How Speedify Works - Operation and Functionality Overview

Speedify is a bonding VPN (Virtual Private Network) that combines multiple internet connections to improve speed, reliability, and stability. This article explains the core technology and features that make Speedify work.

What Is Speedify?

Speedify is a multipath VPN designed to bond multiple internet connections simultaneously. Unlike traditional VPNs that route traffic through a single connection, Speedify can use your Wi-Fi network, cellular data, Ethernet connection, and tethered devices at the same time to increase throughput and prevent interruptions.

The Speedify app runs on your device and works in the background with apps you're already using, including streaming platforms, video conferencing tools, web browsers, and games.

Core Architecture

Speedify's architecture consists of three main components that work together to deliver combined connection speeds:

Speedify Client

The Speedify Client is the app installed on your device (computer, smartphone, tablet, or router). It functions as a VPN client and creates a virtual network device called a TUN interface.

When apps on your device send data, the traffic goes through this virtual interface. The Speedify Client then:

Encrypts the data packets
Decides which internet connection to send each packet on
Transmits packets across your available connections

This packet-level distribution allows Speedify to split even large, single-stream transfers (such as video uploads or file downloads) across multiple connections for faster speeds.

Network Protocols

Speedify uses different network protocols to maintain connections between your device and Speedify's Speed Servers. The app automatically selects the best protocol based on network conditions and firewall restrictions:

TCP - Used by default for maximum performance
UDP - Selected when TCP performance degrades
HTTPS - Used when only web traffic is allowed (such as on guest Wi-Fi networks with captive portals)

This protocol flexibility keeps Speedify working on restricted networks where other VPNs might fail.

Speed Servers

Speed Servers are Speedify's cloud infrastructure that acts as the connection point between your device and the internet. After the Speedify Client connects to a Speed Server, the two work together to:

Receive encrypted packets from all your connections
Reassemble packets in the correct order
Forward traffic to destination websites and services
Return response data back through your bonded connections

To websites and online services, your traffic appears to originate from the Speed Server location. Speedify offers Speed Servers in multiple countries and regions.

For enterprise users, Dedicated Speed Servers are available that provide exclusive server access for you and your team members.

Key Features

Channel Bonding

Channel bonding is Speedify's core technology. It allows multiple internet connections to be used simultaneously for increased throughput and redundancy.

Speedify can bond:

Wi-Fi networks
Cellular data (4G, 5G)
Ethernet connections
Tethered smartphones
USB cellular dongles
Bluetooth tethered devices

The Speedify Client and Speed Servers work together to distribute packets across all active connections, then reassemble them in order on the other end.

Bonding Modes

Speedify offers different bonding modes that control how connections are used:

Speed Mode - Distributes traffic across all connections to maximize speed. This is the standard bonding mode.

Redundant Mode - Sends duplicate packets across multiple connections simultaneously. The first packet to arrive is used, while duplicates are discarded. This provides maximum reliability but uses more data.

Enhance Streaming Mode - Enabled by default, this mode works with Speed Mode to optimize streaming traffic. When Speedify detects streaming activity (based on port numbers, hostnames, and consistent data rates), it automatically:

Prioritizes stream packets over lower-priority traffic
Uses secondary connections to boost speeds when needed
Sends redundant packets if connections are dropping data, improving reliability and reducing jitter

Local Load Balancer Mode - Distributes traffic across connections without using Speedify's VPN servers or encryption. This mode is useful for local failover scenarios but doesn't provide single-socket bonding or seamless failover protection.

Connection Priorities

Speedify's connection priority system gives you control over how each connection is used:

Always - Connection is always used for all traffic
Primary - Used first for all traffic
Secondary - Used when primary connections need additional bandwidth (in Speed Mode with bonding)
Backup - Only used when all primary and secondary connections fail

This priority system helps you manage data costs by keeping expensive connections (like cellular data) in secondary or backup roles while using unlimited connections as primary.

Pair & Share is Speedify's cellular sharing feature. It allows multiple Speedify users on the same local network to share their cellular connections with each other without cables or manual hotspot configuration.

Once devices are paired:

Each device can use the other's cellular connection
Sharing works bidirectionally and simultaneously
The more devices paired, the more connections available to each device
No additional hardware is required

Pair & Share works like an advanced personal hotspot where all paired devices can both share and receive connections from each other.

Security and Encryption

Speedify encrypts all traffic between your device and the Speed Server. This protects your data from:

Other users on the same Wi-Fi network
Your internet service provider (ISP)
Mobile carriers
Man-in-the-middle attacks on public Wi-Fi

Encryption algorithms:

AES - Used on newer devices with hardware AES acceleration
ChaCha - Used on older devices without AES hardware support for fast, secure performance

The encryption algorithm is selected automatically based on your device's capabilities.

Automatic Protocol Switching

Speedify continuously monitors connection quality and automatically adjusts behavior based on network conditions. This includes:

Switching between TCP, UDP, and HTTPS protocols
Detecting when connections fail and routing around them
Identifying streaming traffic and applying appropriate optimizations
Moving traffic to working connections when others experience packet loss

These adjustments happen in real time without user intervention.

Performance Enhancing Proxy (PEP)

On routers running Speedify with a Router License, the Performance Enhancing Proxy (PEP) improves TCP traffic performance. PEP intercepts TCP traffic locally, repackages it using Speedify's optimized protocol, then reassembles it as standard TCP at the Speed Server.

Benefits include:

Higher throughput (up to 6x faster in some scenarios)
Lower CPU usage on router hardware
Better performance when bonding connections with different latencies

PEP is particularly valuable on low-power router hardware where CPU limitations can reduce throughput.

How Traffic Flows Through Speedify

Here's how data moves through Speedify when you browse the web or use an app:

An app on your device sends data (for example, requesting a web page)
The data enters Speedify's virtual network interface
Speedify encrypts the data and splits it into packets
Packets are distributed across your active internet connections based on bonding mode and connection priorities
Packets travel through the internet to a Speedify Speed Server
The Speed Server decrypts and reassembles the packets
The Speed Server forwards the request to the destination website
The website's response comes back to the Speed Server
The Speed Server encrypts and splits the response into packets
Response packets are sent back across your bonded connections
Speedify on your device receives, reassembles, and decrypts the packets
The data is delivered to the app that requested it

This entire process happens at the packet level, allowing even single large transfers to benefit from multiple connections.

Streaming and Real-Time Traffic Optimization

When Enhance Streaming Mode is enabled, Speedify monitors traffic patterns to detect streaming and real-time applications such as:

Live streaming to platforms (YouTube, Twitch, Facebook)
Video conferencing (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet)
Voice over IP (VoIP) calls
Online gaming

Once streaming traffic is detected, Speedify applies optimizations:

Packet prioritization - Stream packets are marked as high priority. If bandwidth is limited, streaming traffic is sent before lower-priority traffic like software updates.

Adaptive bonding - Speedify uses secondary connections to boost speeds for the stream, even if those connections are normally reserved.

Automatic redundancy - If primary connections start dropping packets, Speedify automatically sends stream packets across multiple connections. The first copy to arrive is used, while duplicates are discarded. This reduces jitter and improves reliability at the cost of higher data usage.

These optimizations happen automatically when Enhance Streaming Mode is enabled.

Cost Awareness

Speedify is designed to respect data limits on metered connections. The connection priority system lets you control which connections are used first, helping you:

Keep cellular data as a backup while using unlimited Wi-Fi
Avoid overages on capped connections
Reserve expensive connections for emergencies

You can set different priorities for each connection in Connection Settings.

Compatibility

Speedify works with all apps on your device because it operates at the network layer. This includes:

Web browsers
Streaming apps (Netflix, YouTube, Spotify)
Video conferencing tools (Zoom, Teams, Skype)
Games
Email clients
File transfer apps
VoIP apps

No special configuration is needed. Apps continue to work as they normally would, but benefit from bonded connections.