Why Does My Internet Speed Slow Down When Using VPN? – A Detailed Guide

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If you’re asking yourself – why does my internet speed slow down when using VPN services? You’ll find some useful information below.

As a VPN user, you may have experienced the frustration of having your internet speed slow down when using a VPN.

There are many reasons this can happen, and it is important to understand them so that you can take action in order to improve your experience.

In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most common factors as well as how they affect your service and what you need to do about it.

So let’s not wait any longer, and dive in so you can hopefully enjoy a faster connection speed when using a VPN!

What is a VPN?

A VPN is a service that provides you with an encrypted connection to the internet. A typical use for this would be when someone wishes to hide their IP address to bypass content filters or perhaps prevent tracking by third parties such as an ISP (Internet Service Provider), the government, or even hackers.

A VPN can also be used to provide a secure, private connection when someone is on an insecure network. This could include public Wi-Fi at the airport or coffee shop, for example, as well of course people who travel and connect with various networks while they are away from home such that their data cannot always remain encrypted.

How does a VPN work?

A VPN encrypts your internet connection so you can browse the web anonymously. It does this by using a tunnel that runs through an external server. 

When connecting to a server, all your data is encrypted as it travels between devices and across public networks like wireless hotspots at hotels or conference centers for example – because of this encryption we call these types “secure” connection tunnels (or secure sockets).

VPNs have massively grown in popularity in recent years, and it’s easy to see why -they are one of the most important security tools because they offer so much more than just encryption. 

A VPN will also protect you from hacking, spying and other digital snooping – as well as being an excellent choice for accessing geo-restricted content on a streaming service like Netflix or BBC iPlayer wherever in the world you might find yourself! 

As it offers protection against hackers who want to steal sensitive information (like credit card details or passwords), a VPN is an excellent investment to make. However, it doesn’t come without its drawbacks, as you’ll soon find out in the next section.

Why would my internet speed slow down when using VPN? 

VPNs are a fantastic privacy-enhancing tool, but one thing that puts people off is that they can slow down your internet connection somewhat. Let’s take a look at why this might happen and what you can do about it.

The most common reason for slow internet is that the data flow has been slowed down by an obstacle such as Wi-Fi signal interference or congestion on your ISP network, but sometimes VPNs will also be to blame due to their encryption algorithms slowing things up too much.

Most VPNs offer different encryption methods, with speeds varying depending on which one you use. OpenVPN, IKEv2, and SSTP are usually the fastest, with PPTP and LTPS being slower.

Which one you should choose depends on your device – for example, if it’s a mobile phone or tablet, then the IKEv2 protocol is often preferred due to its simplicity in terms of bandwidth usage; whereas PC users will likely prefer OpenVPN, which has better encryption strength while offering excellent speeds.

Of course, your base internet speed will be a deciding factor in how fast your VPN is, so if you have a slow internet connection then using a VPN might not be the best idea, unless you’re in a situation where you absolutely need to protect your data, such as when connected to a public Wi-Fi network.

Is there anything I can do to make my internet speed faster while using a VPN service?

It’s inevitable your internet speed when using a VPN will be slower, just perform a speed test of what it was like before and after connecting, and you’ll see what I mean. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to make it faster.

First, you could try connecting to a different VPN server, as the one that you’re connected to may have a large number of users connected which can slow down your internet speed massively.

Second, you should check your Wi-Fi signal strength and make sure that it is strong enough for a good connection to take place with no interference from other wireless devices in range.

Anything which disrupts or disturbs an internet circuit can lead to some degree of slowdown when connected to a VPN, so if you’re looking to enjoy the fastest speeds possible, try a wired internet connection or disconnect anything that could interfere with the signal.

Summary – Why Does My Internet Speed Slow Down When Using VPN?

By this point, it should be clear to you that a slow internet connection when using a VPN can be caused by one of many things, the most common of which we’ve covered in this article.

And while a drop in speed is to be expected when using a VPN, it’s usually within your control to troubleshoot it, such as choosing a different VPN server location, opting for wired connections over a wireless one, or perhaps you could even simply restart your device and the problem will correct itself!

Luckily, there are many VPN providers available to choose from nowadays which benefit from excellent speeds and offer an extensive selection of servers.

My favorite is Surfshark, which features a whopping 3200 high-speed servers in 65 different locations at the time of writing, allowing me to easily access content and stay protected no matter where I am.

Best of all, their longest subscription package comes with a monthly cost that’s less than a cup of coffee! So, if you thought that free VPNs were your only option when on a budget, think again!

Get the best Surfshark VPN deals here

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