Exploring VPN Protocols: Types, Strengths & How to Choose

While a VPN builds a secure tunnel to transmit your data, the VPN protocol determines how your data is transmitted over it. Different VPN protocols vary greatly in their speed, security, compatibility, stability, and undetectability.

This guide walks you through VPN protocols using simple words, aiming to help even VPN beginners choose the right protocol for different online activities.

What Are VPN Protocols?

VPN protocols are the set of rules that govern every step of the secure connection between your device and a VPN server, from the initial handshake and encryption to the final transmission of your data.

Think of VPN as a secure delivery service. VPN Protocols are the procedures and rules that determine how your package is wrapped, what shipping methods it uses, etc. Different procedures will result in different speeds, privacy, and stability of delivery.

Categories of Protocols

However, just like the complex workings of a courier service, VPN protocols are also a partnership between different layers. There are standalone VPN protocols and also protocols that are used only for tunneling, encryption, or transmission. To avoid confusion in the following sections, we first divide the term “protocols” into 6 categories:

• Standalone VPN Protocols: Ready-to-use solutions that handle the entire connection process, including tunnel encapsulation, encryption, transmission, and so on. Such as WireGuard, OpenVPN and the proprietary protocols developed by some VPN service providers.

• VPN Tunneling Protocols: Specialized in creating the “tunnel” for data by encapsulating original packets. They typically provide no or weak encryption and thus must be combined with a separate encryption protocol to build a secure VPN. Such as PPTP and L2TP (which is commonly paired with IPsec).

• Encryption Protocols: Specialized in encrypting data, and are often integrated into standalone VPN protocols. Such as SSL/TLS.

• Combination VPN Protocols: Complete VPN protocol solutions that pair two specialized protocols. One creates the tunnel. The other provides strong encryption. Such as L2TP/IPsec and IKEv2/IPsec.

• Transport Layer Protocols: Specialized in ruling data transmission. All VPN protocols are built on top of these. Such as TCP, UDP.

• Proxy Protocols: Technologies that prioritize traffic obfuscation, not a true VPN protocol. Such as V2Ray/Xray, Shadowsocks.

Strictly speaking, only standalone VPN protocols, combination VPN protocols, and some VPN tunneling protocols, like PPTP, can be considered complete and true VPN protocols.

Common Types of VPN Protocols

Based on the above categories of protocols, the following are some common types of standalone VPN protocols. Other common protocols and technologies will be introduced in the next section.

1. PPTP

PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) is a first-generation VPN protocol developed by Microsoft. It uses both TCP and GRE to encapsulate and transmit PPP packets. While simple to set up and fast due to its minimal encryption, it is now considered completely insecure due to multiple known vulnerabilities and is out of date.

Release Date	1995
Category/Position	VPN Tunneling Protocol
Features	Fast speed, good compatibility, easy to set up
Cons	Highly insecure, easily blocked and hacked

2. L2TP/IPsec

L2TP/IPsec (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol with IPsec) combines L2TP, which creates the tunnel, with IPsec, which handles encryption to offer strong security. It is the successor to PPTP, and is built into most modern operating systems.

Release Date	1999
Category/Position	Combination VPN Protocols
Features	Good security, widely supported
Cons	Slow speed and may be blocked by firewalls

3. OpenVPN

OpenVPN is an open-source, cross-platform, and currently the most commonly used VPN encryption protocol. OpenVPN can be further divided into two types: OpenVPN TCP and OpenVPN UDP. The former focuses more on network security, while the latter offers better connection speeds.

Release Date	2002
Category/Position	Standalone VPN Protocol
Features	Highly secure & configurable, bypasses firewalls
Cons	Requires third-party software, complex setup

4. IKEv2/IPsec

IKEv2/IPsec (Internet Key Exchange version 2) is a powerful protocol pair known for its speed and remarkable stability, and is a part of the IPsec protocol suite. It can quickly re-establish a connection if your internet drops or switches, making it a top choice for users on the go.

Release Date	2005
Category/Position	Combination VPN Protocols
Features	Fast, stable, highly secure, easy to configure
Cons	Can be blocked by firewalls, closed source

5. WireGuard

WireGuard is a relatively new open-source VPN protocol and is widely called the “future of VPN protocols.” Unlike other general-purpose VPN protocols that utilize complex encryption algorithms, WireGuard simply repurposes existing algorithms to achieve simpler yet still secure encryption. Originally available only on Linux, WireGuard is now available on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, etc.

Release Date	2020
Category/Position	Standalone VPN Protocol
Features	Extremely fast & efficient, easy to set up
Cons	Relatively new and still maturing

6. Proprietary VPN Protocols

Proprietary VPN Protocols are custom-built solutions developed by VPN companies to offer a superior user experience. A typical example is X-VPN’s Everest Protocol, which is designed for faster speed and stronger obfuscation.

Release Date	Varies by provider
Category/Position	Standalone VPN Protocol
Features	Optimized for speed & user experience
Cons	Closed-source

Key Supporting Protocols & Related Technologies

In addition to core VPN protocols, supporting protocols and other technologies are vital to modern secure connections.

1. TCP/IP

TCP/IP(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is the foundational protocol suite that determines how data is transmitted. IP finds the path to the destination, and TCP ensures the data arrives reliably on that path.

Release Date	1970s
Category/Position	Transport & Network Layer Protocol
Features	Reliable, error-checked, ordered data delivery
Cons	Higher latency, more overhead

2. UDP

UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is the other core transport protocol of the Internet, known for its raw speed. Unlike TCP, it sends data without establishing a connection first, which makes it much faster but does not guarantee delivery or correct order.

Release Date	1970s
Category/Position	Transport Layer Protocol
Features	Connectionless, low latency, minimal overhead
Cons	Unreliable, no ordering

3. SSL/TLS

SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer / Transport Layer Security) is the cryptographic backbone that secures much of the internet, including HTTPS websites. It provides the essential “lock” for data that many standalone VPN protocols, like OpenVPN, rely on to build their secure tunnels.

Release Date	1995
Category/Position	Encryption Protocol
Features	Ubiquitous, highly secure, enables HTTPS
Cons	Configuration-dependent, vulnerabilities if outdated

4. QUIC

QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections) is a modern transport protocol that integrates TLS encryption directly on top of UDP. Its ability to reduce connection latency is being used by some VPN providers, like X-VPN, to build next-generation, faster proprietary protocols.

Release Date	2021 (HTTP/3 Standard)
Category/Position	Transport Layer Protocol
Features	Built-in encryption, reduced latency
Cons	Can be throttled

5. Proxy Protocols

Instead of being a traditional VPN protocol, some proxies and technologies are often categorized as “Proxy Protocols” that prioritize traffic obfuscation. Typical examples are V2Ray/Xray and Shadowsocks.

Release Date	2019(V2Ray/Xray)
Category/Position	Proxy Protocols
Features	Strong obfuscation
Cons	Complex configuration

VPN Protocols & Related Technologies Comparison

To help better master those common VPN protocols or proxy technologies, here’s a table briefly comparing their speed, security, stability, and obfuscation ability.

How to Choose? By Activity, By Protocol

So, now we basically know all the common types of VPN protocols, their features, drawbacks, etc. How to choose the right VPN protocol for your connection? By your activities.

The following recommendations focus on VPN protocols and advanced proxy tools. For transport layer protocols like TCP, UDP, and encryption protocols like SSL/TLS cannot be used alone to establish a VPN connection.

1. For Everyday Use

WireGuard, IKEv2/IPsec, and OpenVPN (UDP) are the top 3 recommendations for their balance between security, speed, and stability for web browsing, social media, and light downloads.

2. For Streaming & High-Bandwidth Activities

WireGuard, IKEv2/IPsec, and OpenVPN (TCP) stand out for their high speeds and minimal buffering, ensuring smooth HD video playback.

3. For Online Gaming & Low Latency

WireGuard, IKEv2/IPsec, and OpenVPN (TCP) suit online gaming and other activities that require low latency(ping) and a stable connection to avoid game lags and disconnections.

4. For Maximum Security & Sensitive Tasks

OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2/IPsec are ideal for tasks that need high security. They offer the highest level of privacy and encryption, suitable for handling confidential information.

5. For Maximum Privacy on Restricted Networks

OpenVPN (TCP), Proprietary Protocol(like Everest), and V2Ray/Xray are the top 3 recommendations for privacy on restricted networks. They can obfuscate and disguise your traffic, making it appear as normal data instead of VPN traffic.

Switching Between Protocols with X-VPN

Not all VPNs allow you to freely switch between VPN protocols depending on your activities. However, with X-VPN, you can enjoy the fastest speeds of WireGuard, the highest security of OpenVPN, and the robust obfuscation of our proprietary Everest protocol, which is built on the latest TLS, TCP, and UDP technologies, and even introduced the QUIC protocol for our mobile and TV users.

Conclusion

The technology behind VPN protocols might be complex, but using them for your digital life shouldn’t be. Pick up this handbook, and choose the right protocol according to your needs. Don’t forget to try the extensive protocol library of X-VPN and take control of your online privacy today.

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