| Feature | SoftEther | OpenVPN | WireGuard | IPsec (strongSwan) | |---------|-----------|---------|-----------|--------------------| | | Very high | Moderate | Highest | High | | Firewall bypass | Excellent | Good (via obfuscation) | Poor (UDP only) | Poor | | Ease of setup | Moderate–Hard | Moderate | Easy (clients) | Hard | | Layer 2 support | Yes | Yes (TAP) | No | No | | Platforms (server) | Win/Linux/macOS | All | Linux/BSD | Linux/BSD/Windows | | Mobile client | Via L2TP/OVPN | Native | Native | Native | | License | GPLv2 | GPLv2 | GPLv2 | GPLv2 | | Built-in DDNS | Yes | No | No | No |
No major public exploits. The code is open-source and audited by the university. However, the project has fewer external security audits than OpenVPN or WireGuard.
(short for "Software Ethernet") is a powerful, free, and open-source multi-protocol VPN software that serves as one of the world's most versatile alternatives to proprietary solutions like OpenVPN and Cisco IPSec. Originally developed as part of Daiyuu Nobori's master's thesis at the University of Tsukuba , it has evolved into a robust project capable of penetrating the toughest firewalls while maintaining high-speed performance. Key Features and Capabilities softether
SoftEther is an open-source VPN software that allows users to create a secure and encrypted connection between two or more networks over the internet. It was designed to be highly configurable and flexible, making it suitable for a wide range of use cases, from personal use to enterprise deployments.
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: SoftEther utilizes "Virtual Hubs," which act like software-based Ethernet switches, allowing for complex virtual network topologies including Layer-2 and Layer-3 routing. Common Use Cases
: It supports SSL-VPN , L2TP/IPsec , OpenVPN , and Microsoft SSTP . | Feature | SoftEther | OpenVPN | WireGuard
If you’re willing to invest an hour in setup (or follow a good tutorial), you get a VPN server that rivals paid solutions like Pritunl or commercial firewalls. For personal use on a $5 VPS or a Raspberry Pi at home, it’s hard to beat.
It is engineered for speed, often outperforming OpenVPN by up to 13 times. (short for "Software Ethernet") is a powerful, free,
| Feature | Description | |---------|-------------| | | Native SoftEther protocol, OpenVPN (with TCP/UDP), L2TP/IPsec, SSTP, EtherIP, IPsec IKEv1/v2 | | Bypass Firewalls | Uses HTTPS (port 443) cloaking to mimic normal web traffic; defeats deep packet inspection (DPI) | | SSL-VPN (SoftEther) | Proprietary high-performance protocol over HTTPS | | VPN over ICMP & DNS | Can tunnel through firewalls using ping or DNS requests | | Layer 2 / Layer 3 Support | Supports bridging (Ethernet) and routing (IP) | | Clustering / Load Balancing | Multiple servers can be clustered for high availability | | Dynamic DNS | Built-in DDNS service ( vpnXXX.softether.net ) | | NAT Traversal | Works behind most routers without port forwarding | | Client-to-Site & Site-to-Site | Supports remote access and VPN gateway bridging | | RADIUS / Active Directory | Enterprise authentication integration | | Traffic Compression | Reduces bandwidth usage | | Logging & Monitoring | Detailed logs and live user view |
SoftEther stands out for its flexibility and ease of use compared to older, more rigid systems.