As technology advances and VPNs become increasingly popular, many people spend most of their time online connected to one. It offers an incredible way to unlock geo-blocked as well as censored websites and to maintain optimal online privacy plus security. The internet is a vast and dynamic network that effectively routes data packets between numerous devices. In case some of the computers routing this data malfunction certain routes become inaccessible and traffic has to be channeled through an alternative path resulting in congestion. At this point, speed issues are quite temporary and will be automatically resolved once new routes are included, repaired, and optimized.
VPNs are usually dependent on the speed of your internet connection. When connecting to any VPN service, you should always expect a slight loss in speed. This is because the VPN’s software has to encrypt every data package. But this loss is often less than 10 to 20 percent when compared to your connection without a VPN. If you experience a persistent speed issue, take into consideration the following troubleshooting steps.
Switch Servers
The VPN server itself could actually slow down your VPN server. This could occur as a result of several aspects, including geographical distance. The further the server’s location, the longer the distance your data will need to travel, and therefore the slower your connection will be. Most providers allow you to select from a list of countless servers located all over the world. So, consider switching to the closest server as this could improve your internet speeds. Sometimes, the server you’re connected to could be experiencing high demand, which actually causes it to become overloaded. Shifting to one that’s currently underutilized can fix any speed issues.
Besides, certain devices aren’t sometimes capable of offering high speeds because of the VPN tunnel’s heavy encryption overhead. These devices usually include routers, early generation iOS devices, NAS and older android devices. When using any of these devices, you may want to consider switching to a device featuring a more capable processor.
Choosing a server that’s geographically close to you will often result in increased convenience because of the lower latency involved. Besides, switching to a server in a different location can bypass any congestion problems depending on how near the traffic is close to your location.
Go For Wired Connections
Your internet speed might sometimes get slowed down by your WIFI connection. And wireless connections often rely on a shared channel to route data between multiple devices that might result in increased latency as well as slower speeds. Generally speaking, wired connections support greater speeds and are often preferable if you’ve quick access to one.
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Utilize a Different VPN Protocol
A VPN connection is typically an encrypted tunnel existent between the VPN server and your device. It keeps prying internet users from seeing your traffic’s content. To create a secure tunnel, VPN providers often utilize different protocols as well as encryption standards. But not every combination is designed equally, however. Some of them prioritize security while sacrificing performance, and others do the opposite. Most commercial VPNs utilize the OpenVPN network since it is open-source and offers a good balance of speed plus security. In most cases, though, you’ll be able to find several other options that can work better in your particular situation.
L2TP/IPSec, for instance, is one of the most popular alternatives that has the potential to significantly improve your connection performance. You may also want to try PPTP- it’s usually the fastest though it’s also quite insecure. But if speed is all you’re looking for, PPTP can be an excellent option for you. Just don’t depend on it to safeguard your data from anyone who’s committed to intercepting it.
The VPN software usually connects to the server through a specific port number using a TCP or a UDP protocol. It’s also important to note that certain networks usually restrict the speed of some ports and protocols. So, connect to a fast VPN port or protocol in order to boost your connection speeds.
Enable Split Tunneling
Placing excessive demands on your VPN connection could actually slow down your speeds. If you’re utilizing multiple bandwidth-intensive applications at a go, and can’t shut them down to resolve your internet issues, you may want to consider enabling the split tunneling option.
This allows you to specify the traffic that should go over the VPN and the one that should be channeled unencrypted through your regular internet connection. Just make sure that you follow the VPN provider’s instructions in order to get it running correctly. Regardless of how this solution is implemented, things will always boil down to pinpointing which traffic to exclude from the VPN tunnel as well as which ones to include.
Incorporate Advanced Options
To trace the congestion or network hop that’s delaying your network, try running a traceroute. Consider tracerouting to the host you’re striving to reach both with the VPN active and without it being active.
Besides, you may also want to override the DNS with third-party DNS servers in order to prevent privacy leaks. Then, adjust the MTU. Do extensive research to determine the most appropriate MTU for your network. In case you change the network you’re currently connecting from, don’t forget that you might also need to change the MTU again.
Restart your Modem or Router
With time, your modem and router might slow down as a result of memory leaks. And restarting it could go a long way in improving the speed of your connection and hence the VPN. Of course, this might look simple and too basic, but it really works. Just restart it and see what happens.
The Bottom-Line
Having problems with your internet connection speeds? Don’t worry. There are countless ways through which this can be resolved. From restarting your router to switching servers, using a different VPN protocol, utilizing a wired connection, and enabling split-tunneling to incorporate advanced options, there’s an endless list of strategies you can adopt to boost your connection speeds.
