UNLOCK YOUR VPN’S FULL SPEED & SECURITY
Change your default VPN protocol
VPNs usually offer a choice of ‘protocols’, which are sets of rules and instructions that determine how data is routed between your computer or mobile device and the VPN’s servers. This includes authenticating that your device is communicating with a trusted server, and encrypting the data you send and receive. Different protocols use different means of authentication and encryption, and changing the default protocol set by your VPN can boost your speed and security, and fix problems such as dropped connections.
Some VPNs offer their own protocols, such as ExpressVPN’s Lightway, but the most common option is the open-source protocol OpenVPN (https://openvpn.net). This is fast, secure and reliable, supported by the majority of VPN servers and often gives you access to extra features – such as a ‘stealth’ mode for hiding VPN traffic from your ISP.
A newer and even speedier option is WireGuard (www.wireguard.com), which requires less bandwidth and processing power than OpenVPN to encrypt your data, so is less likely to slow your browsing. It’s certainly worth trying if your VPN provides the option – ExpressVPN doesn’t, while NordVPN’s NordLynx protocol is based on WireGuard – though you may find that WireGuard servers aren’t available in certain countries.
To switch your protocol to OpenVPN, WireGuard or another good option such as IKEv2 or L2TP, go into your VPN’s settings, look for a section called Connection, Auto-Connect or similar, and select your preference in the Protocol menu (see screenshot above right). For OpenVPN, you can choose between TCP, which gives you a more stable connection, and UCP, which provides a faster one.
Install a VPN on your Wi-Fi router
Many VPNs can be added to your Wi-Fi router, which allows them to protect all the devices connected to your home network without you having to install the VPN’s apps on each one. It also beats the restriction on the number of devices you can use. Some routers come with a built-in VPN client, but you can also upgrade your current router’s firmware with DD-WRT (https:// dd-wrt.com), to give it VPN support through the OpenVPN protocol (see previous tip). However, this may not be possible on the router supplied by your ISP.
Search for your router’s manufacturer and model in the DD-WRT database (www.snipca.com/41682), and follow the instructions to install DD-WRT on your router. ExpressVPN makes things easier by providing its own firmware for routers (see screenshot below), but only for Linksys, Netgear and Asus models (www.snipca.com/41683).
Once you’ve installed DD-WRT, you’ll need to follow your VPN’s own guide to setting up its service on your router, so that it connects to the right servers via OpenVPN. For example, you can find
NordVPN’s instructions at www. snipca.com/41684 and Surfshark’s at www.snipca.com/41685.
Although there are privacy benefits to installing a VPN on your router, it may make your internet connection noticeably slower. Switching the OpenVPN protocol from TCP to UDP should help speed things up, and you can disable the VPN when you don’t need it via your router’s settings.
Exclude apps from your VPN’s protection
In our VPN reviews we mentioned ‘split tunnelling’ as a desirable feature, but it’s important to know when and how to use it. The main benefit is to exclude apps from your VPN’s encryption when spoofing your location may cause problems. For example, you may have trouble logging into online banking, getting directions in Google Maps or watching some content. You can either specify which apps are always shielded by your VPN, which is what split tunnelling actually means, or whitelist apps to exclude, which is known as ‘inverse split tunnelling’.
To use split tunnelling in ExpressVPN, click the menu button and choose Options then General. Select ‘Manage connection on a per-app basis’, click the Settings button and you’ll be given the options: ‘All apps use the VPN’, ‘Do not allow selected apps to use the VPN’ (see screenshot below) and
‘Only allow selected apps to use the VPN’.
For privacy reasons, it’s sensible to protect your main browser using your VPN, but you can exclude a secondary browser so you can use that to access sites that need to know your real location.