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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- Surfshark has launched a caller VPN protocol that promises amended information and barrier-breaking speeds.
- Instead of sharing a passageway with different idiosyncratic traffic, Dausos provides each idiosyncratic with their ain tunnel.
- Initial tests uncover promise, but it isn't rather there, yet, successful presumption of show compared to WireGuard.
Surfshark has unveiled Dausos, a caller virtual backstage web (VPN) protocol designed to amended consumer-grade VPN speeds and security.
What is Dausos?
Named aft the Lithuanian connection for eden and arsenic a motion to ascendence, Dausos is Surfshark's proprietary VPN protocol, which the institution hopes volition acceptable it isolated from the likes of WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 arsenic a purpose-built protocol designed for user VPN use.
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The institution says that portion galore protocols utilized by VPN networks contiguous were not primitively designed for user usage -- and were alternatively simply adapted to beryllium acceptable for intent -- Dausos has been specifically built for this task.
What makes it different?
According to Surfshark, Dausos uses AEGIS-256X2 alternatively of the wide utilized AES-GCM, but the cardinal quality is that it provides a separate, dedicated postulation passageway for each user. Normally, you would stock these tunnels with different VPN idiosyncratic traffic, but by forging idiosyncratic paths, the anticipation is that Dausos creates a cleaner, much streamlined acquisition and reduces the imaginable hazard of postulation contamination oregon exposure.
In a Reddit thread, Karolis Kačiulis, Leading System Engineer astatine Surfshark, said:
"When users stock a tunnel, 1 user's postulation load tin interfere with another's, meaning your packets get handled slower due to the fact that the server is engaged processing different users' packets. With Dausos, each idiosyncratic gets a dedicated tunnel, truthful that occupation goes away."
Also: 10+ VPN tricks and tips I urge to everyone (whether for idiosyncratic oregon concern use)
Surfshark says this protocol whitethorn supply up to 30% faster speeds than different protocols, including WireGuard -- the protocol Surfshark, on with astir different VPN providers -- uses by default.
Furthermore, the usage of AEGIS-256X2 encryption is simply a information betterment and whitethorn besides assistance support against aboriginal attacks arsenic a post-quantum solution.
Backing Dausos claims
Introducing immoderate caller large encryption exertion oregon protocol ever carries risks, truthful to backmost up its claims, Surfshark engaged autarkic auditor Cure53 to behaviour an assessment.
"With nary findings rated astatine Critical oregon High severity wrong the existent Dausos protocol itself, the audit results bespeak a unchangeable and resilient platform," the assessment (.PDF) reads. "The Surfshark squad demonstrated a important committedness to information by remediating the bulk of the findings instantly pursuing the investigating phase."
This doesn't mean it has each been just winds, however, arsenic upon launch, some testers found Dausos did not execute good with residential connections. Still, Surfshark rapidly developed and deployed a fix, which appears to person resolved the issue.
Installation, testing, and last thoughts
At the moment, Dausos is lone disposable connected macOS, though Surfshark plans to rotation retired the protocol to different platforms successful the future.
To effort retired the caller protocol, guarantee your app is up to day with the latest version. However, it won't look nether your VPN's protocol enactment tab if you person downloaded the Surfshark app straight from the VPN provider's website. Instead, spell to the Apple App Store and download the Dausos app, which is successful beta.
I tested the caller protocol against my archetypal unprotected transportation and WireGuard, and recovered it worked good crossed the committee for browsing the Internet and streaming connected some Netflix and YouTube, truthful it seems the archetypal teething issues person been ironed out.
Whenever you usage a VPN, you are introducing a middleman betwixt your instrumentality and an online service, and truthful you should expect a driblet successful speeds -- though erstwhile your archetypal transportation is comparatively fast, you whitethorn not announcement the difference.
Also: Surfshark VPN review: One of our favourite fund VPNs with unlimited connections
I recovered that Surfshark with WireGuard enabled reduced download speeds by 35.54% and upload speeds by 6.30%. Compared with Dausos, download speeds decreased by 38.25% and upload speeds decreased by 4.88%.
Overall, WireGuard inactive performed amended for download speeds, whereas Dausos edged up successful upload velocity retention. (As transportation and biology factors each vary, see this lone a snapshot of what you whitethorn expect -- arsenic your acquisition could beryllium wholly different.)
Bottom line
Dausos has potential, and fixed the marginal show differences compared to WireGuard, I'd urge trying it out, particularly since we are apt to spot improvements arsenic the beta protocol continues to beryllium refined. And if it entices you further, it's bully to cognize that it is escaped and disposable to each Surfshark subscribers.
Will it ever go unfastened root truthful the VPN and information manufacture tin payment arsenic a whole? When this question was posed to Kačiulis, helium said that it is not imaginable during the aboriginal motorboat signifier -- but Surfshark "see[s] the benefits of it and it's thing we're actively discussing."
"We'll support you updated arsenic we proceed to measure our open-source strategy," the technologist added.
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