Norton VPN recently launched OpenVPN Data Channel Offload (DCO) - RECENTLY installed

Note: Please do not post Personally Identifiable Information like email address, personal phone number, physical home address, product key etc.

Issue abstract: Has slowed down my computer, not sped up or improved my internet access, the comment below is from a Google search as wanted to know what Open VPN etc meant.

Detailed description: - Norton VPN recently launched OpenVPN Data Channel Offload (DCO),a performance feature for its Windows app that significantly boosts connection speeds by moving encryption work to the operating system’s kernel. This DCO update helps the OpenVPN protocol, which was traditionally slower than newer protocols like WireGuard, to achieve more than double the connection speeds and reduce latency. Users can get this speed enhancement by updating to Norton VPN for Windows version 25.8 or higher, ensuring faster, more consistent downloads and browsing.

Product & version number: unknown general Norton release update.

OS details: Windows 11; Intel i7, SSD, 16gb ram.

CAN I revert to previous VPN as delivered with my Norton 360 5 devices??

and you’ve completely removed Norton 360?
and you’ve tried…changing Norton VPN protocol? | Repair? | Uninstall/Install?

I’ll say no.

Norton VPN recently launched OpenVPN Data Channel Offload (DCO), a performance feature for its Windows app that significantly boosts connection speeds by moving encryption work to the operating system’s kernel. This DCO update helps the OpenVPN protocol, which was traditionally slower than newer protocols like WireGuard, to achieve more than double the connection speeds and reduce latency. Users can get this speed enhancement by updating to Norton VPN for Windows version 25.8 or higher, ensuring faster, more consistent downloads and browsing.

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Norton VPN gets even faster thanks to DCO boost

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AI Overview
Norton VPN’s OpenVPN Data Channel Offload (DCO) feature significantly boosts VPN connection speeds on Windows by moving data encryption and decryption from user-space software to the operating system’s kernel. This reduces the performance overhead of the encryption process, making OpenVPN much more efficient.

How DCO accelerates performance
In traditional OpenVPN without DCO, every data packet goes through a “context-switching” process that involves multiple steps, which slows down the connection:

  1. A data packet arrives in the kernel space.
  2. OpenVPN copies the packet to the user space.
  3. OpenVPN software encrypts or decrypts the packet.
  4. The packet is copied back into the kernel space.
  5. The data packet is sent to its destination.

With DCO, the process is streamlined to just two steps, eliminating the need to move data back and forth between kernel and user space:

  1. A data packet arrives in the kernel space.
  2. The OpenVPN DCO module processes the packet directly in the kernel space.
  3. The data packet is sent to its destination.

Benefits of the DCO update

  • Faster speeds: Internal tests by Norton showed that DCO can more than double OpenVPN connection speeds.
  • Lower latency: The reduction in processing overhead leads to a 15% decrease in latency, which is especially beneficial for real-time applications like gaming and video calls.
  • Reduced CPU usage: The more efficient process puts less strain on your computer’s CPU.
  • Competitive performance: DCO allows the long-trusted OpenVPN protocol to achieve speeds that can rival newer, faster protocols like WireGuard.

How to get the DCO speed boost
To take advantage of this speed enhancement on your Windows PC, update your Norton VPN app to version 25.8 or higher. The update is free for all Norton customers using the OpenVPN protocol.

If you have automatic updates enabled, your app may have already received the patch. Otherwise, you can check for and apply updates by following these steps:

  1. Open your Norton product and click Device Security.
  2. Click LiveUpdate to download the latest program updates.
  3. If prompted, restart your computer to apply the updates.

AI responses may include mistakes.

The ovpn-dco folder is located at C:\Program Files\Norton\Suite\OpenVPN with changes from 08/20/2025.