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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThere is no reliable universal percentage for how much post-quantum WireGuard slows a VPN. WireGuard is not post-quantum secure by default, and the extra handshake used to add post-quantum protection is implementation-specific. To find its effect on your connection, compare the same setup with that exchange off and on, measuring throughput, latency, and device load under repeatable conditions.
What “post-quantum WireGuard” means
WireGuard’s optional pre-shared key (PSK) adds symmetric key material to its cryptographic setup, but enabling a PSK alone does not make a connection post-quantum secure. The WireGuard project says its preferred approach is a genuinely post-quantum handshake performed above WireGuard, with the resulting key placed in WireGuard’s PSK slot. The project’s Known Limitations page also cautions that simply hashing public keys would not provide forward-secure post-quantum secrecy.
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WireGuard uses the Noise_IK protocol, sends packets over UDP, and can mix an optional PSK into its public-key cryptography, as described in its protocol documentation. That protocol capability is not evidence that every WireGuard app or VPN provider implements a post-quantum handshake. Performance therefore depends on the particular extension, software version, configuration, and device being tested.
What published benchmarks do—and don’t—tell you
The WireGuard project’s performance page describes its benchmarks as “old, crusty, and not super well conducted” and says newer data is needed. The historical test used iperf3, gigabit Ethernet cards, Linux 4.6.1, and a 30-minute average. It is not a current measurement of a post-quantum handshake or a prediction for your device.
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The 2020 WireGuard technical paper reported these results for its own test configuration. None measures the added overhead of a post-quantum exchange:
| Protocol and configuration in the paper | Throughput | Ping time |
|---|---|---|
| WireGuard | 1,011 Mbps | 0.403 ms |
| IPsec with ChaCha20 and Poly1305 | 825 Mbps | 0.501 ms |
| IPsec with AES-GCM | 881 Mbps | 0.508 ms |
| OpenVPN in UDP mode | 258 Mbps | 1.541 ms |
The paper attributed part of the large OpenVPN–WireGuard gap in that test to user-space overhead, scheduling, and copying packets between user and kernel space. It was not a controlled comparison of modern WireGuard implementations with and without post-quantum key exchange. WireGuard’s homepage describes ChaCha20Poly1305 and its kernel implementation as performance-related design choices, but those details do not predict an individual connection’s results.
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How to test speed and latency fairly
This is a practical test design, not an official WireGuard benchmark procedure. Change only the post-quantum exchange between the two VPN conditions; keep the rest of the setup as consistent as possible.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match- Fix the test conditions. Use the same client device, endpoint, network route, transport, MTU, and test duration with the post-quantum exchange disabled and enabled. Only compare configurations if disabling it is supported and safe for your use case.
- Measure a direct baseline and both VPN conditions. Run them close together in time to reduce the effect of changing internet congestion or server load. Repeat each condition rather than relying on one run.
- Measure more than download speed. Record upload and download throughput, unloaded round-trip latency, and round-trip latency while the connection is busy. The WireGuard project’s Todo page identifies latency and bufferbloat tests as useful additions to its test infrastructure.
- Record the setup. Note the client device and operating system, WireGuard implementation and version, post-quantum extension and version, endpoint, network type, MTU, test tool and duration, and whether the device was CPU-limited. Keep these fixed between the two VPN conditions.
- Reduce local network variation where practical. A wired connection can avoid some Wi-Fi variability. A compatible gigabit Ethernet adapter may help if the test device lacks an Ethernet port, but it is optional and does not measure VPN performance. Gigabit Ethernet cards were used in WireGuard’s historical benchmark.
- Repeat and summarize the results. Run each condition several times, then report the median and spread rather than picking the fastest result. Small differences can be overwhelmed by changing congestion or server load.
How to interpret the results
- Throughput falls, unloaded ping stays similar: the change may affect sustained transfer capacity without producing a detectable change in idle round-trip time. Check CPU use and repeat the test before attributing the result to cryptographic work.
- Latency rises mainly under load: congestion or bufferbloat may be more relevant than the handshake itself. Compare loaded latency alongside throughput, not in isolation.
- Connection setup takes longer: record handshake or connection setup time separately if it matters to your use. Do not treat a setup delay as the same thing as slower sustained traffic.
- Results vary widely between runs: investigate server load, route changes, Wi-Fi conditions, and CPU limits before drawing a conclusion. A single run cannot establish causation.
When comparing two post-quantum implementations, identify the actual method and software versions. Compare connection setup time where relevant, upload and download throughput, idle and loaded latency, CPU use and heating on constrained devices, and implementation maturity. Available WireGuard project sources do not establish that one post-quantum extension is universally faster than another.
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