| Updated: November 22, 2024
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Its a known fact that a VPN slows down the internet speed. This is because your traffic is encrypted, then sent to a VPN server before being decrypted.
The additional layer of security consumes bandwidth and additional resources. However, there are ways to boost your internet speed even with the VPN enabled on your device.
Here are a few things you can do:
With these fixes, I boosted my internet speed with a VPN enabled. You have to apply all the techniques to get the best speed with your VPN.
The use of VPNs has skyrocketed, with governments implementing censorship laws and online surveillance. A VPN hides your IP address, encrypts your data, and lets you access geo-restricted content with a single click.
This is the reason for the popularity of this tool, and with time, it will increase. However, there are certain disadvantages of using a VPN, like it slows down your internet speed and the legal status of VPN in some countries.
This article will highlight the most effective ways of speeding up your internet connection when using a VPN. I have personally tested each method before adding it to this article.
A VPN is a great online tool that protects your online identity and activities. But it does that by encrypting your data and passing it through a VPN server, which consumes bandwidth and deters your internet speed.
This is how a VPN works, and there is no workaround. With a VPN enabled on your devices, your entire traffic is first encrypted and sent through an encrypted tunnel to the VPN server, where it gets decrypted and sent to the recipient.
The round trip adds an extra layer of bandwidth consumption, which results in speed degradation. There are a few things you can do to increase your internet speed with a VPN, like changing your VPN server, switching to a different VPN protocol, etc.
Using a VPN can decrease your internet speed by 50%. However, the percentage of speed deterioration is less common in premium VPNs like NordVPN and ExpressVPN.
Here are a few steps you can take to increase your internet speed with a VPN.
Sometimes, the VPN server gets clogged with many users using the same server. This will cause speed reduction and sometimes VPN disconnection. The best way out is to switch to another server that is less popular and will have fewer users.
My experience:
I use the New York server whenever I need to connect to a US IP address. The other VPN users do the same because the New York server has the physiological effect of being premium associated with it. Sometimes, it causes a negative effect, and my internet speed starts to degrade.
I switched to another NY server to test if it was the VPN server slowing down my internet, and it was. Upon switching to the second NY server my internet speed was restored and I streamed a tv show on Hulu without a single lag.
If you choose a VPN server that is closer to your physical location, your internet speed can increase because you are shortening the distance between your device and the VPN server.
This wont be applicable if you want to a specific IP address to unblock a specific Netflix library or another streaming service. But it works perfectly if you just want to hide your IP address and don’t care about the IP address maskng your original IP.
Example:
If you are in Canada and want to access the US Netflix library, then connect to a server closer to Canada, like Washington or Idaho. This will reduce the travel time for your data, and your internet speed will eventually increase.
On the other hand, if you want to access the Japanese Netflix library, you will need to connect to a Japanese IP address, which will increase the travel time of your data and decrease your internet speed. Still, this will work if you have a good internet connection and a speed of 20Mbps.
A VPN protocol is a set of rules through which your devices and the VPN server communicates and send and receives data through encrypted tunnel. Your internet speed depends on what VPN protocol you are using and what are your needs.
There are various VPN protocols, and most commercial VPNs give you the option to choose between them. I recommend OpenVPN (UDP) if you are looking for a fast and secure connection. However, modern VPN protocols like WireGuard also offer fast speed and the best data encryption.
VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN offer their own VPN protocol, which is derived from WireGuard. ExpressVPN has the Lightway protocol, which is known for its speed, and NordVPN offers NordLynx VPN protocol that is best for both speed and security.
Changing your VPN protocol can help in increasing your internet speed. I recommend using OpenVPN (UDP) protocol which is a open source VPN protocol and has been tested by many.
Split tunneling is one of the most underrated feature offered by most VPNs. It lets you decide which traffic will go through the VPN tunnel and which one will have the regular internet.
In my case, I used the split tunneling feature for streaming American Netflix, and the remaining traffic could go directly to the internet. This helps in reducing load on the VPN server and results in optimum internet speed.
Unused apps that are running in the background may consume your bandwidth and resources. It is best to close such apps to save your machine’s resources and it might help in increasing your internet speed when using a VPN.
It may sound cliche, but restarting your computer and router may fix the slow internet speed issue. Your router and PC need a fresh start, which you can give by restarting them; it will help free some space and clear the RAM.
Ethernet connection is always faster and more reliable than WiFi. That is because there are several connections on a single WiFi fighting their way for resources. This can slow down your internet speed, and the best way to fight this is an ethernet connection from your router to your PC.
A VPN is the best tool for online security and privacy. You can change your IP address, encrypt your traffic, and access geo-restricted content with a single click. However, slow internet speed can cause frustration, and no one wants to wait minutes for a web page to load.
You can build your own VPN for optimum speed, but that requires basic technical knowledge. I have tested the above-mentioned ways to speed up my internet speed with a VPN enabled. You have to implement every step mentioned above to get the best speed; otherwise, VPNs are popular for decreasing internet speeds.
If you are into cybersecurity and love reading about VPNs. Here are a few articles which might interest you.
Mustafa is a cybersecurity analyst and a co-founder of VPN for What. Since 2017, Mustafa has gained international experience, working with governments, NGOs, and the private sector as a cybersecurity and VPN expert and advisor.
