Effect of VPN on Internet Speed

Utilizing a VPN may decrease your internet speed because your data has to travel further to reach its endpoint. When you connect to a VPN, your traffic is encrypted and directed through a distant server, which adds distance and encryption overhead that can affect speed.

Summary: How to Enhance Your VPN Speed

Select a VPN server that is near your physical location.
Change servers if the one you are using is slow or busy.
Opt for quick protocols such as WireGuard or OpenVPN.
Activate split tunneling to direct crucial traffic through the VPN.
Switch to a public DNS server for possible speed enhancements.

What Causes a VPN to Slow Down Your Internet?

A VPN encrypts and redirects your data through a remote server, increasing the distance it must travel and adding encryption overhead, which can result in a slower connection. The degree of slowdown varies depending on the VPN provider, protocol, and server location.

How Much Might a VPN Reduce Your Speed?

The decrease in speed varies based on the distance to the server, the load on the server, and the VPN’s infrastructure. Servers that are nearby usually cause minimal speed reductions, while ones that are further away may result in more significant slowdowns. Free VPNs often experience more congestion and slower speeds due to limited resources.

Factors Influencing VPN Speeds

1. VPN Protocol

Different protocols affect speed differently due to encryption overhead. WireGuard and IKEv2 tend to provide faster speeds, whereas OpenVPN (especially TCP) may result in greater slowdowns.

2. Server Location

Servers that are closer to your location offer quicker connections, while distant ones add latency. Selecting a server near your actual location helps minimize speed loss.

3. Server Load

Servers that are overloaded with users can slow down connections. Choosing less crowded servers can enhance speed.

4. Quality of VPN Service

The speed of a VPN is contingent upon the provider’s server network and infrastructure. Quality services invest in optimized networks, offering better speeds.

Ways to Enhance VPN Speed

Select Nearby Servers: Connect to servers near you for enhanced speeds.
Change Servers: Move to less busy servers in the same region.
Utilize Fast Protocols: Switch to WireGuard or OpenVPN for the best speed and security.
Enable Split Tunneling: Channel only essential traffic through the VPN to alleviate load.
Install VPN Software Directly: Directly install the VPN application on your device for better performance compared to router installations.
Alter DNS Server: Change to a public DNS server if your VPN’s DNS is slow.
Close Background Applications: Terminate unnecessary apps to free up bandwidth.
Utilize Wired Connections: Ethernet offers faster and more dependable connections than Wi-Fi.

Can a VPN Increase Your Internet Speed?

In certain situations, a VPN can evade ISP throttling, possibly enhancing your speed for specific tasks such as streaming and P2P sharing by stopping your ISP from tracking and restricting your traffic.

How to Check VPN Speed

Conduct a speed test without the VPN to establish baseline speeds.
Connect to your desired VPN server and retest.
Compare findings to assess the VPN’s effect on your connection speed.

Conclusion

Although VPNs can decrease your internet speed due to encryption and rerouting, selecting the right servers, protocols, and configurations can lessen the impact. Sometimes, a VPN can even enhance speeds by avoiding ISP throttling.