Leading provider ExpressVPN has just released a serious upgrade and promises to be even faster – no matter which VPN protocol you use.
To do so, ExpressVPN has implemented new features on both its very own WireGuard-inspired protocol, Lightway, and OpenVPN. So-called Lightway Turbo is a technology that leverages multiple pathways to increase bandwidth. The data channel offload (DCO) technique will also enable OpenVPN to achieve the same.
The provider behind one of the best VPN services on the market claims that both enhancements bring "an unprecedented speed boost" for an improved browsing experience. The new features are available on the Windows v12 app only at the time of writing. While DCO is a Windows-only update, Lightway Turbo is expected to be released across more platforms at a later date.
When fast can be faster
The VPN protocol is a crucial part of the software infrastructure. It's the tech that sets up the connection with the servers, defines the encryption used by the service, and any other aspects of the VPN connection – performance included.
"Speed is an integral part of the entire VPN experience, and we’re always striving to deliver a fast, seamless, and secure browsing connection," said Pete Membrey, Chief Research Officer at ExpressVPN, adding that the team is always looking at ways to improve performance while prioritizing security and privacy.
TechRadar's most recent round of testing proved the provider's speedy and stable connections. In fact, peak speeds of 898 Mbps when using Lightway helped ExpressVPN claim a top spot among the fastest VPNs out there.
ExpressVPN recently rolled out a new version of Lightway in Rust to deliver an even "more secure and high-performing" performance. Lightway Turbo will then be integrated into Rust once the newer version of the protocol is available across Windows and other platforms.
Lightway Turbo, however, seems to demonstrate that fast can be even faster.
"With Lightway Turbo, we’ve engineered a solution that increases bandwidth without compromising on latency to deliver what our users have been asking for – lightning fast speeds that maintain real-time performance," said Membrey.
The new technology establishes multiple network tunnels to VPN servers simultaneously to create several Lightway connections to multiple servers. Put simply, this increases the available bandwidth and improves data transmission speeds.
Lightway Turbo is currently available for the Lightway UDP – the "Automatic" protocol selection – on the Windows v12 app, with more support expected to arrive at a later date. It's on by default, but you can still choose to disable the option if you wish to do so by heading to the Settings menu of your application.
Lightway is the fastest VPN protocol you can choose, but ExpressVPN was still keen to boost the experience for users opting to use OpenVPN instead.
Similarly to Lightway Turbo, the data channel offload (DCO) technique enables OpenVPN to process multiple data streams simultaneously and handle network traffic more efficiently.
Himmat Bains, head of desktop apps at ExpressVPN, said that internal tests have shown a 2000% increase in performance on UDP traffic after DCO was implemented. "This is a complete transformation of what OpenVPN can deliver, and we’re excited to roll this out to our users on Windows," he added.
As mentioned earlier, only Windows can support this tech.
Nonetheless, this shows how the provider is taking a different approach from other competitors like Mullvad VPN that decided to kill support for OpenVPN to focus resources on the more popular WireGuard.
Asked about this decision, Membrey told TechRadar: "We don’t follow trends – we do what we believe is right after careful thought and consideration. OpenVPN is a long-standing protocol, which the VPN industry was effectively built on. When OpenVPN comes out with a significant performance enhancement – and assuming there are no security concerns – it only makes sense for us to offer this to our users."
Disclaimer
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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