VPN is the best solution for people seeking privacy and security while on the internet. However, these same people are under the notion that in order to obtain security through a VPN, they have to sacrifice speed. While this may be true to some extent, speed issues cannot be blamed solely on your VPN. There are other factors that need to be considered, which will help you determine how to best resolve the issue.

If you are having speed issues while using a VPN, this article will help you fix it by providing you with techniques that are proven and tested.

Why Is My VPN Connection So Slow?

In order to understand why there is some sort of exchange between security and speed when using a VPN, you have to figure out first how VPN works. When you connect to a VPN, two major things (among others) will happen: your IP address changes and your data packets are encrypted.

Masking of IP Address

Your real IP address will be masked with a different one because you will connect to a server of your own choice. For example, if you are a banker in Singapore who is sending sensitive financial information to a headquarter in the US, you would want to connect to a VPN first. After connecting to a VPN, you select a server that is located in the US thus giving you a US IP address.

This change of IP address may cause your connection to slow down because your data will need to go through the server before finally connecting to your desired website or application. A person who is concerned about online security, however, would rather have a slight slowness in his or her connection than an unsecure one.

Data Encryption

Another feature of VPN that can cause a slight difference in speed is data encryption. Everything you do in the internet are sent and received using data packets. Without VPN, these data packets are visible to anyone who have the right spying tools. But once you connect to a VPN, these data packets are encrypted which means that it is impossible to read or decrypt. Again, anyone who cares about online security and privacy would rather have his or her data encrypted than vulnerable.

How Can I Improve the Speed of My VPN Connection?

There should only be a slight and oftentimes ignorable difference between your connection speed with and without VPN.  However, if the slowness is really bothering you, here are some techniques you can do in order to fix this issue.

1. Restart Your Router

This is pretty basic and the first thing that should come to mind when you encounter technical issues. So turn off your router or modem, count to ten, then turn it on again. This should fix memory leaks which can also cause slowness in connection.

2. Setup the VPN on Devices Instead of Router.

It is also important to consider that a VPN that’s installed directly on your router is slower compared to a VPN on your device. In this setup, the router does all the encryptions and decryptions for all your devices which will result to a slower connection. However, if you setup the VPN on your devices, each of your device will be encrypting its own data, resulting in a faster connection.

3. Restart Your Devices

Another basic technique that has been part of troubleshooting steps. Whether you are using a laptop, desktop, tablet, or mobile phone, restarting the device can work wonders. They may need to rest for a little while.

4. Switch to Another Port and Protocol.

The port number and protocol can be changed by going to the Advanced Settings. You can switch between UDP and TCP, as some ports and protocols have restricted speed.

5. Switch to a wired connection.

Wireless connection generally limits the speed of your VPN connection as it could suffer from interference from other electronic devices. Also, there may be too many devices connected to the wireless network, so try switching to a wired connection which is faster and more stable.

6. Connect to a Different Server Location

The distance from your actual location to the server location matter. It is advisable to choose a server that is located in a country that is near your actual location so that data don’t have to travel that much. If you are the banker in Singapore whose aim is data encryption, your connection will be faster if you choose a server that’s located within Asia rather than in the US.

7. Do a Speedtest of Your Internet Connection

Before you blame the VPN for the latency issues you are experiencing, check your internet connection first. If it is slow in the first place, then your VPN can’t do more. You may need to upgrade your plan with your ISP or switch to another ISP altogether.

8. Modify Your Encryption Level

You can choose an encryption that is not so heavy in order to have a faster connection. However, this is advisable only if you are using a VPN to bypass geo restrictions. Otherwise, the default encryption level must be maintained for utmost security.

9. Subscribe to a VPN Unlimited Service.

Most of the time, free vpn services are limited in terms of features and speed. These services are most often than not used by companies to convince customers to purchase plans that have more benefits such as faster speed. Subscribing to a paid vpn service can significantly improve the speed of your connection. LimeVPN can give you one of the fastest and most secure VPN connection for as low as $1 per month.

In Conclusion

A slow connection is always a pain in the neck for anyone, within or outside a VPN network. The first thing to do is to find out what is causing the latency, so that you will know how to fix it. If it has something to do with your ISP, then only they can help you fix it. If the problem lies in a device – the router or your computer or mobile device – then you can troubleshoot the issue at this level. There may also be times when changing your server location can do wonders.

The most important thing is that you, as a VPN user, are open to options and are willing to employ techniques to help you fix speed issues. Bear in mind that the security provided by a VPN will always supersede whatever issues it brings.

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Rachael Chapman

A Complete gamer and a Tech Geek. Brings out all her thoughts and love in writing blogs on IOT, software, technology etc