- Proton VPN is removing support for old OpenVPN manual configuration files
- Users must download new configurations or switch to WireGuard by February 28
- Proton VPN confirms that OpenVPN support will continue on its servers
Proton VPN has announced that it will be retiring old OpenVPN manual configuration files for security reasons, setting a hard deadline of February 28, 2026.
The change affects all users who rely on configuration files downloaded before September 2023. While users of the official Proton VPN apps are not affected, those running manual configurations on routers, Linux terminals, or third-party clients will lose connectivity if they do not update their credentials.
In a blog post announcing the move, the company explained that the update is necessary to transition users to more modern and secure encryption standards that older configuration files did not support.
Why is this happening?
The old configuration files are being retired to enforce the use of AES-256-GCM encryption, replacing the previous CBC mode.
According to Proton, the move to GCM offers “built-in integrity, support for parallel processing and other efficiency improvements,” meaning it is faster and consumes less battery on mobile devices.
Additionally, the new configurations implement TLS-Crypt, a feature that encrypts the control channel and packet headers. This hides the TLS handshake and metadata, making it much harder for firewalls and censors to identify that you are using a VPN.
what you need to do
If you use a manual OpenVPN configuration, check when you last downloaded its configuration files. If it was before September 2023, or if you’re not sure, it’s safest to update now.
Failure to update these files by the February deadline will result in a sudden loss of connectivity, which could leave your traffic exposed or your Internet access blocked entirely.
Here is the step-by-step process to ensure uninterrupted service:
- Sign in to your Proton VPN control panel through web browser.
- Navigate to the Downloads tab in the left sidebar and select OpenVPN Configuration Files.
- Download and upload the new files. to your router firmware (such as AsusWRT, DD-WRT or OPNsense) or to your third-party network administrator.
However, if your router or hardware supports it, we strongly recommend changing to WireGuard instead of reinstalling OpenVPN.
WireGuard uses modern cryptography that is faster to run, meaning you’ll likely see an increase in connection speeds and lower latency, vital for gaming or 4K streaming at the router level.
Additionally, Proton’s custom implementation of WireGuard includes specific “Stealth” obfuscation capabilities, making it much more difficult for ISPs or strict firewalls to detect and block your VPN tunnel compared to a standard OpenVPN connection.
Mullvad vs. Proton: a different approach
This news comes just days after Mullvad VPN took a much more drastic step. On January 15, Mullvad completely shut down support for OpenVPN across its entire server network, forcing all users to use the newer WireGuard protocol.
Proton’s approach is softer. While the company admits that it is looking to remove OpenVPN from its applicationsconfirmed to TechRadar that server-side support is not going anywhere.
Speaking to TechRadar, David Peterson, CEO of Proton VPN, explained that while WireGuard takes over, legacy support remains a priority.
“With the increased performance of WireGuard, particularly on mobile devices, and our extension of WireGuard to Proton VPN’s Stealth protocol, we’ve seen OpenVPN’s usage rate drop to a small minority of our user base,” Peterson said. “As such, over time we will begin to phase out OpenVPN support in our client applications, particularly for mobile devices where speed and battery performance are of concern.”
However, Peterson drew a clear line between apps and servers: “We will continue to support OpenVPN on Proton VPN servers for the foreseeable future to support legacy routers and other older devices that do not support WireGuard.”
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