{"id":9660,"date":"2025-06-29T07:54:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T14:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/?p=9660"},"modified":"2026-09-30T07:48:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T14:48:00","slug":"how-to-increase-your-vpn-speed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/how-to-increase-your-vpn-speed\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Improve VPN Speed and Keep Your Connection Fast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If your internet is slower than it used to be, you may wonder if your VPN is the problem. A VPN can reduce connection speed because of the time it takes to encrypt your connection and reroute it to a remote server. However, VPN delays are usually negligible and slow speeds may point to other reasons for a sluggish connection.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best place to start is by comparing your internet performance with the VPN on and off under similar conditions. From there, you can work out where the slowdown is coming from and which changes are most likely to help speed it up.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/line><\/line><\/line><\/line><\/line><\/line><\/svg>Table of Contents<\/div>5 sections<\/span><\/div>
<\/div>
  1. Before You Start: Check Your Speeds<\/polyline><\/svg><\/a><\/li>
  2. 10 Ways to Improve VPN Performance<\/polyline><\/svg><\/a><\/li>
  3. Advanced Troubleshooting for VPN Speed Problems<\/polyline><\/svg><\/a><\/li>
  4. What to Do If Your VPN Is Still Slow<\/polyline><\/svg><\/a><\/li>
  5. FAQ<\/polyline><\/svg><\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

    Before You Start: Check Your Speeds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \"Example<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    First, figure out whether it\u2019s the VPN slowing your connection.<\/strong> You can check connection speeds with a free online tool like Speedtest.net<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For a fair comparison, use the same device and network throughout. Pause nonessential transfers and select the same speed test server if the tool lets you choose one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you use split tunneling<\/a>, disable it so app-specific routing rules don\u2019t affect the comparison. Turn off the kill switch for the disconnected tests, since it may block internet access without the VPN. Restore any settings you change afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s how to check your speeds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Get your baseline results:<\/strong> Turn off your VPN (VPN-off test), run a speed test, and note your download and upload speeds, as well as your ping.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Retest with the VPN connected:<\/strong> Connect to a VPN server, refresh the speed-test page, run the test again, and record the results.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Repeat three times:<\/strong> Alternate between connected and disconnected tests until you have three of each. For each metric, sort the connected and disconnected results separately from lowest to highest, then compare the two middle values.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Measured in megabits per second (Mbps), download and upload speeds show how quickly data moves over your connection. Ping measures the round-trip delay between your device and the test server in milliseconds (ms). A lower ping means less delay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Once you have your results, look at the overall pattern rather than one unusually fast or slow reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What You Notice<\/strong><\/td>What to Check Next<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
      Speeds are poor with and without the VPN<\/td>Compare another device or network<\/a> using the checks below<\/td><\/tr>
      Performance drops when the VPN connects<\/td>Start with the server and protocol fixes<\/a> below<\/td><\/tr>
      Download speeds look normal, but websites take longer than expected to load<\/td>Try the DNS checks in the advanced troubleshooting<\/a> section<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Is the Problem Your Device or Network?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      If the first comparison doesn\u2019t make the cause clear, you can narrow it down by changing either the device or the network while keeping everything else as consistent as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n