Been trying to get this OpenVPN setup on my Raspberry Pi working for streaming geo-unblocking and man it feels like chasing ghosts. The numbers tell a story. Initially, I was getting 120 Mbps down with my wired connection, perfect for 4K Netflix and some torrenting. Set up OpenVPN, routed traffic through a UK server, supposed to be a breeze. But what I got was 30 Mbps tops, sometimes dipping to 10 during peak hours. It's like the VPN tunnel shrank in size or something. Tried switching protocols, from UDP to TCP, no real difference. The CPU on the Pi isn't exactly a beast either, so I figured maybe bottlenecked on encryption or routing. Stats show CPU usage at 80 percent during tests, but the throughput just flatlines. The worst part? Latency jumps from 20 ms to 150 ms, making streaming a pain. Tried some cloaking tricks, turned on TCP fast open, adjusted MTU, nada. This setup should be a no-brainer but it's turning into a nightmare. If anyone's cracked the OpenVPN on Pi speed puzzle for streaming and geo-unblocking, drop the golden nuggets. I swear these small boards are supposed to be cheap and cheerful but they turn into bottleneck monsters when you push 'em. Frustrated and thinking about switching to Wireguard, but heard mixed speed results too. So yeah, if your setup is smooth, share your configs or I might just throw this Pi out the window and start using a dedicated box. Numbers don't lie, this is not even close to what the specs promised.
OpenVPN on Pi speed tests, frustrated as hell
- Thread starter Baseline
- Start date
OpenVPN on Pi speed tests, frustrated as hell
Bro, honestly I think you're overthinking it. Pi is a tiny board, yeah, but if you tweak your configs right and run a minimal setup, it shouldn't choke so hard. OpenVPN's heavy, no doubt, but you're making it worse with all those tweaks trying to fix latency. Switching to Wireguard is solid, but if you wanna squeeze max speed, you gotta strip down everything you don't need. Like, turn off all logs, disable unnecessary features, and make sure your MTU is dead on. Also, CPU usage isn't always the problem, sometimes it's just how you route traffic, DNS, or even the server you're connecting to. And don't forget, Pi's just not a server, bro. If you want consistent streaming speeds, get a real box or at least run a dedicated VPN server on a beefier VM
OK but here's a thought, are you 100 percent sure your network isn't the culprit? I've seen plenty of folks blame the Pi but forget the actual internet connection or router settings. Your wired speed is 120 Mbps so it's not the ISP throttling but maybe your router's QoS or NAT settings are messing with throughput. Have you tested the Pi directly connected to the modem? Sometimes the local network or switch can cause bottlenecks too. Also, are you sure your VPN server isn't overloaded or throttling you? Just throwing it out there, sometimes the bottleneck isn't the device but the network environment. Pump the brakes on swapping configs until you isolate the real issue.
Void
New member
yeah exactly the CPU is the silent killer here, no matter what you do those small boards just can't keep up with the encryption overhead when pushing VPNs for streaming. wireguard might help but if the CPU's already stressed might not fix the root. rinse and repeat with configs or get a beefier box if you want real speed.
I gotta say I disagree a bit with the idea that the Pi's CPU is the whole issue here. Sure, it's a bottleneck but I think a lot of the slowdown with OpenVPN is just protocol overhead and how it's configured. Switching to Wireguard does help, but if the network or router is also bottlenecking, no setup will really shine. I've seen setups where tweaking the OpenVPN configs, like lowering encryption level or using better compression, actually made a difference. It's not always just about the hardware, sometimes it's how you use it.
Yep, CPU is king here. Wireguard can be faster but if it's already stressed it won't fix the core problem. Sometimes a beefier box or dedicated router is the only way.
Yeah, setting up OpenVPN to route traffic through a UK server sounds easy in theory but in practice it's a whole different story. I've been there. You think it's just a few config tweaks and boom, streaming heaven. But then you hit these weird speed drops, latency spikes, and all the little hiccups that make you want to throw the Pi out the window. What I learned is that those "supposed to be a breeze" setups usually ignore the real world quirks. Things like routing rules, MTU issues, DNS leaks, or even the server's own limitations. Sometimes it's not the setup itself but the environment around it. Even with a clean config, if your server is underpowered or your network has weird QoS settings, you're chasing ghosts. I've seen folks copy configs from forums and expect miracles but the devil's always in the details. That's why I'm honestly considering Wireguard myself. Less overhead, better performance, and if your Pi's already maxed out, it might just be the better route. Still, it's a pain trying to troubleshoot these small boards when they just aren't made for high-throughput VPNs.
Latency
New member
I think you might be overlooking some key config tweaks here. Sure the CPU is a bottleneck but you can often squeeze out better speeds with proper MTU tuning and tweaking the cipher settings. I've seen setups where switching to a faster cipher or lowering the encryption level gave a noticeable boost without sacrificing much security. Also, have you tried pushing the Pi with a lightweight VPN server like Wireguard right from the start instead of forcing OpenVPN to do everything? Sometimes just switching protocols can make a difference, especially if you're running on a limited CPU. But yeah, if your goal is streaming and geo-unblocking on a Pi, you need to accept there's a ceiling with these small boards. A dedicated box might be the smarter move in the long run.
been there. People get hyped about the Pi's specs but forget it's a tiny board not a server. That initial 120 Mbps is probably real but once you add VPN overhead, encryption, routing - it's a different game. I ran a similar setup and realized it was never gonna hit those numbers again once I turned on VPN. These boards are cheap but their CPU power is always a bottleneck for heavy encryption
Man I feel ya I had a similar issue with my VPN setup on a Pi finally I realized it was the encryption settings I was using too high for the hardware I dialed it back and got a noticeable boost in speed Also make sure your network isn't the bottleneck check the LAN and WiFi speeds Trust but verify If you're using TCP try switching to UDP sometimes that helps a lot with throughput and latency If you're using OpenVPN with the default configs the overhead can be brutal I switch to WireGuard on some projects and get way better speeds plus easier setup anyway good luck hope you find the bottleneck quickly
Stoke
New member
Haha yeah, it's the same old story. Pi's not a rocket, just a little board. You can tweak settings but never expect server-grade speeds. I swear the math never lies. If you want turbo, gotta go for a beefier box. Or accept slow and steady. Either way, patience is key.
Arbitrage
New member
bro honestly I feel ur pain. I tried setting up VPN on a Pi too and it was just sus how slow it got. Its like u gotta accept the fact that Pi just aint built for that kinda speed. U could try lowering encryption like they said but even then its no rocket glooks. I still believe if u know how to optimize free traffic and play around with configs u can still get decent results without needing a beefier box. dont let the Pi frustrate u too much, just tweak it till it glooks right. no cap, sometimes u just gotta work with what u got and make it work.
Color me skeptical on this whole VPN speed on Pi thing. You're saying it's a matter of tweaking settings and still getting molasses speeds? I've set up a bunch of these PBNs and I swear the only thing that makes them run faster is adding more domains and praying to the Google gods. Honestly, if you want real speed, just get a little mini server or something beefier. But then again, that's more cost and hassle. With a Pi, I'm just happy if I don't get kicked from the network for slow traffic or some manual action. Makes me nostalgic for the days when a server was a server and not a potato on a breadboard.
Did you ever wonder if it's not just the Pi but maybe how you're setting it up or the network environment that's bottlenecking you? Sometimes it's the basics that get overlooked in these YMYL stuff.
Rook is right sometimes people get lost in the setup rabbit hole when the bottleneck is just the hardware or network itself. The Pi is not a speed demon, more like a steady donkey. It's always basics first then tweak if needed. Overcomplicating won't fix the fundamental limits.
Blend
New member
been there done that with Pi VPN speed. fr, it's always the same story, people get hyped on the setup and forget the hardware just ain't built for speed. seen this movie before, you get a decent test and then realize it's just a glorified router. if you want fast, just go for a cloud VM or dedicated box. Pi is more like a proof of concept or a toy for testing. no shame in that, but don't expect lightning. sometimes you gotta keep it simple and stop chasing that mythical high speed on a tiny board.
🔥 Trending content
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
-
6
-
7
-
8
-
9
-
10
