RT-AX82u Slow download speeds with VPN

[ShrimpySkimp78]

Hopefully I can get some support here because I'm pretty hopeless at this point.

I have an RT-AX82U that as of a week ago was working fine, with download speeds over 150 Mbps with mulvad VPN enabled. Randomly, my speeds plummeted and after resetting the router and modem, nothing improved. For Context, my ISPs modem is giving download speeds upward of 800mbps, which is a lot better than my router.

I have since refreshed the entire router, keeping base settings only using Nord VPN to a server near to my home and still my download speeds average no better than 50mbps. Is there a setting config that can help? I'm hoping this isn't a hardware issue, I would think this router would be able to handle running a VPN, it's definitely not a cheap unit. Also, even when it was running fine, 150mgbps compared to 800 from my modem seems incredibly low- I do have up graded cables running from the router to the modem.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Tech9]

my ISPs modem is giving download speeds upward of 800mbps

Your router can do about 100Mbps on OpenVPN and about 300Mbps on WireGuard limited by the CPU. For better VPN speeds about 250Mbps on OpenVPN and 500Mbps on WireGuard you need a router with ARMv8 CPU like RT-AX86U Pro or better. For anything faster on VPN - x86 hardware is needed, home AIO routers can't do it.

it's definitely not a cheap unit

The Gaming version of entry-level RT-AX58U hardware with alien looks, RGB lights and unlocked 5GHz radio to 4-stream. More marketing than great hardware. The 3-core 1.5GHz CPU is ARMv7 variant with no AES instruction set used for OpenVPN encryption. It's done in software on this model, Open VPN is single thread (single core).

 

[ShrimpySkimp78]

Gotcha, that's very helpful thank you for the response. I was given this router as a gift from my GF and feel bad she spent a decent chunk of change on it so I wanted to try and exhaust every solution before considering getting a different unit.

Again, appreciate the insight.

 

[Tech9]

You can run your VPN on the client instead and when needed. A PC hardware will reach >500Mbps speeds when VPN servers allow. No need to torture RPi-like router hardware and run network-wide VPN connection 24/7. Despite the advertisements commercial VPN services are more like proxies and don't add much security and privacy.

 

[jerry6]

You can run your VPN on the client instead and when needed. A PC hardware will reach >500Mbps speeds when VPN servers allow. No need to torture RPi-like router hardware and run network-wide VPN connection 24/7. Despite the advertisements commercial VPN services are more like proxies and don't add much security and privacy.speedtest

that is what I do I never run the vpn off the router always use it on a per client basis get well over 500Mbps , running off the router I'd be lucky to get 300Mbps VPN are a joke , they make so many bs claims