Openvpn+Bad packet id with any VPN provider

[JoeBee]

Hi, I have had this issue with several VPN providers all with Openvpn and UDP protocol setting and with my ISP Virgin Media with its hub 3.

The issue occurs with Torrents mainly but also with high speed test (speedtest sites) it basically causes my VPN providers Openvpn UDP performance to have a heart attack and collapse with an 80% speed drop.

It's hard to describe so here is a video:

https://www.videorefuge.com/v/4122

Tried so many things for over 4 months but gave up...I found on my ISP forums, others have this issue also with openvpn and udp protocol but no one has found a solution for over a year ! TCP openvpn protocol fixes it but 70% speed loss so its no good to me.

Does anyone have any idea ?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Disable the μTP protocol in your torrent client and use only TCP.

 

[JoeBee]

Disable the μTP protocol in your torrent client and use only TCP.

That was one of the first settings I changed and it did help but the bad packets still persisted sadly. Tried linux and windows 10, 3 different machines (3 different nics), delunge, uttorent, qbittorent clients all with uTP switched off.

VPN tech team felt it was to do with MTU and to try MSS fix setting (1500-1300) in 10s each time, that did not help either.

TCP protocol in openvpn fixes the issue but Its unusable after. Switching off openvpn or any VPN provider and running clear net the issues fixed also so it only occurs with openvpn and UDP protocol sadly.

 

[ColinTaylor]

I can't say I've experienced your instability problem. I'm also with Virgin Media and have a Hub 3.0

P.S. Using NordVPN

 

[JoeBee]

I can't say I've experienced your instability problem. I'm also with Virgin Media and have a Hub 3.0

P.S. Using NordVPN

Hmm quite strange, do you torrent often while under nord VPN with Openvpn protocol ?

The problem is very erratic you could torrent say 5-6 times fine but then 2-3 times it will occur, oddly the video I made it happen on the first video.

I'd guess most do not notice it since when they torrent they don't observe the download and die of boredom

But the issue exist, I am in contact with few others who experience it and there is a 1 year+ old thread on VM forums that discusses it also, Wireguard fixes the issue 100%, no bad packets or 80% drops in performance, not sure what WireGuard protocol is doing but its it feels 10x more reliable and stable then openvpn shame WireGuard is not as privacy friendly for now.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Hmm quite strange, do you torrent often while under nord VPN ?

The problem is very erratic you could torrent say 5-6 times fine but then 2-3 times it will occur, oddly the video I made it happen on the first video.

I don't torrent (using VPN) all the time but I do so often enough that I'd definitely notice such a problem, even if it only occurred 10% of the time.

The only time I've experienced something very similar was when using μTP. The downloads would start of very fast and then after a couple of minutes drop down to exactly 1MB/s and flat-line there. This effect was only present when going through a VPN and disabling the μTP protocol completely fixed the problem. It took me over 6 months to work out what the problem was. So during that time I was acutely aware of it happening.

I don't understand what you mean when you say "TCP protocol in openvpn fixes the issue but Its unusable after". How can it be "fixed" and "unusable" at the same time?

 

[JoeBee]

I don't torrent (using VPN) all the time but I do so often enough that I'd definitely notice such a problem, even if it only occurred 10% of the time.

The only time I've experienced something very similar was when using μTP. The downloads would start of very fast and then after a couple of minutes drop down to exactly 1MB/s and flat-line there. This effect was only present when going through a VPN and disabling the μTP protocol completely fixed the problem. It took me over 6 months to work out what the problem was. So during that time I was acutely aware of it happening.

I don't understand what you mean when you say "TCP protocol in openvpn fixes the issue but Its unusable after". How can it be "fixed" and "unusable" at the same time?

Yes I thought at first switching off uTP solved the issue it certainly helped but only tempory for myself and others, the issue is still there with heavier testing.

Badly worded, I meant its unusable since if I switch my VPN server from UDP to TCP protocol I get an 50-75% performance drop, so instead of getting say 18-24 MB/s during torrenting with TCP protocol id get 6-8 MB/s, and if I attempt to surf the internet the pages take 30-60 secs to load.

If TCP protocol gave me even 8-12 MB/s and allowed surfing websites smoothly id be ok even.

Do you use Nordvpn openvpn protocol also ?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Do you use Nordvpn openvpn protocol also ?

Yes.


Notwithstanding what I said previously I quite often experience BitTorrent sessions that are just continuously slow (1 or 2 MB/s), but that's not quite the same thing as you're describing. There are no errors in the log and it seems to just be related to the particular VPN server and/or peers I am connected to. Reconnecting to a different server usually sorts it out.

 

[JoeBee]

Yes.
View attachment 21747

Notwithstanding what I said previously I quite often experience BitTorrent sessions that are just continuously slow (1 or 2 MB/s), but that's not quite the same thing as you're describing. There are no errors in the log and it seems to just be related to the particular VPN server and/or peers I am connected to. Reconnecting to a different server usually sorts it out.
View attachment 21749

ok cheers for all the input, I know WireGuard Protocol fixes the issue 100% I described but its not so privacy friendly atm so prefer good ole Openvpn. I may actually give nordvpn a try and see if I have any joy with it.