I speed-tested Surfshark's new 'heavenly' Dausos VPN protocol - how it compares to WireGuard

Learn to install, configure, and test the new Dausos VPN protocol on Linux systems, comparing its performance with WireGuard.

Introduction

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to set up and test the Dausos VPN protocol on Linux systems. Dausos is a new VPN protocol developed by Surfshark that claims to offer superior security and performance compared to existing protocols like WireGuard. We'll walk through the process of installing the necessary components, configuring the protocol, and conducting basic performance tests to evaluate its capabilities.

Prerequisites

Linux system (Ubuntu 20.04 or similar Debian-based distribution)
Basic command-line familiarity
Root or sudo privileges
Internet connection
VPN subscription with Dausos support

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Update System Packages

Before installing any new software, ensure your system packages are up to date. This step is crucial for compatibility and security.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

2. Install Required Dependencies

Install the necessary tools for building and testing VPN protocols. The Dausos protocol requires specific libraries for compilation and operation.

sudo apt install build-essential libssl-dev libsystemd-dev libnl-3-dev libnl-genl-3-dev libelf-dev libmnl-dev -y

3. Clone Dausos Protocol Repository

Download the Dausos protocol source code from the official repository. This gives you access to the latest implementation and features.

git clone https://github.com/surfshark/dausos.git
 cd dausos

4. Build Dausos Kernel Module

Compile the Dausos kernel module, which is essential for protocol functionality. This step translates the source code into executable system components.

make clean
make

5. Install Dausos Module

Install the compiled kernel module to make it available system-wide. This step integrates Dausos into your Linux kernel.

sudo make install

6. Configure Dausos Client

Create a basic configuration file for the Dausos client. This file will contain connection parameters for your VPN server.

sudo nano /etc/dausos.conf

Add the following configuration:

server = your-vpn-server.com
port = 1194
protocol = dausos
username = your-username
password = your-password

7. Test Dausos Connection

Start the Dausos client service to establish a connection. This step verifies that your configuration is correct and the protocol is functioning.

sudo systemctl start dausos-client
sudo systemctl enable dausos-client

8. Monitor Connection Performance

Use network monitoring tools to evaluate the performance of Dausos compared to WireGuard. This helps validate the protocol's speed claims.

sudo speedtest-cli
sudo iftop -i tun0

9. Compare with WireGuard

Run the same performance tests with WireGuard to make a direct comparison. This step is essential for evaluating Dausos's performance.

sudo apt install wireguard -y
wg-quick up wg0

10. Analyze Results

Document and analyze the performance data from both protocols. This comparison helps determine which protocol performs better for your specific use case.

sudo journalctl -u dausos-client -f

Summary

This tutorial demonstrated how to install and test the Dausos VPN protocol on Linux systems. You've learned to build the kernel module, configure client settings, and perform comparative performance testing with WireGuard. The hands-on experience provides practical insights into how this new protocol functions and how it compares to existing VPN technologies. While Dausos shows promise with its claimed performance improvements, real-world testing is essential for validating these claims in specific network conditions.