the distance between you and the VPN server.
Compatibility Issues: Some websites and services might not work properly with a VPN or might block VPN traffic. This can affect your browsing experience or access to certain content.
Potential Security Risks: Not all VPN providers are equally secure. Some might have vulnerabilities or could log your data. It's important to choose a reputable VPN service.
Cost: High-quality VPN services usually require a subscription fee. While there are free VPN options, they often come with limitations or potential privacy concerns.
The results are intended to be used as an aid to system administrators when to evaluate the options for which VPN solution to deploy. The results can be used as a steppingstone to create other VPN experiments and to avoid pitfalls that were discovered in this study.
If a system administrator intends to use the same configuration as in this study, then the results can be beneficial without having to do their own testing. The structure of the rest of this study is as such: Chapter 2 covers general background information about the VPN solutions that are used in the testing of this report and the metrics that are measured when testing the performance of VPNs.
Chapter 3 is about the motivation for undertaking this study, why it is important to benchmark VPN performance and especially under unreliable network conditions, this chapter also contains the research question and the objectives that are undertaken to answer the research question.
Enhanced Privacy and Anonymity: VPNs mask your IP address and encrypt your internet traffic, helping to keep your online activities private and making it more difficult for websites, advertisers, and other entities to track your behavior.
Improved Security: By encrypting your data, VPNs protect it from hackers and other malicious actors, especially on public Wi-Fi networks. This encryption ensures that sensitive information, such as passwords and financial details, is secure.
Access to Geo-Restricted Content: VPNs allow you to bypass geographic restrictions by connecting to servers in different countries. This enables you to access content that might be restricted or unavailable in your region, such as streaming services or websites.
Secure Remote Access: For businesses, VPNs enable employees to securely access company resources and data from remote locations. This is particularly useful for telecommuting and accessing work-related files from outside the office.
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