Today, more and more people are starting to utilize VPN services when browsing the internet in
public, at work, and even at home. Most of us want to use a VPN for privacy and security reasons.
However, many people worry that a VPN will slow down their internet speed and make it challenging to
watch videos, complete work-related tasks, use social media platforms, or simply browse the web. So
if you’re concerned about your VPN speed and want to use only a fast VPN for browsing, you’re not
alone. This is why we wrote this guide to tell you all you need to know about VPN speed, so that
your data can stay secure while you enjoy browsing the internet with a lightning-fast connection.
You can also learn all about the fastest VPNs in
Canada on our website and choose a high-speed VPN service that meets your needs.
There are multiple factors that allow you to evaluate the speed of an internet connection, and from
there evaluate the speed of a VPN service. These include ping and bandwidth. You can find out the
ping and bandwidth of your internet connection at any given moment by using an online speed checker
service.
Ping
Ping is a parameter that reflects how long it takes for a packet of information to go
from your device to a server and return back to the device. This network parameter is
measured in milliseconds (ms). While the ping value can provide valuable information
about your connection speed, it doesn’t always correspond to it. For example, if you use
Double VPN technology, your connection speed will significantly decrease but the ping
value may not change much.
Bandwidth
The bandwidth reflects the amount of data that can be transmitted through your internet
connection in a certain period of time. Bandwidth is usually measured in gigabytes per
second (GB/sec or GBps). Two additional parameters that normally go together with
bandwidth are download and upload speed. These are measured in megabytes per second
(MB/sec or MBps).
Parameters That Can Influence VPN Speed
Ping and bandwidth are crucial for carrying out VPN speed comparisons. However, several other factors
occurring on the VPN provider’s side can also significantly impact the speed of a VPN service.
Quantity, quality, and distribution of servers across regions and
countries
The number of servers a VPN company uses, their quality, their capacity, and the
uniformity of their distribution in different parts of the world have a huge impact on
the connection speed. The physical distances between VPN servers, users, website
servers, and provider facilities are crucial for giving you a fast and reliable VPN
connection. The more servers a VPN company has in a certain region, the faster internet
connection it can facilitate. Many services also automatically detect issues and reroute
the flow of information to provide the fastest speed possible.
Many people wonder, “can a VPN speed up internet connection?” Surprisingly, the answer is
yes. In some regions, internet providers can artificially slow down your internet speed
when you go on certain websites. But if you use a VPN to access those sites, this
restriction will be lifted.
VPN specialization
Not all VPN services are made equal. Certain companies specialize in helping users access
certain types of content and carry out specific actions. For instance, some VPNs are
created for gaming or streaming content. These companies use dedicated streaming servers
and programs to facilitate access to the type of content they were made for. When
choosing a VPN company, it’s good to check which websites the service promises to
‘unblock’ and whether it uses any specialized software to facilitate access to different
types of content.
Use of different protocols and encryption methods
There are numerous types of VPN protocols a service can use to facilitate connection.
Some of these protocols can provide faster and more stable connections than others, so
it’s best to choose a VPN that supports a variety of fast protocols. For reference, SSTP
and OpenVPN protocols are considered to be quite slow, IKEv2 and L2TP are known as fast
protocols, and WireGuard is the fastest option available today. Plus, VPN companies may
use different encryption capabilities that can increase connection security but slow
down its speed. Double VPN is one example of this.
AdBlocker
Some fast VPN services widely advertise their AdBlocker feature, which automatically
removes ads from the websites a user browses. However, this can also significantly slow
down VPN speed. So if you’re looking for the best and fastest VPN, you may want to skip
this feature and install a separate adblocker extension in your browser.
Number of connected devices
This parameter has nothing to do with the VPN company and everything to do with you as
the user. Many people think that the more devices a VPN service allows you to connect at
the same time, the better. However, your internet connection speed will likely decrease
with each new device. So it’s much better to connect fewer devices and enjoy faster VPN
speed.
If you do need to connect several devices to your VPN, it’s best to choose a service that
can go directly through your internet router. This way, all traffic going through the
router will be automatically rerouted through a VPN, and you won’t need to enable a VPN
on each device individually.
What to Do if Your VPN is Too Slow?
If you’re considering using a VPN service to protect your online browsing activity, you should keep
in mind that doing this is only legal if you’re not breaking the law. If you’re running a VPN in the
hopes of remaining undetected while carrying out illegal online activities, you should know that
this will not stop the government from tracking you down and prosecuting you. A VPN will make it
harder for law enforcement to find you, but it will not help you escape justice. Thus, you should
never use VPNs for hacking, cyber fraud, downloading pirated content, buying or selling illegal
substances, watching or spreading illegal content, etc. Doing anything on this list in the online
world can lead to you spending a lot of time in prison in the real world.
Device problems
Software
Router issues
Low internet speed
Device problems
As with any other computer-related issue, your first step should be to reload your device
and see if it starts working faster. You may be running too many programs on your
computer at once, so you could close any applications you’re not actively using. If that
doesn’t help, you could try performing regular maintenance on your computer. For
instance, if you have a desktop computer, you need to regularly clean its fan from dust.
Otherwise, the device will start overheating and won’t be able to work as quickly as
before. You may also need to replace your old hard drive with an SSD.
Software
If your computer is too old or its memory is overloaded with large programs, the device
will inevitably work slower and have trouble running modern software, such as newer
versions of internet browsers. Thus, you may need to upgrade to a device which is
compatible with the most up-to-date software in order to increase connection speed.
Router issues
Just like computers, routers can also become clogged with dust or overloaded. Thus,
reloading your router and cleaning it from dust can help speed up the device. Your
internet connection will also be much faster if you connect your computer to the router
through wires instead of WiFi. If your computer is already connected to the router with
wires, you should make sure that they haven’t been torn, twisted, squeezed by a door,
etc.
You may also suffer from a slow WiFi connection if the router is located too far away
from your phone or computer. If you have a large home, you may need to purchase WiFi
repeaters to ensure a fast connection in all parts of the house. Internet speed may also
decrease if too many devices are connected to the same router simultaneously.
Low internet speed
Next, you should evaluate the speed of your internet connection without a VPN. For
example, your connection speed may be slow because you have a more basic internet
package that supports only low speeds, or because your provider cuts down connection
speed on some websites on purpose. In these cases, you may need to upgrade your internet
package or change your provider.
Slow VPN
If you’ve checked everything else on this list and determined that your slow connection
speed is caused by a VPN, you may need to try using a different service. Many people
want to get a fast VPN free of charge, but this is generally not possible. A fast,
secure, and reliable VPN will always cost money.
If you want to find the fastest VPN service, try picking a company that has as many
servers in different locations as possible. Remember, if your VPN service has a server
near the service or website you want to use, your connection will likely be faster.
Final Thoughts
Selecting the best and fastest VPN is not an easy task, as there are many factors that impact VPN
speed. VPN providers are responsible for some of these parameters, including the quantity and
quality of servers, their geographic distribution, the type of VPN protocols used, etc. But things
like slow internet connection and device age can also slow down your connection no matter what VPN
you choose. If you want more help in selecting a fast VPN, check out our fastest VPN reviews.
