I have been running my own VPN for over five years; but when I started using Hyperoptic (1 gbps) connection, I became more ambitious and frustrated. Have you had such experience with your VPN?
What was the challenge?
Throughout 2022-23, my personal VPN fell short of my expectations due to two main issues: (1) The VPN speed was far below 1 Gbps, and (2) The performance dropped by over 40% when the VPN was activated.
After relocating home from Blackwall to Lewisham, things didn't improve. Being farther away from the Telephone House data centre, where my cloud server was hosted, affected the overall performance.
Unfortunately, Hyperoptic also proved unreliable, leading me to switch to Virgin Media as my broadband provider. I was well aware of the increased latency, jumping from 1 millisecond to double digits!
What did I do?
Faced with numerous challenges, I decided it was time to think outside the box. Here's how I tackled the situation:
(a) Research and Testing:
I compared prices and performance among about a dozen cloud service providers. Actual testing of a handful CSPs revealed that "published speeds" were often far from reality.
(b) Strategic Provider Selection:
It took me time to get past the "Vendor BS" and I chose a cloud server provider with a data centre based in Coventry, approximately 190km away from my location.
(c) Operating System Choice:
Leveraging advancements in the Linux Kernel, I opted for the Debian Trixie (Testing) OS. While unconventional in the corporate world, it proved to be the best fit.
(d) VPN Optimisation:
Fine-tuning the WireGuard installation, an open-source VPN, was crucial. Its performance surpassed that of any other VPN software, be it open source or closed source.
(e) Linux Kernel Settings:
To enhance overall system performance, I went back to text books and fine tuned Trixie's kernel control settings.
What is the result?
Despite making unconventional and daring choices, I wasn't overly confident about achieving a 1 Gbps speed. To my pleasant surprise:
My VPN successfully reached 1 Gbps on a 1.1 Gbps connection for downloads. However, there's a caveat with my service provider, Virgin Media - there's a notable speed asymmetry. Upload speeds hover between 100-110 Mbps, a stark contrast to the download speed of 1100 Mbps. It might seem ridiculous, but given my disappointment with Hyperoptic, sometimes we have to take what we can get.
Remarkably, the VPN managed an impressive download speed of 1.039 Gbps, equivalent to 93% of the speed without VPN. WireGuard is not only efficient, it is reasonably Quantum Resistant.
Is it time to celebrate?
Absolutely! After a year-long journey filled with challenges, I've successfully crafted a 1 Gbps VPN. It's a significant milestone after many sleepless nights, weekends of coding, and persistent effort.
A personal dedication
Today is a memorable day for me for one more reason. I am dedicating the VPN to my father who passed away a few years ago and today would have been his birthday. He taught me never to give up.
Here's to continuous progress and pushing the boundaries! Cheers!!
(DM if you wish to try and test the VPN.)
Santosh Pandit
13 January 2024
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