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

In this article, I will discuss various 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 with a VPN server closer to your location will result in better speeds. 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 longer the distance the data has to travel, the slower the VPN speed.

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 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) The 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 significantly different VPN speed. For example, using OpenVPN over UDP typically 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 option 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, 128-bit encryption will lead to a faster connection than 256-bit.

On the downside, lowering the encryption strength will make the VPN connection less secure and the transmitted data more vulnerable. So you can try playing around with the level of encryption, but unless you see significant speed improvements with weaker encryption, it’s best to stick with the stronger versions.

4) VPN server load and bandwidth

The strength of the VPN server will have a significant impact on the 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 usually tell you how many IP addresses and how much bandwidth a server has. The higher those numbers are, the more powerful the server will be. Those same clients sometimes even show real-time usage. If the server you’re connected to is overloaded, switching to a different one is usually as simple as a couple of mouse clicks.

5) Setting up your network

If your device is on a wired network and physically connected to a router or using 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 created equal. 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 don’t see speed improvements, it may be time to consider switching VPN providers.