Which router for NordVPN

[royarcher]

Your RT-AC88U has the same type of CPU as RT-AC87U, but a bit faster version (C0 1.4GHz vs A0 1.0GHz). In theory you should be able to reach about 40-50Mbps OpenVPN speeds with AES-256 encryption on a local VPN server. Real world speed depends on how far is the server you connect to, how busy this server is at the moment, what else is using your Internet connection in the same time, what else is your router doing in the same time, etc.

As an experiment try this:
- in OpenVPN Client -> upload a local ExpressVPN server file
- in OpenVPN Client -> Accept DNS Configuration select Disabled
- in WAN -> Connect to DNS Server automatically select No
- in WAN -> enter Cloudflare DNS servers 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1
- disable AiProtection, QoS, Traffic Monitoring, App Analysis, etc.
- stop temporarily all other traffic on your Internet connection and LAN
- test what VPN speed you can get on Speedtest.net
Don't forget to hit Apply after every change.

You have no much of a choice though if the goal is to use a VPN server in another country with specific DNS in order to avoid some restrictions.

Ok I get it now I am streaming video from Australia to USA (usually LA3) and there is always at least one or two people surfing the net at the same time but I will try your test out of curiosity I'll just have to wait until the war office is out or there will be war ( she hated me mucking around with the router it interferes with her Facebooking and 21 jump Street is all the rage at the moment on Hulu Uno Johnny Depp) I'll post my findings when I get a chance thanks

 

[Val D.]

she hated me mucking around with the router

Change in plan. Don’t touch anything. Stay alive.

 

[Delusion]

AC86u is awesome I get 260-280 speed with NordVPN (My isp speed is 1GB/s) , how can I decrease decryption strength with Merlin FW? I think I tried once but the client won't connect. Which one of these option can I change to decrease decryption strength and get more speed (just for testing)? Auth digest is the main option to change decryption?

Spoiler: Options

 

[CaptainSTX]

You can only change settings on your client if NordVPNs server will support/ accept them. In some cases the server will just ignore your settings and use its default but with other changes as you have discovered you won't connect.

You also can look at your custom settings. You also can make changes there. I often add the settings shown below but in my experience they don't seem to change anything and the default speed is just as fast as the modified settings.

sndbuf 524288
rcvbuf 524288
fast-io

The primary limitation on VPN throughput is processor speed on the client and server and then your distance from the server.

Based on the exceptional speeds you are reporting I think what you are seeing is about as good as it gets.

 

[royarcher]

You can only change settings on your client if NordVPNs server will support/ accept them. In some cases the server will just ignore your settings and use its default but with other changes as you have discovered you won't connect.

You also can look at your custom settings. You also can make changes there. I often add the settings shown below but in my experience they don't seem to change anything and the default speed is just as fast as the modified settings.

sndbuf 524288
rcvbuf 524288
fast-io

The primary limitation on VPN throughput is processor speed on the client and server and then your distance from the server.

Based on the exceptional speeds you are reporting I think what you are seeing is about as good as it gets.

I wish I could get half the speed delusion is getting

 

[CaptainSTX]

I wish I could get half the speed delusion is getting

Same here. When I signed up for Gig speed from Comcast I was running my VPN client on a VPN appliance with a reasonably fast I7 processor supporting AES-NI and I think the best I could do with PIA was 240Mbps.

 

[Natey2]

I have an Asus RT-AC88U and used IPVanish in the router settings. Netflix didn't like that.
Now I use the IPVanish app only on some devices.

Sent using Tapatalk

 

[royarcher]

I have an Asus RT-AC88U and used IPVanish in the router settings. Netflix didn't like that.
Now I use the IPVanish app only on some devices.

Sent using Tapatalk

I have the same router and use express VPN and don't really have any complaints.From time to time I would get the,,we have detected that you may be using a VPN or proxy turn it off and try again,, but simply changing the location from say LA 3 to new jersey 3 would do the trick.For the last 4 or 5 months I have been using their streaming app ( DNS proxy server) and I get full speed ( I am on a 50 mbs plan ) as apposed to 10 mbs with the VPN Ps I am streaming from Melbourne Australia

 

[Val D.]

You can only change settings on your client if NordVPNs server will support/ accept them

Most likely it won't. No NordVPN server I ever tried allows anything different than AES-256-GCM. It still connects, but ignores client settings and reverts to presets of the server. On RT-AC86U there is not much of a performance difference between AES-128-GCM and AES-256-GCM, based on posted tests results on Internet.

I think the best I could do with PIA was 240Mbps.

Most VPN servers won't allow connections faster than 250Mbps no matter how fast ISP connection is and what you run the VPN client on. RT-AC86U and Intel i5 pfSense box produce exactly the same results with local servers around my location. This is why I decided to put my pfSense box project on hold. Why bother when a router can hit >200Mbps.

 

[Natey2]

My speedtest results from my phone on 5GHz WiFi, FWIW:
(Download, Upload)
IPVanish: 24.8, 11.1
NordVPN: 12.6, 12.3
None: 175, 12.0

Sent using Tapatalk

 

[Val D.]

My speedtest results from my phone

Not a valuable information if you don't mention what the phone make/model is and how far the VPN servers you connect to are located. A phone with better per-core CPU performance connected to closer to your location VPN server with lower load will show much better results.

 

[cloudbuster]

Good read
https://www.privateinternetaccess.c...celeration-is-here-for-routers-using-openvpn/

0 or 1 % CPU usage at 169Mbps so what is the real maximum output they can provide who know so it might be the VPN server the bottle neck.

 

[Val D.]

0 or 1 % CPU usage at 169Mbps

No. CPU core 1 goes to about 60% at this speed. At about 220Mbps reaches 100%.

I don't use the router for VPN Client anymore though. As I mentioned in another thread:
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/new-home-network-build-help.58300/

a) when running 3-4 PCs on a router VPN Client, the router's CPU has to handle all the traffic
b) when running VPN Client software on each PC, each local x86 CPU handles it's own traffic

No need to explain why option b) Internet connection is much more responsive. Visibly more responsive.

In other words, leave the router do the routing and forward the VPN calculations to the client.
No router CPU as of 2019 can even come close to x86 Intel i5/i7 CPU performance on a computer.