5 Advantages and Disadvantages of WireGuard | Limitations & Benefits of WireGuard

What does WireGuard stand for?

One VPN implementation that aims to transform the VPN market is called WireGuard. Indeed, it may be seen as VPN technology's future. Nevertheless, WireGuard is still being developed in an effort to establish industry standards for VPNs.

Why is WireGuard so well popular?

Originally only available on Linux-powered devices, it is now compatible with all major operating systems. In addition, WireGuard is typically better built and speedier than IPSec protocols. Users greatly favor it because of its quickness and functionality. Even while WireGuard has several potential advantages, there are some disadvantages that are overlooked. Reviewing the benefits and drawbacks of the WireGuard VPN is essential before utilizing it.


I will be looking at 5 Advantages and Disadvantages of WireGuard | Limitations & Benefits of WireGuard in this article. You will learn about the pros and cons of utilizing WireGuard from this page.

Now let's get started,

 

 

Advantages of WireGuard

1. Performance

Because it makes use of high-speed cryptographic primitives (more than 1000Mbps in terms of throughput), WireGuard is a sort of fast VPN protocol. 

 

It is also expected to offer the fastest performance and bandwidth of all protocol options due to the fact that it runs its operations inside the Linux kernel module. This suggests using WireGuard in embedded devices, such home routers and smartphones.


2. Configurations

Because WireGuard simply employs public keys, it frequently does not require a certificate infrastructure. That as well, for encryption and identification purposes. This makes configuring each specific piece of software in WireGuard simple.


3. Security

A cryptographic key routing mechanism is used by WireGuard to provide a highly secure online connection. It doesn't use the AES-256 encryption methods that are accepted in the business. Here, public encryption keys are paired with approved VPN IP addresses to improve security.


4. Code Base

When compared to OpenVPN and IPSec, WireGuard employs a relatively small number of lines of code—roughly 3800 lines. This minimalist coding structure makes the protocol easy to audit, resulting in fewer vulnerabilities.


5. Platform Support

With the exception of Windows, WireGuard can support the majority of platforms. The Windows version is still being worked on. At the moment, Linux, Mac OS X, iOS, and Android are supported. 

 

Disadvantages of WireGuard

1. Development Stage

The fact that WireGuard is still in development is one of its main issues. It's still not completely completed. It must therefore pass numerous security audits. It is acknowledged by even the developers that WireGuard is experimental and that it is not always advisable to rely on the code.


2. Privacy Concerns

Although WireGuard offers a lot of benefits in terms of security and performance, privacy is one area where it falls short. The primary reason for concerns about its privacy is that it asks users to log their data. This is against the VPN provider's privacy policies. 

 

Additionally, a few services have stated that they will not continue to employ WireGuard unless this issue is fixed.


3. Protocol Support

Network administrators frequently have the tendency to block WireGuard. This is because it only supports UDP at the moment. Additionally, port 443, which is used for HTTPS transmission, will not be supported.


4. Stability Issues

The WireGuard protocol may encounter numerous stability problems at this time. Either security or speed can be the result of that. These problems are frequent since WireGuard is still in trial phase. These can, of course, be fixed when the development phase is finished.


5. Infrastructure Necessity

In contrast to IPSec and OpenVPN, WireGuard requires its own infrastructure in order to operate. Different key management systems, servers, and distributions are needed.