Last month my friend Mark, who recently bought a VPN subscription and also faced this issue. As I was his only friend who knows about VPNs and Cybersecurity, he came to me and asked, “Can you please check why my Internet speed is slow while using VPN and how to Increase my VPN Speed?” And then suggested to him a few tips and tricks and exactly same I’m going to explain here. Disclaimer: This guide is just for educational purposes only. Neither do I nor VPNHelpers support any kind of downloading copyrighted content. And there might be situations where you need to send a document/upload it to the server. But your internet speed is a bit slow, due to a VPN connection which will waste your valuable time and efforts. So, now I am going to explain in detail how can you improve VPN speeds. Here I am listing the methods to troubleshoot your VPN connection quickly and boost your speeds. Short in time? Here is a quick guide for you:
Is it Real, Does a VPN Will Slows down your internet?
The main core job of a VPN is to encrypt the data and channel it through secure VPN servers. This is the extra step that tends to slow down your connection speed. There are factors along with which will affect the VPN connection speed.
Distance: Distance between your location and VPN Server location is the foremost factor that affects the VPN Connections speed. Server Load: Servers do have limitations on serving the number of users. If the servers are busy, then the latency will be too high and speeds are slow. Encryption Level: Encrypting & decrypting the data will take some time. The more powerful encryption you use, the more time it takes.
But, this can be lowered using any one of the above-mentioned methods, let’s take a look at it.
Route for Improving your Slow VPN Speeds
Before moving to the methods there are two factors that affect a connection speed, they are
Throughput: Amount of data transferred in a specific amount of time. Latency: Amount of time between a request from the client and response from the server.
1. Try Using Better VPNs
You might have been using some Free VPNs and VPNs which are available for low subscription prices. But, those VPNs will have few servers and heavy server load due to all out there are using them like you. Free and low-cost VPNs have more limitations like Bandwidth & fewer servers. Which results in low VPN Speeds. Also, they do log your online activities along with poor security. They can’t even unblock any streaming services. Then what will be the use of VPN? Think🤔 once. They do limit the usage of data all these factors will affect the VPN Speeds (So, I don’t use or recommend Free or Low-Cost VPNs). I highly recommend using ExpressVPN and I am personally using it. NordVPN Speeds are crazy fast with security features and can unblock streaming apps. NordVPN is also highly recommended by Reddit users for better VPN Speeds. Here are the amazing things you can do with a VPN and there are some factors that need to be considered before you choose a VPN.
What should we look at while choosing a VPN?
The VPN market is crowded with tons of new VPN applications every day. So you need to be aware of the VPN best features which will help you in choosing. Although there are other factors that need to be considered as well if you want to choose the best fit for you. Regardless of the provider, a VPN should also offer security, privacy, and malware detection as well. Now let’s see best VPNs available.
Best VPNs
1.NordVPN: Best Value VPN for better VPN Speeds
NordVPN is one of the best VPN as it offers high-grade security. There will be no DNS/IPv6 leaks. If you are someone who needs more security this one also offers Onion over VPN. You will also get six simultaneous connections per subscription along with Netflix streaming ability. Also, they are offering 30 days of the money-back guarantee program. So you can try this without any risk. So, if you don’t like the app then you will get your full refund within 5 days. And if you need a VPN for 1-2 weeks only then can try NordVPN for free using its money-back program.
2. ExpressVPN: Fast VPN with High Security Features
Consider using ExpressVPN if you want high encryption along with security, this would be a great choice. Since this is based on the British Virgin Islands, which has no data retention laws. The company will not keep the data and no third-party users can request them. They offer 30 days risk-free money back program and 24/7 live chat support for all of your problems. If you want then there is a hidden page for low price subscriptions.
2. Connecting to other Servers
It’s more important to know the location of the server to which you are connected to. It is common sense that servers located too far geographically will take much time. Most of the VPN’s speed will get affected by this factor. Every VPN will have an ample number of geographical servers showing on the map around the world. As the distance between you and the VPN server will be inversely related to VPN Speeds, VPNs will connect to the same server where you reside generally. Didn’t notice the speed difference🤔?, so try to connect to a VPN server located too far and try near servers to see the speed difference. This is because there are three factors that come into the picture when you connect to a server that is far apart.
Loss of Data Packet: Data is transmitted through packets, but there will be high chances that packets can get lost if they are sent to long-distance places. More Network Passes: Connecting to distant servers needs your data to be passed between several networks which will make this big difference. Internation Bandwidth Limitations: As there is a limitation on bandwidth in some countries. Which results in decreasing the speeds and increasing latency.
So, it is always recommended to connect nearby VPN servers for better internet speeds.
3. Changing VPN Connection Protocol
There are different VPN protocols available (TCP, UDP, and others), better protocols will use high encryption for more security. Which will lower your VPN speed. If you are concerned about connection speeds then you need to switch to UDP protocol rather than TCP. As some of the protocols will sacrifice security for VPN speeds and others do the opposite. IKEv2 will also provide you faster VPN speeds with reliable security. While PPTP is one of the fastest protocols among all the others. It’s up to you to choose which protocol to use based on your priorities. It is always advisable to try every protocol on your VPN available and decide which one to use. You can also try the MultiHop feature which will redirect your traffic to a closer service for better VPN speeds.
4. Check Your Network Speed
If you already tried the above methods and nothing works! 😥 to improve your VPN Speed. Then you need to really check your internet connection speeds either it may be Wi-Fi or LAN. As your VPN will not work optimally if your signal strength is weak. It’s no doubt that Wi-Fi is awesome, but if there are multiple devices connected to your Wi-Fi then the speeds usually go down. So, it’s better if you can move closer to your Wi-Fi or use some wired connections. If the problem still persists, then you need to contact your ISP. You can do a speed test to know whether your ISP slowed down your internet speed. As there is the possibility that your ISP will down your Speed if he detects any too much download on a particular month or found you are torrenting. Your ISP will reduce your speed by limiting your bandwidth. Bandwidth: This is the amount of data that can be transmitted through your router. This is one of the crucial factors for internet speeds. For example, if your plan says 2MBPS which means you will receive up to 2 megabits per second.
5. Plan B (Reboot your devices)
If, Nothing works in improving your VPN Speeds. Rebooting your devices is the only solution though it might sound tricky & easy. This process will solve the connectivity problems with the operating system. As your device might get tired of pooling the resources. Rebooting will give them a fresh start for all the process, though this is an old-fashioned trick, this will work for sure to increase VPN speeds.
Conclusion
Firstly, you need to ensure that you are having a good internet speed connection before you start troubleshooting the VPN Speeds either for streaming/downloading content. So far you have seen the throughput and latency affecting the VPN Connection Speed. Then you need to try connecting VPN servers located nearby you and try to switch between the VPN protocols for fast connections. If those methods fail, then you can try using the rest of the methods mentioned. Using a VPN will give you peace of mind. So, it is worth trying the methods to boost your connection speed and security.
Which VPNs have faster Speeds (Paid or Free)?
This is a typical question to answer, it depends on the server loads and number of servers, and encryption techniques. Free VPNs will always have fewer servers and heavy server load. It is recommended to use Paid VPNs. I personally prefer ExpressVPN.
Can I try this method on any device?
Of course, you can as most of the methods are regarding your VPN. You can freely try these methods on the VPN you have installed.
What Protocol Do I Need to use for faster VPN Speeds?
You should try using UDP, but It will be your choice depends on the security level you want and the speed of your VPN. If you want higher speeds then go for lower security and want higher security than lower speeds.
Which is the best VPN for faster Speed?
Everyone says ExpressVPN, even the Reddit users. You can check the features of the VPN listed above and experience it once to come to conclusion.
