Speed is essential. No one can deny it. One of the essential criteria in choosing a VPN service provider is speed. What, though, differentiates one VPN service from another in terms of speed?
It's not always simple or obvious to diagnose a sluggish VPN connection. However, if you use the appropriate technique, you can typically overcome the most frequent problems and dramatically increase your performance.
To get the best performance out of your private network connections, you'll have to deal with a few issues first. Connection speeds can fluctuate, and you may not be able to connect to servers in the system at all. While you're waiting for the connection to establish, you can unintentionally divulge your real IP address.
So what is the root cause of this problem, and how can it be remedied? In the following part of the article, we'll go through some of the possible causes of slow VPN connection:
Routing
Network Setup
VPN Protocol
Server Location
Encryption Strength
Server Bandwidth
CPU/RAM
Overall Internet Speed
Figure 1. 8 Factors that Affect the VPN Speed
1. Routing
How fast your data travels through the VPN server is directly related to how it is routed via it. Your VPN provider's method of routing your connection amongst many servers in the same region can have a significant impact. When it comes to routing data via the network, veteran VPN providers have the infrastructure in place to do so more effectively. Inexperienced VPN providers may be unable to adequately do this task. Because of this, you should use a reputable VPN service.
2. Network Setup
In some cases, connecting to Wi-Fi networks rather than LAN connections might result in lower rates. VPNs that are set up through your network rather than the device directly may also result in slower speeds.
In terms of cost, routers are great because they don't require additional technology or CPUs to be functional. Nevertheless, this means that the router will be slower in its connection speed compared to your older smartphone.
The speed of a wired ethernet connection will always be superior to that of a wireless one. Convenience and quickness aren't always equal in terms of importance. A good router is a must if you're not going to be attached. When you have a connection that is significantly faster than 50 Mbps, the differences between wired and wireless Internet become more apparent.
You may want to try connecting your device directly to your network if you are experiencing sluggish VPN speeds when using Wi-Fi. It's possible to reach twice as fast speeds in some circ*mstances.
3. VPN Protocol
VPNs are protocol-based. VPNspeeds vary depending on the protocol used. OpenVPN, one of the most popular and trustworthy protocols, includes two types: UDP and TCP. Using OpenVPN via UDP is quicker than utilizing OpenVPN over TCP.
Other prevalent VPN protocols, such as PPTP, IKEv2/IPsec, WireGuard, Shadowsocks, and Lightway, offer a quick connection. IKEv2/IPsec, WireGuard, and Lightway are able to strike a balance between speed and security. While PPTP and Shadowsocks may have serious security flaws, both protocols are nevertheless widely used.
4. Server Location
You may not consider the location of your server when selecting a service or how it impacts your connection speed, but it does. For instance, if you use an American VPN while residing in a distant country, the speed will be slower because the data will be traveling over a great distance.
When data travels over extremely great distances, latency (slower speed) rises. In addition, not every data packet you transmit across these extensive distances will reach its intended destination. The longer information must travel, the greater the likelihood of data packet loss.
As a result, your data packets will take longer to reach the website or service you're attempting to visit if they're sent from a remote server.
Depending on your current location, many of the best VPN services automatically select the quickest server. If you're looking for the fastest connection possible, you may hop between servers to see which one works best.
The majority of the time, closer servers will be quicker than distant ones. With a 100 Mbps Internet connection, you may easily get 95+ Mbps on a local server, but only 5-10 Mbps on a server on the opposite side of the globe.
5. Encryption Strength
The stronger the encryption, the slower the VPN connection. Therefore, 128-bit encryption often results in a speedier VPN connection than 256-bit encryption. However, you should be aware that reducing the encryption strength would result in increased susceptibility and make the VPN connection less safe.
The encryption of a data stream requires the inclusion of extra data (this is referred to as encryption overhead). This suggests that encryption eats a portion of your available bandwidth. Consequently, less encryption means more speed.
The encrypted data is what safeguards user privacy and increases data security. Nevertheless, the greater the complexity of the VPN server's encryption, the more bandwidth it requires, which might create connection speed concerns. While lesser encryption might save time, it is strongly advised to prioritize security above efficiency.
You cannot be certain that a VPN service provider is trustworthy and provides the greatest level of protection. Even worse, 84 percent of VPN service providers reveal the true IP addresses of consumers. Consequently, as a user, you should always test the privacy of your VPN connection to ensure its integrity.
6. Server Bandwidth
So, you have acquired a VPN subscription from a provider. While using it, you may notice that it is really sluggish. One possible explanation for this is that the server is overloaded with concurrent users. This typically occurs while utilizing a free VPN service with limited server capacity and a large number of free users.
It is nonetheless possible with any VPN service, as the bandwidth given to each user is restricted. In general, servers have a limit known as "Server Load". Server load is the total bandwidth and is dependent on the number of concurrent users. The whole bandwidth is divided among all users, who each receive a portion. When everyone uses it simultaneously, the server experiences difficulty.
The number of users connected to a specific VPN server has a significant influence on your connection speed. If the server is overloaded beyond capacity, the VPN might significantly slow down your Internet connection.
The server might become overloaded regardless of whatever VPN you use, although the issue is more prevalent with cheap ones. Some VPN clients provide information on the server's available bandwidth and the percentage of capacity that has been utilized. To obtain faster speeds, you should utilize a different server, preferably one with fewer servers and less load.
For instance, if you are utilizing a server with a maximum bandwidth capacity of 1 Gbps and there are 100 users on the server, each user will receive 10 Mbps. Some VPNs, however, use 'smart' bandwidth allocation, where they transfer more bandwidth to users who need it more (such as while streaming or downloading large files) and move bandwidth away from those who are not using as much data, resulting in slower connections.
7. CPU/RAM
A VPN does not require disks with a high transfer rate or vast quantities of storage. Since a VPN primarily encrypts data, you will want a powerful CPU to decrypt it. If you are interested in AES encryption, the optimal setup consists of either a CPU or GPUs. Currently, there are servers that offer AES-NI support and have hardware-level performance acceleration.
Due to the time required for data packets to go back and forth, VPN traffic is taking longer than normal. A VPN's speed may also be impacted when it is encrypted. If your device's CPU and Internet connection are both fast, its performance will be enhanced.
Generally, it is preferable to utilize a faster CPU if you can improve performance. However, most routers perform poorly due to their RAM. If you increase your RAM, you will have access to more threads, which is crucial given the volume of network activity between devices and torrent sites.
8. Overall Internet Speed
Regardless of how effective the VPN service is, it will be limited by the capacity of the connection you use to connect to the VPN server. If the ISP has a sluggish connection speed, it makes little difference what VPN speeds you have, because best-case scenario, VPN services can only give Internet speeds equal to your ISP's allotted capacity. In truth, even the fastest VPN services slow down your connection to some degree.
Therefore, you must have a fast Internet connection in order to get satisfactory VPN speeds. You cannot anticipate 50 Mbps speeds if your home connection is barely 10 Mbps.
How to Properly Test VPN Speed?
To test the download speeds, you only need to use a speed test application to compare the percentage difference with and without the VPN. I used the Ookla speed test to evaluate speed since it measures all three essential variables.
There are other additional speed test tools accessible online.
The VPN speed testing procedure is straightforward and can be done in minutes. Follow the instructions below for VPN speed test:
Firstly, access your VPN account and connect to a VPN server.
Secondly, navigate to https://www.speedtest.net/.
Wait for the connection to be established after clicking Go.
Read the results of the speed test.
Figure 2.
Speedtest.netresultsRepeat the procedure without a VPN and make note of the difference.
The smaller the difference, the less of an impact the VPN has on your internet speed and the quicker the VPN.
How Do You Speed Up VPN?
If your VPN connection isn't as fast as you need it to be, you may try the following methods to improve your VPN speed:
Connect to a server that isn't overloaded: Excessive use of a single VPN server might lead to server overload, resulting in a decrease in connection speed. Certain VPN companies provide real-time server load information, which may be accessed either inside their application or on their official website. Opting for a vehicle with a lower weight will often result in higher velocities. If your VPN service does not give information about the current server load, you might attempt to connect to many servers and see which one offers the highest speed.
Connect to a server that is physically closer to your location: Routing your traffic via a nearby VPN server reduces the physical distance it has to travel compared to a server located far away.
Enable split tunneling if available: Split tunneling enables selective routing of network traffic, allowing you to choose which data passes via your VPN connection while leaving the other information unencrypted and directed over your standard internet connection.This may enhance the efficiency of your VPN speeds for certain activities, since any unnecessary traffic that does not need the usage of your VPN will not overload your bandwidth.
Try connecting to the VPN using a different protocol: Multiple VPN protocols are available, and most providers provide a selection of alternatives for users to choose from. Various protocols provide distinct benefits and drawbacks in terms of speed and security. Therefore, selecting a certain VPN protocol over another has the potential to enhance the performance of your VPN connection. VPN companies now provide updated VPN protocols such as IKEv2 and WireGuard, which guarantee quicker connections while maintaining outstanding security.
To optimize your performance when using OpenVPN, it is recommended to only utilize UDP instead than TCP. Although TCP is generally more reliable, it is slower than UDP due to its need to transmit data packets in the correct sequence and wait for acknowledgment from the destination before sending the next packet. UDP prioritizes speed and efficiency above ensuring the sequence of data packets or receiving acknowledgments of their receipt. Consequently, it is quicker and more efficient but less reliable.
Many VPN applications include the option to modify the protocol used for connection in their settings. Therefore, we suggest experimenting with different protocol settings to see which ones provide the highest speeds.
Change VPN port: When a Virtual Private Network (VPN) establishes a connection to the internet, it does so using a port that has been pre-determined. Some networks may potentially impose bandwidth limitations or impose restrictions on the use of this port, resulting in potential issues.
Examine the configuration of your Virtual Private Network (VPN) to see whether there is an option to modify the port being used. If that is the case, consider using port 443. Port selection is the most prevalent approach for addressing VPN speed difficulties.
Close any superfluous background applications: If there are applications running in the background that you are not actively using, they may be using system resources and causing a decrease in your machine's performance and internet connection speed. Take a moment to inspect whether there are any active programs operating in the background that you are not currently using, and proceed to terminate such processes. By resolving possible bottlenecks such as these, you may see an enhanced connection speed.
Utilize a cabled connection: Utilizing a cable connection often offers superior speed compared to utilizing Wi-Fi. It is likely that you have many devices connected to your home Wi-Fi network simultaneously. These devices are all using and vying for resources on the same wireless channel. This might lead to an unreliable internet connection and thus, reduced speeds. If you possess the appropriate equipment, endeavor to make a wired connection by directly connecting your computer to your router using an ethernet cable, and thereafter connect to your VPN.
Reboot your router and any other devices: By rebooting the system, you will provide it with a necessary refresh, release part of its allocated RAM, and restore it to its best functioning state. Attempt to power cycle the device, and thereafter see the enhancement in VPN speeds.
Use a VPN service that offers VPN bonding: VPN Bonding is an emerging technique that aims to distribute data packets for your VPN connection throughout your whole network by using several ways such as DSL and 4G. If one of your connections, such as mobile broadband, has sluggish speed, the program will instantly redirect your data via a better connection.
Implementing this method may significantly enhance the speed of your connection and offers distinct benefits compared to conventional load balancing solutions, since it is effective for all protocols, including web surfing and P2P.
Do VPNs Make Your Internet Faster?
VPNs can improve the speed of various services under specific conditions. ISPs occasionally limit, or artificially slow down, certain types of data; for instance, several large ISPs have throttled entertainment streaming services such as Netflix. If an ISP throttles communication speeds with a particular service, a VPN might evade this throttling since the VPN encryption would prevent the ISP from determining with which services the user is connecting.
Does VPN Speed Depend on Internet Speed?
Yes, VPN speed depends on your internet speed. Your VPN connection can only be as fast as your Internet connection. As security and privacy should always be the VPN's top concern, performance decreases of 10 to 20 percent are quite typical.
Does Where You Live to Affect Your VPN Speed?
Yes, you will have the best performance by connecting to a VPN server location close to your actual location.
Why? Because it reduces the distance over which data packets must travel to reach the VPN server. To minimize latency and increase performance, it is preferable to avoid servers situated in distant locations.
How to Choose the Best VPN for Speed?
The speed of a VPN may make or break your experience. If the connection is excruciatingly sluggish, you will use it less frequently and detest it each time you do. The first step is to determine which speed data are most important. The three most important measurements are download and upload speeds, as well as ping time.
The first two are exactly what they sound like: the rate at which your device receives and sends data while connected to a VPN. If you often download huge files or stream several movies, you will need a fast download speed. Upload speeds, on the other hand, are crucial if you transfer a substantial volume of data. A nice example is storing your photo backups on the cloud.
Ping time is the amount of time it takes for a single packet of data to go from your computer to the VPN server, to its final destination, and back again. Ping duration is expressed in milliseconds. The better this number is, the lower it is. Real-time applications, such as Skype, voice over IP phones, and online gaming, require a low ping. Which metrics are important to you will depend on your primary motivations for utilizing a VPN.
Once you have determined your metric requirements, search for a VPN provider with the greatest connection speeds for the country to which you wish to connect. Keep in mind that just because a VPN company offers lightning-fast servers in the United States does not guarantee the same in other countries.
