Router's VPN Client is very slow vs configuring directly the VPN in each device

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Router's VPN Client is very slow vs configuring directly the VPN in each device

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Router's VPN Client is very slow vs configuring directly the VPN in each device
Router's VPN Client is very slow vs configuring directly the VPN in each device
2024-02-08 18:52:49 - last edited 2024-02-21 05:22:04
Tags: #VPN #Mullvad VPN
Model: Archer AXE5400  
Hardware Version: V1
Firmware Version: 1.1.9 Build 20231115 rel.37295(5553)

I recently upgraded my router to an Archer AXE5400, mainly because I was interested in the VPN Client feature among other things.

 

In my wired PC, my usual internet speed is about 300Mbps download and 100Mpbs upload. When I configured the VPN Client in the router and enable it to my wired PC, the speed drastically dropped to 60Mpbs both for download and upload.

I'm using Mullvad VPN and I thought it was it's fault, but when I configured the VPN directly in my PC without using the router's feature, my speeds are 280Mbps and 90Mbps. 

 

I did the same test in my cellphone and the result speeds are about the same.

 

It seems that using the VPN Client feature in the router slows down the download/upload speeds. It seems like a bug to me. Is this a hardware limitation or can it be patched in a future firmware update?

Thanks.

 

As additional info, I'm using the same .ovpn files, user and password to configure VPN in the router and in my PC settings.

 

 

Result with VPN client configured in Archer Router

https://www.speedtest.net/result/15862483582

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Result with VPN configured directly in the OS settings
https://www.speedtest.net/result/15862219120

 

 

 

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Re:Router's VPN Client is very slow vs configuring directly the VPN in each device-Solution
2024-02-10 17:09:06 - last edited 2024-02-21 05:22:04

LuisPortanel wrote

Is this a hardware limitation ...

 

  @LuisPortanel 

 

Most likely it is.

 

VPN connections like OpenVPN use strong data encryption methods, which require quite a lot of CPU power. 

 

But compared to a PC or modern smartphone the CPU cores used in router chipsets are slow. According to the firmware version you provided your router should be the model Archer AXE75. Pictures show that the AXE75 uses Broadcom's BCM6756 SoC, which incorporates a quad-core ARM Cortex CPU (ARM-A7) in this case clocked at 1.7 GHz. For comparison, in terms of processing power this should probably put it slightly above a Samsung Galaxy S III phone.

 

Anyway, while 60 Mbps seems slow at a time when many users have Gigabit Internet connections at home, it is still not bad compared to older TP-Link routers. 
I own a previous generation Wi-Fi 6 router (model Archer AX50) that four years ago cost me about as much as what the Archer AXE75 is currently selling for. That AX50 router only achieves around 17 Mbps via OpenVPN (used as server, but that doesn't matter). 

 

And the AXE75 is part of the list of routers that are planned to receive support for WireGuard, which should be faster then OpenVPN.
https://community.tp-link.com/en/home/forum/topic/595286

 

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Re:Router's VPN Client is very slow vs configuring directly the VPN in each device-Solution
2024-02-10 17:09:06 - last edited 2024-02-21 05:22:04

LuisPortanel wrote

Is this a hardware limitation ...

 

  @LuisPortanel 

 

Most likely it is.

 

VPN connections like OpenVPN use strong data encryption methods, which require quite a lot of CPU power. 

 

But compared to a PC or modern smartphone the CPU cores used in router chipsets are slow. According to the firmware version you provided your router should be the model Archer AXE75. Pictures show that the AXE75 uses Broadcom's BCM6756 SoC, which incorporates a quad-core ARM Cortex CPU (ARM-A7) in this case clocked at 1.7 GHz. For comparison, in terms of processing power this should probably put it slightly above a Samsung Galaxy S III phone.

 

Anyway, while 60 Mbps seems slow at a time when many users have Gigabit Internet connections at home, it is still not bad compared to older TP-Link routers. 
I own a previous generation Wi-Fi 6 router (model Archer AX50) that four years ago cost me about as much as what the Archer AXE75 is currently selling for. That AX50 router only achieves around 17 Mbps via OpenVPN (used as server, but that doesn't matter). 

 

And the AXE75 is part of the list of routers that are planned to receive support for WireGuard, which should be faster then OpenVPN.
https://community.tp-link.com/en/home/forum/topic/595286

 

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