ExpressVPN’s Lightway Turbo Now Provides Lightning-Fast Internet Speed
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- Windows users on the Lightway UDP protocol get faster speeds due to improved data processing and multi-threading.
- DCO's (Data Channel Offload) implementation in OpenVPN for Windows delivers up to 2,000% faster download speeds.
- ExpressVPN's OpenVPN implementation now enables speeds of up to 2 Gbps downloads and 1 Gbps uploads on Windows.
ExpressVPN continues pushing the boundaries of speed and security with the introduction of Lightway Turbo. Available now on Windows for Lightway UDP users, Turbo optimizes how data moves between VPN servers and user devices, ensuring a smoother, faster experience for those on high-speed networks. To make that possible, ExpressVPN has introduced a few key updates, including:
- ExpressVPN now uses custom NDIS drivers to bypass the kernel, reducing unnecessary data movement. This cuts overhead and boosts performance.
- Integrating multi-threading with dedicated read and write functions to speed up data handling. Earlier, OpenVPN processed data using a single thread, meaning it could only handle one task at a time. However, with multi-threading, reading and writing happen simultaneously.
ExpressVPN has also improved OpenVPN performance using Data Channel Offload (DCO) in addition to Lightway Turbo. OpenVPN has historically been slower than contemporary VPN protocols. However, with DCO’s kernel-level upgrade, data is processed more efficiently.
When DCO is enabled, OpenVPN connections handle data more smoothly using multi-threading, enhancing connection speeds. As ExpressVPN notes: "Internal tests by ExpressVPN reveal up to 2,000% faster downloads on OpenVPN UDP, reaching speeds of 2 Gbps for downloads and 1 Gbps for uploads on high-bandwidth connections." This marks a major leap in OpenVPN performance, making it a more viable option for high-speed, secure connections.
ExpressVPN's Lightway Turbo is now available on Windows v12 when using Lightway UDP or Automatic protocol selection. It is enabled by default for faster speeds, but if you want to toggle it manually, you can do it under the Protocol tab.
To further prove Lightway Turbo's capability, ExpressVPN is asking users to test the product themselves: "If you want to see the performance difference for yourself, connect with Lightway UDP (Turbo off) and run a speed test, then reconnect with Turbo on and run another. Those on super-fast networks (900 Mbps and above) or connecting to distant VPN servers will see the most noticeable improvements."
Moving ahead, the company has confirmed its plans to expand Lightway Turbo to other platforms soon. One thing to keep in mind is that Turbo cannot be used with split tunneling at the moment. Meanwhile, DCO on OpenVPN is now available on ExpressVPN’s Windows app but won’t come to other platforms due to compatibility issues.
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