Mouprise.com

5 things to understand about VPN speed

The speed of a VPN is an important factor to consider, and it can also be a determining factor for many people when deciding whether to use a VPN. Speed ​​really matters when it comes to the internet. Even if a VPN provides improved online security and can help you get around blocked content, slow service will make the overall experience far from ideal.

In this article, I’ll look at several factors that can influence the speed of a VPN and how they can be mitigated.

1) The location of the VPN server

Generally, establishing a connection to a VPN server closer to your location will result in better speed. This is because the complexity of Internet traffic increases as the distance between you and the VPN server increases. The more complex the traffic and the greater the distance the data has to travel, the slower the speed of the VPN.

If you don’t have a good reason to connect to a particular VPN location, choosing the one closest to you is the best option. For example, if you live in Texas and want to log into a US VPN server, use one in Houston or Dallas instead of one in New York. Similarly, if you are in China and need a US VPN server, look for one that is available on the west coast rather than one somewhere in the east.

2) VPN protocols

Different protocols can be used to establish a VPN connection. Some of the most popular include OpenVPN (over UDP or TCP), SSTP, PPTP, and L2TP / IPSec. All things being equal, each protocol can result in a significantly different VPN speed. For example, using OpenVPN over UDP generally results in a faster connection than OpenVPN over TCP.

There are no hard and fast rules about which protocol will give you the best speed. OpenVPN over UDP is a good default to try. If you’re having trouble, try switching to a different protocol to see if your VPN speed improves.

3) Encryption level

Stronger encryption is often more complex and can slow down a VPN as a result. In most cases, a 128-bit encryption will lead to a faster connection than a 256-bit one.

On the downside, reducing the strength of the encryption will make the VPN connection less secure and the transmitted data more vulnerable. So you can try to play around with the encryption level, but unless you see significant speed improvements with weaker encryption, you are better off sticking to the stronger versions.

4) VPN server load and bandwidth

The power of the VPN server will have a significant impact on speed. Servers overloaded with bandwidth that cannot keep up with demand will result in a much slower experience.

The client software you use to connect to a VPN service will generally tell you how many IP addresses and how much bandwidth a server has. The higher those numbers, the more powerful the server will be. Sometimes those same clients even show usage in real time. If the server you are connected to is overloaded, switching to a different one is usually as simple as a couple of mouse clicks.

5) Your network settings

If your device is on a wired network and physically connected to a router or if you use WiFi, it can affect the speed of the VPN. This distinction is especially relevant if you have a fast connection to the outside world. Since a wired connection is often faster than WiFi, the latter can be a limiting factor. You can try connecting your computer directly to the router to see if there is an improvement in speed.

Ultimately, not all VPN providers are the same. Even under ideal conditions, the speed and reliability they offer can be drastically different. If you’ve tried several of the methods mentioned in this article, but still aren’t seeing speed improvements, it might be time to consider switching VPN providers.