Speed Up OpenVPN on pfSense Firewall for Dedicated Cloud Server

In this article, we will discuss how to optimize the speed of OpenVPN on a pfSense firewall dedicated cloud server. The server runs pfSense 2.7.2-RELEASE with 16GB of RAM, and the server is behind the firewall with internet access through pfSense. We will also cover connecting a laptop to the server.

Why Optimize OpenVPN Speed on pfSense Firewall?

OpenVPN is a popular virtual private network (VPN) protocol that provides secure, remote access to a network. However, the default settings on OpenVPN may not provide the best performance for your needs. Therefore, optimizing OpenVPN speed is crucial to ensure that your network users can access the resources they need quickly and efficiently.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure that you have installed OpenVPN on your pfSense firewall and have configured the necessary settings. Additionally, you should set up a connection between your laptop and the pfSense firewall. Once you have completed these steps, you can proceed to the next section.

Optimizing OpenVPN Speed on pfSense Firewall

To optimize OpenVPN speed on pfSense firewall, you can follow these steps:

1. Adjust the encryption settings:

   • Use AES-256-CBC or AES-128-CBC encryption instead of Blowfish or DES.

   • Use RSA-4096 or RSA-2048 for the RSA certificate and key instead of a shorter length.

   • Use a 2048-bit or larger Diffie-Hellman key.

2. Adjust the compression settings:

   • Enable compression, which can increase the speed of the VPN connection.

   • Use the LZ4 or LZO compression algorithm instead of the default one.

3. Adjust the UDP or TCP settings:

   • Use UDP instead of TCP for faster connections.

   • Use a larger MTU size, such as 1500 or 1450 bytes, for faster packet transmission.

Keep in mind that these settings may vary depending on your network configuration and the resources available. Therefore, it is essential to test these settings and adjust them accordingly to achieve the best performance.

Connecting a Laptop to the pfSense Firewall

To connect a laptop to the pfSense firewall, you can follow these steps:

1. Download and install the OpenVPN client on your laptop.

2. Export the OpenVPN configuration file from the pfSense firewall.

3. Import the OpenVPN configuration file into the OpenVPN client on your laptop.

4. Connect to the VPN using the OpenVPN client on your laptop.

Once you have connected your laptop to the pfSense firewall, you can test the VPN speed using tools such as speedtest.net or speedof.me.

Optimizing OpenVPN speed on a pfSense firewall dedicated cloud server can provide faster and more efficient network access. By adjusting the encryption, compression, and UDP or TCP settings on pfSense firewall, you can achieve the best performance for your network users. Additionally, connecting a laptop to the pfSense firewall is a simple process that involves downloading and installing the OpenVPN client and importing the configuration file.

References

• Tuning OpenVPN on pfSense

• OpenVPN vs pfSense