There’s this common idea that you always have to sacrifice speed for privacy when using a virtual private network (VPN). In many (or even most) cases, that’s true, but NordVPN recently came up with a pretty ingenious solution. It’s called NordLynx, and it allows users to have a fast connection without sacrificing privacy.
NordLynx is based on the WireGuard protocol, a free, open-source protocol commonly used for gaming and streaming. This protocol has become popular thanks to its speed and light infrastructure. It has only 4000 lines of code, compared to OpenVPN’s 400 000+ lines.
Even though WireGuard is fast, it can’t ensure users’ privacy as some other VPN protocols can. To help their users offset that problem, NordVPN came up with NordLynx, built around the WireGuard protocol.
Read on to see how it works, and how you can install it on a Raspberry Pi.
What is a VPN?
Before getting down into the details, let’s clarify what a VPN does first.
A virtual private network (VPN) puts an encrypted tunnel around a network connection (https://nordvpn.com/what-is-a-vpn/). It ensures the privacy of data packets being sent and received. The strength of the encryption depends on the protocol a user selects. Popular VPN protocols include OpenVPN, Internet Protocol Security (IPSec), WireGuard, and so forth.
People use VPNs for a variety of reasons, like:
- keeping their communications private,
- setting up remote access for employees,
- or securing connections on a public WiFi.
On Raspberry Pi, people usually use VPNs to access geo-blocked content.
How Does NordLynx Work?
NordLynx is NordVPN’s answer to users’ need for both fast and private internet connections. It’s based on the innovative WireGuard protocol and its lightweight infrastructure. NordVPN service only found a way to bypass the protocol’s lack of proper security.
The main issue with WireGuard is that it cannot create a dynamic IP address. It can only connect to a server with a static address. Because of this, servers store information about users’ identities. It defeats the purpose of using a VPN to keep your identity private.
NordVPN’s answer is something called “double network address translation” or double NAT. Every user still has the same IP address, but their protective tunnel has a unique IP address. The result is that user information is no longer stored on the servers.
NordVPN users know this as NordLynx, and they can use it by enabling WireGuard on the NordVPN app and switching to NordLynx.
NordVPN introduced NordLynx for Linux in 2019, but it’s now available for Windows and macOS, as well as iOS and Android devices. However, keep in mind that WireGuard is still in development, and bugs or other issues may pop up.
How to Set Up NordLynx on Raspberry Pi
At this point, setting up NordLynx on most devices that support the NordVPN app is as simple as flicking a switch. Things get a little more complicated for Raspberry Pi devices since it requires a few extra steps. To keep things as simple as possible, here’s the best setup method based on official information from NordVPN.
Step 1: Install the NordVPN Linux app. The VPN service has tutorials for various Linux distributions on its website.
Step 2: Switch to NordLynx by using the following command lines:
nordvpn set technology nordlynx
nordvpn c
Still having issues with getting it to work? Here is an additional step for Raspberry Pi 4 users as described by “u/Sid3effect” on this Reddit post. Any connection issues can be solved by installing kernel support for WireGuard on the Raspberry Pi. There are two ways to go about this:
- Download the kernel headers for the default Pi kernel and install the WireGuard Debian version, which will then create a module for the stock kernel.
Or
- Compile and run the newer 5.6 or 5.7 kernels which have native support for WireGuard. However, remember to enable the WireGuard module in config first.
That’s a Wrap
Technology keeps advancing, and VPNs are no exception. There’s no need to settle for mediocre connection speeds to enjoy the benefits of a VPN. There’s also no need to forego those benefits, like privacy, security, and surpassing geo-blocked content, in favor of a speedy connection either. NordLynx is here to help with that.