Is Your VPN Chopping Your Internet Speed in Half? Here's How to Find Out

3 days ago 20

Most of us have felt frustrated by a slow internet connection before. Perhaps when your video keeps getting stuck buffering or when a website is taking too long to load.

It can slow you down or totally stop you in your tracks. This can be even more noticeable if you're using a virtual private network that will improve privacy by encrypting your data but also hurt your internet speeds.

Indeed, VPNs affect both internet speed (the rate at which data is uploaded and downloaded) and latency (the time it takes for a signal to travel from your device to a server and back).

If you want to see how much your VPN is slowing down your internet, I'll show you how to find out.

Key takeaways:

Testing the speed of your VPN is a simple and easy way to make sure you're getting the best possible experience online.
Speed tests like SpeedTest.net, Cloudfare, M-Lab or SpeedSmart all allow you to get readings of your speed and ping. Once you have results, you can see how much your VPN is slowing you down.

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Pre-test preparation

Before you test your VPN speeds, you'll want to get a baseline measurement of your internet sans-VPN as a point of comparison. Here's how to get an accurate reading:

First, disconnect from your VPN. This will allow you to get an accurate reading of your base internet speeds before adding the VPN into the mix.
Then, close other applications that are running in the background to ensure there's no sneaky streaming service or download happening that might be using bandwidth.
Finally, make sure you're using a reliable device. You'll want to do the speed test on a device that has a stable internet connection, and it's even better if you connect with an Ethernet cable rather than using Wi-Fi.

Conducting the speed test

Now that you've prepared your device, you can conduct the speed test itself.

We recommend the popular, free speed test by Ookla, which you can find at SpeedTest.net. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Other good speed tests include Cloudfare, M-Lab or SpeedSmart.

Once you get to the speed test site, the process is pretty simple. Here's a step-by-step breakdown, inspired by how we test VPNs.

Open the speed test website.

Screenshot of VPN speed test using Speedtest

I'm a US citizen but a digital nomad. At the time of this speed test, my internet provider is Vodafone, and my location is Milan. That's where you will see your internet provider and location appear.

You'll see something like this.

Run the first speed test, without your VPN.

Screenshot of VPN speed test in progress using Speedtest

After you click the "Go" button, you'll see this screen as the speed test runs.

Wait until the test is completely finished.

Screenshot of VPN speed test results using Speedtest

When the speed test is done, you'll see this screen with your results. Save the results or take a screenshot that you can reference later.

Connect to your VPN, and then refresh the speed test website.

While connected to your VPN, repeat steps 1-3 to get a new reading.

VPN speed test: Analyzing the results

Now, you have results from two speed tests: one conducted without your VPN and one with your VPN enabled. This will allow you to compare how your VPN is affecting speeds.

You'll probably notice a reduction in speeds while using your VPN. This is normal, because your VPN is encrypting your data and bouncing it off a server that might add physical distance to your web traffic.

Many VPNs can cut your speeds by 50% or more, but CNET recommends looking for VPNs that cut speeds by 20% or less. If you lost more than 20% of your speed in your VPN test, check out CNET's list of fastest VPNs for alternative providers.

You'll also want to compare the ping results from both of your speed tests.

To help explain ping (also called latency), Joe Peterson, product director at Ookla, compares it with the hot water in your house. When you open the hot tap, it takes a moment for the hot water to travel from your water heater to your faucet. Ping is basically measuring the same thing: how long it takes to get a response when you make a request on the internet.

Ping is measured in milliseconds. Most of the time, it's so brief that even a VPN won't make a significant difference. "If you have a good VPN provider, you might not even notice the impact on latency," says Peterson.

In general, a low ping is ideal for real-time activities like online gaming. A high ping, meanwhile, can cause lags or delays for those kinds of online activities.

Troubleshooting slow speeds

If you've found yourself with slower speeds than you'd like, here are a few things you can do to troubleshoot VPN speeds:

Try a different or closer server: Speed test websites allow you to choose a different server for your test. You can experiment with this and see if a different server gets you different results. In theory, the closer the server is to your location, the faster your connection should be.
Change the VPN protocol: You might be able to switch the protocol that your VPN uses to encrypt your data. Each protocol is slightly different, and some are faster than others. Wireguard and similar proprietary protocols like ExpressVPN's Lightway and NordVPN's NordLynx generally deliver the fastest speeds in our testing.

Check for server overload: Some VPN servers can become congested during peak hours, leading to slower speeds. Your VPN server might also be experiencing an outage. DownDetector, another app from Ookla, can allow you to see whether this is the case.
Try a wired internet connection: Rather than using Wi-Fi, try connecting directly to your router with an Ethernet cable, which will give you the best speeds.
Consult the VPN provider's support: You can also try contacting the VPN's support team if problems persist.

For more VPN advice, check out how to set up a VPN and how to test whether your VPN is working.

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