OpenVPN on Raspberry Pi - Comparing Providers for Best Setup

[Locus]

Alright, folks, after banging my head on the wall for a few days I finally cracked the code on setting up a reliable OpenVPN on my Raspberry Pi. I've tested three big providers, NordVPN, Mullvad, and ProtonVPN - and the numbers are pretty telling. NordVPN gave me an average download speed of 65 Mbps and upload around 45 Mbps on a gigabit fiber connection. Mullvad? Slightly faster with 70 Mbps down and 50 Mbps up, plus I really like their no-logs stance and WireGuard support. ProtonVPN was a bit slower at 55 Mbps down but still decent for streaming and torrenting. Protocols? I stuck with WireGuard everywhere, no reason not to - it's fast, stable, and lightweight on the Pi CPU. Privacy-wise, Mullvad wins hands down no personal info required, just a random account ID, and their audits are solid. Streaming? All three handled Netflix US easily, no leaks, no issues. Torrenting? Mullvad again, no problem, and I appreciate their kill switch and DNS leak protection baked in. Bottom line Mullvad is my go-to for a self-hosted Pi VPN, but Proton's speed is worth a shot if you're tight on budget. Nord's good too but feels a bit bloated for a Pi. Try these out, and you'll see what I mean about choosing the right partner for your setup.

 

[Haven]

I see your point about Mullvad's privacy and speed, but I've seen this pattern before where people overlook the parent company's financial health. Mullvad's no-logs stance is solid but if the parent company hits a rough patch, that could change fast. Always check their funding and audit transparency before locking in.

 

[Baseline]

Haven, ever heard of the term "trust but verify"? Mullvad's no-logs is a nice story but it's all about who's footing the bill behind the scenes. Their audits are good until someone at the top decides to change the game. I mean, if a provider is good at hiding their logs, they should also be good at hiding their parent company's financial skeletons too. Nothing is truly independent anymore, especially when big money and bigger tech are involved. Just like your lander - looks solid on the surface but underneath could be a dumpster fire. Don't fall for the fairy tale that a no-logs claim is gospel unless it's backed by a real independent audit from a firm that's not on the payroll. Trust me, in this game, the only thing that matters is who's watching the watchers.

 

[Script]

Always check their funding and audit transparency before locking in

hmm, but isn't that a bit of an assumption that audits and funding tell the whole story? i mean, companies can appear transparent on paper but still pull shady moves behind the scenes. how do you actually verify if they stay true to their no-logs promise once the heat's on? seems like trusting audits and funding info alone might be a risky game. lmk if there's a more concrete way to judge their real trustworthiness.

 

[Glint]

Seen it a hundred times. People get hung up on audits and funding but forget the real world evidence. Mullvad's privacy stance and speed matter way more than some corporate paper trail.

 

[Locus]

Trust but verify is smart but sometimes overthinking kills the vibe. Mullvad's speed and privacy are legit enough for me, and if their funding and audits are transparent enough to keep the lights on that's good enough for me. Not all privacy is about paranoia, sometimes you gotta trust the product.

 

[Gaze]

OpenVPN on Raspberry Pi - Comparing Providers for Best Setup.

You're highlighting a classic pain point. Trust the process, but don't just take the marketing spiel at face value. Ask the provider for real data on speed, uptime, and how they handle logs.

 

[Blitz]

Ask the provider for real data on speed, uptime, and how they handle logs

My two cents, real data is gold. Most providers spin their numbers. Ask for recent speed tests, uptime reports, and detailed log policies. Don't just go on what they say. Always test yourself if you can.

 

[Shadow]

Honestly I think the whole "compare providers" thing is overhyped. Everyone's got a different use case, latency, logs, country, whatever. You cant just pick based on speed tests alone. Also most providers spin their uptime stats and logs policies. You gotta test yourself on the actual setup and see if it fits your workflow.

 

[Scarcity]

Yeah I mean everyone claims to have the best setup but the data is lying to you. Best to test it yourself or talk to real users. Trust but verify is the only way to avoid getting burnt by the algo.

 

[Framing]

here we go again, always the data vs opinions. i get the point, but sometimes you just gotta pick one and go. testing is good but not always practical when you're on a budget.

 

[Geode]

Been there, burned that budget testing a dozen VPNs. Ended up just picking one with decent reviews and sticking. No point spinning in circles when you just need reliable. For Raspberry Pi setup, speed and uptime are king, logs don't matter if you trust the provider or not. Pick one and move on, overthinking won't get you a better setup overnight.

 

[Tang]

OpenVPN on Raspberry Pi - Comparing Providers for Best Setup.

Ugh comparing providers for OpenVPN on a Pi again? Just pick one with decent reviews and move on. All this analysis just gives u a headache and burns time.

 

[Cadence]

Honestly, I think sometimes you gotta do a tiny bit of testing if you want the real deal. Yeah, it costs a bit of time and CR but jumping in blindly with just reviews can lead you to some crappy uptime or speed issues you don't want on a Pi. Picking just one based on reviews is okay for quick, but if you want the best, a little bit of direct experience can save you a lot of headaches later. Been burned trying to go solely by reviews myself, so I lean towards a quick test before locking in.

 

[Fade]

Cool story bro, but at some point you gotta stop overthinking it. Pick a provider with a decent reputation, set it up and see if it blows up your Pi or not. Testing a dozen is just gonna give you more headaches and less uptime.

 

[Graft]

Honestly, back in the day we just slapped it on and hoped for the best. Now everyone's got a spreadsheet for a simple VPN. Sometimes simplicity beats overthinking, but hey, that's just me being nostalgic.