Imagine that: You are all set to have a cozy movie night. You have popcorns, your favorite blanket, and the go-to streaming platform all set. And then, the worst happens: Just as you clicked on play, that dreaded buffer wheel pops up, and the video quality gives out to something like potato footage. Grrr. Very frustrating. We’ve all been in that predicament at least once. It’s in such times that you’ll find yourself asking if there is a professional way to increase the speed of the internet. VPN—a tool you well know is for issues of privacy and security, but can it further speed your internet as well? Let’s get into the details of this matter and find out whether a VPN can be your solution out of buffering.
How a VPN Can Increase Internet Speed
Bypassing ISP Throttling
Okay, let’s get to it. What you probably don’t know is that sometimes your provider intentionally slows you down. Truly, they do! It’s called throttling, and ISPs typically do this to help them manage the traffic on their network—or to force you to upgrade to more expensive plans. They’ll zero in on doing things that you love to do, like binge-watching your favorite series or playing games online. Sometimes, you feel your internet comes slowly due to slow throttling.
Now, this is where a VPN would be your strongest weapon. A VPN is going to mask your online activity with a form of encryption of your internet traffic. In other words, it simply masks what you are doing online from your ISP. In other words, they can’t effectively throttle the internet connection that you are subscribed to if they can’t see what you are up to. Think of it this way: if your ISP is such a nosy neighbor always trying to peek over that fence to see what you are up to, then a VPN rises up a high wall that blocks his view. You’re free again, with the full range of streaming or gaming favors—no more annoying slowdowns.
I remember once I was trying to stream some big sports event, but the video buffered at the worst possible times. Switching on my VPN made quite a difference. My stream was smoother, and I did not miss one bit in the action. So, if you ever have an issue with the same problems, a VPN might just save the day.
Optimize traffic routes for the best performance
Have you ever been stuck in traffic, only to realize that a turn earlier would have saved the day? This is the way the internet works. Sometimes your data doesn’t always take the most direct and fastest path to get you where you’re going. Sometimes, especially when roads or paths are busy in the case of a network, it takes a roundabout route.
A VPN can sometimes help by finding a less crowded path for your data. Think of it like using a GPS app that reroutes you around traffic jams. This can be particularly useful if you’re trying to get content that’s kept on a computer hosted in another country. For example, if you are in the U.S. and want to view something on a server in Europe, this could be done quicker by connecting through a VPN server that is located in Europe.
It’s a bit like finding a secret shortcut that gets you there quicker. So if you’ve ever been frustrated because a server is so darn slow, a VPN may just be the path to a faster route.
Reducing Latency
Find out on technical latency at the moment you’re forced to wait for the data you need while it travels a remarkable distance. Any gamer knows the inconvenience this brings in real-time games: there is a tiny delay in between the actions you make and what happens on the screen. That’s latency, and it can make or break your gaming experience.
This means that a VPN might—ideally—remove some of the latency issues that come up, because it connects you to a game server fairly close to wherever the game server is. For example, if the game server is in Japan and you are in California, connecting to a VPN server in Japan would not require data to travel such a long distance, hence ideally reducing that irritating delay.
You could think of it as a replacement for a mail service that sends your letters—well, in this case, data—faster. So, in case you are a gamer, this small hack can give you an edge.
When a VPN Might Slow Down Your Internet Speed
Encryption Overhead
Now let’s talk about the flip side: while VPNs can be great for speed, they can slow you down, and here’s why. At the time you’re using a VPN, every bit of data becomes encrypted. This means, in layman terms, the process is like putting your data in a very secure package; hence, it does consume a bit of time and an amount of processing power to box everything up.
Now, on an older device, or with a VPN server that is in a remote location—say, across the globe from where you are connecting—it can bog your web access down as well. This is kind of like putting an extra lock on your door; it’s a bit safer, but you have to take just a bit more time to get through each door.
Once, I attempted to stream a movie while connected to a VPN server on the other side of the world. The added encryption was a drag, and I ended up with more buffering than when I started. So, even though it was for reasons of security, remember that it might come at a minor cost in terms of speed.
Server Load
Imagine having to get through a crowded grocery store on a Saturday afternoon. It is full of people, and everything takes longer. VPN servers can be like that, too. If many people are use the same server, things can slow down because there is only so much bandwidth to go around.
This is the kind of problem that most of the time free VPNs face because of less number of servers and more users. But even some paid VPNs sometimes have server overload if there is not enough capacity at some point. It’s like waiting in a long line at checkout—frustrating and slow.
To avoid that, you can either connect to servers with low traffic or go for a VPN provider with a large network. Some VPN apps even indicate which servers are overused, so you can connect to a quieter one.
VPN Protocols
VPNs use protocols to decide how to encrypt and transmit your data over the internet. There are different speeds and levels of security between various protocols. For example, OpenVPN is super secure and maybe a little slow based on the strength of the encryption it is using. On the other hand, newer protocols are set up to provide both speed and security.
How to Get the Most Out of Your VPN’s Internet Speed
Choosing the Right Server
Choosing the right server is probably the easiest way to get the most out of the speed of your VPN. In general, the closer to you a server is, the faster the connection is. It’s like ordering pizza from a shop nearby; it will get to you more quickly.
Most VPN applications will let you choose which server you connect to, while others can have an auto-select feature that connects you to the fastest server at your disposal. This can be a very easy trick but may make so much difference in how fast the internet might feel.
Testing Different Protocols
As I said, the VPN protocol may also be the reason for the slowness. Anyway, it’s worth playing with the settings to determine what works best for you. Of course, if you are going to watch videos or game, then you will want to switch to a faster protocol like WireGuard. But for active work with sensitive info, a better and more secure protocol may be preferred.
It’s a bit of a hassle like tuning a radio—sometimes you need to fiddle with the settings to get the best signal. Most VPNs make changing the protocols relatively easy, so dive in and experiment with a couple until you find one that works best for you.
Avoiding Overloaded Servers
Lastly, do watch out for overloaded servers. This is tantamount to avoiding a grocery store with an unimaginable crowd overload at all times. If your VPN app shows server load, then you would want a less crowded server using-only that information. If you have a free VPN and are constantly hit by slow speeds, then maybe it’s time to upgrade to a paid version, which hosts more servers and does better in terms of performance.
Final Words
Can a VPN make your internet faster? It may! A VPN service bypasses ISP throttling, optimizes routing paths for internet traffic, and reduces network latency to allow you to squeeze the most juice out of your internet. But remember, it’s not a magic solution. Sometimes, overhead from encryption, server load, or—in general—selecting the wrong VPN protocol can slow you down. Experiment and find out what’s best in your case.
When next your internet starts dragging its feet, consider a VPN. It might make a whole lot of difference, and in the worst-case scenario, you will have that peace of mind from knowing that with your VPN, your online activities are private and secure. Happy surfing!
