OpenVPN over TCP vs. UDP – What is the difference?

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- August 26, 2020 at 12:09 pm #14066
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  Which is better to use – OpenVPN TCP or UDP?
- August 26, 2020 at 12:12 pm #14067
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  Let’s first understand what TCP and UDP are. TCP or Transmission Control Protocol is a connection-oriented protocol that provides reliable delivery of octets over the IP network. TCP works in the Transport Layer of the Internet Protocol Suite.
  
  If two hosts are connected over the IP network, and they want to transfer data over a reliable connection, the hosts can use TCP. Using TCP, the sending and the destination host first establishes a reliable connection after TCP handshake. Then, TCP can receive the data from the application of the sending host, divide the data into several packets, number the packets, and then send them to the destination host.
  
  The destination host receives the packets in an ordered way. And, after receiving the packets, the host sends an acknowledgment. If any packet is delayed, the packet is retransmitted. TCP also provides error-checking to ensure the reliable delivery of transmitted data.
  
  UDP or User Datagram Protocol, on the other hand, is a connectionless protocol that provides unreliable delivery of data in an unordered way. Before sending the UDP packets, no reliable connection is established between the sending and the receiving host. Also, if two packets are sent to the destination host, there is no guarantee in which order the packets will reach the destination. Moreover, if a packet is delayed, the packet is dropped rather than retransmitting it.
  
  In other words, UDP provides no guarantee of delivery, ordering, or duplicate protection of data. It provides a checksum for a basic integrity check but provides no other error-checking.
  
  So, UDP is more suitable for time-sensitive real-time applications where the packets should reach the destination without much retransmission delays. Voice over IP or VoIP, online games, or streaming applications often use UDP for this reason.
  
  OpenVPN TCP provides better reliability. It can also bypass a firewall easily as it runs on standard ports. But, for the reasons mentioned above, OpenVPN TCP provides a slower speed.
  
  OpenVPN UDP, on the other hand, provides faster speed. But, it is less reliable as UDP does not guarantee the delivery of packets.
  
  So, if we think about security and privacy, both OpenVPN TCP and UDP are good. But, OpenVPN UDP provides faster speed than OpenTCP. So, if you want to use OpenVPN for online gaming or streaming applications, you can use OpenVPN UDP. Otherwise, OpenVPN TCP can be used for better reliability.
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