Looking for some input on what to try to speed up my VPN connection. I'm connecting from home (WIN98, Linksys BEFVP41, Sprint DSL 512/128 Kbps) to the office (WINNT4.0 Server, Linksys BEFVP41, DSL (not sure of speed, but faster than at home)). Connection works great, but is extremely slow...even when just browsing network files, folders, and drives. Running network applications is too slow to be functional right now. I was under the impression that it would be much faster, more similar to being physically there and connected. I find it hard to believe, but could the DSL speed be an issue? Maybe the encryption that is being used over the link? Any other ideas?? Thanks.
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VPN Speed Issue
- Thread starter tiremd
- Start date
John Lewis
Programmer
You will always be limited by the slowest part of each side of the connection. Let's say your office connection is 768/384K. The first number is downstream, second number is upstream. The downstream on your side is limited to the lesser of your downstream or the office upstream, so in this case you would have 384K downstream (coming to you) -- the office 384 upstream is less than your 512 downstream. The upstream side (going back to the office) would be 128K -- your 128 is less than the 768 office downstream. In this case you would effectively have a 384/128 connection. Of course, that is a maximum connection speed.
The VPN connection will have a certain overhead, although it is not really enough to notice, even at much slower connection speeds. The fact that you are using hardware based VPN on both sides eliminates any processor load on your machines on both ends, although again it would not be significant. The BEFVP's don't have a lot of processing power, but more than enough to handle any connection you could plug into them without any problem. Short version, a VPN will never significantly increase your throughput, but it shouldn't hit it real bad either.
You have to remember that speed is realative. When you are plugged into the LAN, you have at least a 10M connection, more likely 100M. If you have a 10M connection, it would be over 25 times faster than the 384K, 100M would be over 250 times faster. Won't be anywhere near like being plugged directly in, but it should still be useable. Just need to be realistic.
Browsing files, downloading, etc will never be real fast unless you spend a lot of money on pipe. Fast enough to be functional, but not as fast as one would like. Applications will depend more upon the application than the connection. Many 'network' applications are nothing more than single user database applications running in a multiuser mode. Microsoft Access db's are one of the most common examples. In a pure Access environment, all of the processing takes place on the computer acting as the 'client'. If you need to sort a table, the entire table comes across the network and is sorted at the client. 10 records, not a big deal. 500 records, ouch! 5000 records, get a cup of coffee and wait. True client/server apps (wich may include an Access app on the front end with a db server sitting on the back) are much better suited to a VPN (and networking in general), all of the data processing takes place on the server -- only the instructions and the needed info are moved across the network.
Another option would be to use a terminal server -- all of the processing for all apps takes place on the server, only keystrokes and screen updates are sent across the network.
Sorry to ramble, got started and couldn't stop. Hope it gives you some idea what to expect.
The VPN connection will have a certain overhead, although it is not really enough to notice, even at much slower connection speeds. The fact that you are using hardware based VPN on both sides eliminates any processor load on your machines on both ends, although again it would not be significant. The BEFVP's don't have a lot of processing power, but more than enough to handle any connection you could plug into them without any problem. Short version, a VPN will never significantly increase your throughput, but it shouldn't hit it real bad either.
You have to remember that speed is realative. When you are plugged into the LAN, you have at least a 10M connection, more likely 100M. If you have a 10M connection, it would be over 25 times faster than the 384K, 100M would be over 250 times faster. Won't be anywhere near like being plugged directly in, but it should still be useable. Just need to be realistic.
Browsing files, downloading, etc will never be real fast unless you spend a lot of money on pipe. Fast enough to be functional, but not as fast as one would like. Applications will depend more upon the application than the connection. Many 'network' applications are nothing more than single user database applications running in a multiuser mode. Microsoft Access db's are one of the most common examples. In a pure Access environment, all of the processing takes place on the computer acting as the 'client'. If you need to sort a table, the entire table comes across the network and is sorted at the client. 10 records, not a big deal. 500 records, ouch! 5000 records, get a cup of coffee and wait. True client/server apps (wich may include an Access app on the front end with a db server sitting on the back) are much better suited to a VPN (and networking in general), all of the data processing takes place on the server -- only the instructions and the needed info are moved across the network.
Another option would be to use a terminal server -- all of the processing for all apps takes place on the server, only keystrokes and screen updates are sent across the network.
Sorry to ramble, got started and couldn't stop. Hope it gives you some idea what to expect.
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