Slow VPN? Try These 7 Quick Fixes
Buffering, stuttering calls, and pages that crawl? If your VPN feels slow, you don’t have to live with it. A small dip around 10–20% is normal, but with a good quality VPN, bigger drops usually come from fixable issues like server distance or the wrong protocol.
This guide starts with a 5-minute baseline check to confirm the culprit, then walks you through a prioritized checklist to stabilize and speed things up. We’ll hit the quick wins first: closer servers, WireGuard, split tunneling; then a few advanced tweaks.
🚀 You’ll always be able to find a fast connection wherever you need one with PIA VPN. It has a 10 Gbps network covering 90+ countries and includes the WireGuard protocol, which is known for its speed and security.
Is Your Internet Connection or Your VPN Slow?
Before you tweak settings, run a quick baseline so you know what you’re fixing. When a slow VPN shows up, it’s often masking an underlying Wi-Fi or ISP issue; this flow separates them.
How to Run a VPN Speed Test in 5 Minutes
- Close bandwidth-intensive apps and browser tabs: Cloud backups, downloads, and 4K streams can skew results. This prevents false lows.
- Perform a baseline test: To confirm if the slowdown is VPN-related, turn your VPN off and run a speed test on a reliable site like Speedtest or Fast.com. Record the download and upload speeds, as well as ping/jitter.
- Repeat the same test with the VPN on: Connect to a nearby server, repeat the speed test, and compare.
- Interpret results: A small dip (~10–20%) is typical. If your VPN is slower than that, try adjusting its settings for better performance, or try another VPN provider.
If your connection is also slow with the VPN off, the issue is likely with your internet connection. Check your ISP plan limits, try again at a different time of day, or reduce Wi-Fi interference before blaming the VPN. For steadier speeds, plug in with Ethernet when possible, or move closer to the router if you have to stay on Wi-Fi.
Why Your VPN Is Slow and How to Fix It
When you connect to a VPN, it encrypts your data and routes it through a server (sometimes on the other side of the world), which then decrypts it before it reaches the destination. How noticeable the slowdown is depends on several factors, but you can usually fix it using one of these methods:
Pick a Nearby, Low-Load Server
The farther your data travels, the slower it feels. If your connection lags, switch to a VPN server closest to your real location. If your VPN offers auto-connect, let it pick the best server for you and check if that improves your speeds.
Be aware that popular servers can get crowded. When too many people share the same server, bandwidth is spread thin and speeds drop. In the app, sort by servers with low latency (ms) and connect to the one with the lowest rates.
Change the VPN Protocol
Your VPN protocol is like the lane your traffic travels in. Some are faster than others. Start with WireGuard for the best balance of speed and security. If that’s blocked, try OpenVPN with UDP (good for streaming and calls). Use OpenVPN with TCP only if you need extra reliability.
Note: Private Internet Access (PIA) lets you reduce the encryption level when using OpenVPN. If speed is more important than security, you can switch to AES 128-bit encryption. While AES 256 offers stronger protection, AES 128 is still secure for everyday use and requires less processing power, so you’ll get better speeds.
Update Your VPN App and Device
Outdated software can drag down your VPN performance. Start by updating your VPN app and device software to clear hidden bugs that affect speed. Then restart your device and power-cycle your router for 30 seconds. This clears out background processes and refreshes your connection.
Use Split Tunneling for Bandwidth-Heavy Apps
Some apps hog bandwidth and don’t need VPN protection (like game launchers, big downloads, or cloud backups). With split tunneling, you can route those outside the VPN so that your important apps (like calls, streaming, or banking) stay smooth inside the tunnel. Test by excluding one app at a time until speeds improve.
Try a Different Port
Some networks slow down or block common VPN ports. Switching to OpenVPN over port 443 can help because it blends in with normal HTTPS traffic. If that doesn’t work, test other ports (like 1194 or 8080) in your VPN app.
Check Your Multi-Hop and Obfuscation Settings
Extra privacy features like Multi-Hop or obfuscation add more steps to your connection, which often makes speeds slower. But in some cases, toggling them on can improve stability.
For example, Multi-Hop can help if your ISP takes a slow route to certain destinations. Try switching these features off and on to see what works best for your situation.
Close Resource-Hungry Apps and Update Software
Antivirus, firewalls, or bandwidth-hungry apps can sometimes slow a VPN. Temporarily disable them to test (then re-enable for safety), or add your VPN to their allow-list. Quit or pause big downloads and re-test your speeds. Always keep your VPN app and system updated to rule out known bugs.
Expert tip: If streaming works better with the VPN on, your ISP may be slowing down that type of traffic. A VPN prevents your ISP from seeing what you’re doing online, which can stop selective throttling. Just remember, it can’t make speeds faster than the max on your internet plan.
When to Switch VPN Providers
If you’ve worked through the full checklist on multiple nearby servers and modern protocols but your speeds still sit well below what should be a normal ~10–20% dip (e.g., drops persistently >20–30%), or the network feels permanently congested, it may be time to move on.
Red flags to watch for
- No WireGuard (or equivalent modern protocol), or you’re stuck on OpenVPN with TCP only.
- No latency indicators in the app, so you need to test each server manually.
- Lack of a reliable 10-Gbps infrastructure, now common among faster VPN services.
- Erratic performance across the same server/time window, even after reboots and protocol changes.
At that point, your time is better spent choosing a provider designed for speed rather than endlessly tweaking settings.
PIA gives you full control over speed and stability. You can switch between modern protocols, adjust your encryption level, check server latency before you connect, and choose from 10 Gbps servers in 90+ countries. That means you’re never stuck guessing why a server feels slow.
FAQ
Your VPN may feel slow mainly because of the extra encryption layer, but other factors also play a role, like distance to the VPN server or your chosen protocol. Luckily, these issues are all easy to solve with a high-quality VPN that offers fast servers, a choice of modern protocols, and advanced configuration options.
Most VPN speed issues can be solved with simple tweaks. Switching servers, changing protocols, or restarting your router are often enough to get your connection running smoothly again. If nothing works, you may need to upgrade to a fast VPN with a 10 Gbps global server network, like PIA VPN.
Make it a habit to choose nearby, low-load servers and stick with a fast protocol. Test your speed periodically using the same location and time of day for fair comparisons. Keep the VPN app and your OS updated, avoid multi-hop unless needed, and use split tunneling for heavy, non-sensitive apps so critical tasks stay smooth.
You can test how fast your VPN is by connecting to a server and measuring your connection speed using a speed test tool. Compare your results with and without the VPN to see how much your VPN affects your internet speed.
The fastest VPN setting depends on your VPN provider and your specific situation, but generally, a combination of a nearby server and a fast protocol like WireGuard gives the best results. You can also use split tunneling to exclude some apps from the VPN tunnel, so you’re left with a more efficient connection.
The fastest VPN really depends on your situation and location. Nearby servers usually deliver the best speeds, which is why a provider with a large network is so important. PIA offers fast servers in 90+ countries, all of which use10 Gbps connections, so you have plenty of nearby options to connect to.
Free VPNs often lack the resources needed to deliver fast speeds, like 10 Gbps servers in a wide range of locations. Many rely on small, overloaded networks and may also cap bandwidth to cut costs. If you’re looking for a fast and affordable VPN, try PIA. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.