This topic describes how your network traffic is handled when using FREEDOME VPN.
When you start using F-Secure FREEDOME VPN, your network traffic is handled in a very different way than before. FREEDOME VPN is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) product which takes over all the network traffic, encrypts it and routes it through the virtual location you’ve selected to use or which has been automatically selected by the product. Without FREEDOME VPN, all your network accesses go directly to wherever you’re trying to go.
As FREEDOME VPN encrypts and routes all your network traffic to whatever virtual location you’re using, the distance in the network will bring some overhead to the observed network speed. In principle, the further the virtual location is network-wise, the longer it takes to transfer the data through there. Note that the data needs to come back through the same route. If you reside in, for example Sweden and select to use our Australian virtual location, all your network traffic will go through Australia even if you’d be reading a Swedish news site.
Sometimes the nearest virtual location may not be obvious, so it is worth trying different virtual locations if speed seems to be an issue. We’re not imposing speed limitations on our users but if one of the virtual locations is used very actively by other users, it may slow down the network speed too.
Windows:
On Windows, FREEDOME VPN supports the following three VPN protocols: OpenVPN, OpenVPN (TCP) and IPSEC/IKEv2.
- OpenVPN is the default protocol in FREEDOME VPN. It works mainly over the UDP protocol and is usually faster than the OpenVPN over TCP protocol. However, OpenVPN over UDP may be blocked in some networks where OpenVPN over TCP is allowed.
- IKEv2 may achieve slightly higher connection speeds when compared to the two OpenVPN protocol versions, but especially some older routers may have problems with handling the IKEv2 protocol.
Mac:
On Mac, FREEDOME VPN supports both OpenVPN and OpenVPN (TCP) protocols. The same advantages and disadvantages of these protocols exist on both Mac and Windows.
Android:
On Android, FREEDOME VPN supports only the OpenVPN over UDP protocol.
iOS:
On iOS, FREEDOME VPN supports both IPSEC/IKEv1 and IKEv2 protocols. IKEv2 may achieve slightly faster speed than IKEv1 but the key reason for the two different IKE versions is that some routers work better with IKEv1 and some with IKEv2.