How Do I Fix A Slow VPN Connection?

Are you using a wireless Internet connection?

Do you know the VPN plan details?

Did you restart your device?

Did you check your connection settings?

Did you check your encryption settings?

Are there any problems with your Internet connection?

Wireless Internet connections tend to be slow, especially if there are many family members using the same connection for accessing the Internet. To overcome this slow connection, consider having a wired connection. In other words, plug a wired Internet connection to your laptop and desktop when you want to use a VPN. Alternately, have a separate Internet connection for VPN, if that's something that works for you.

All VPN plans are not the same, so look into your plan again and make sure you read the fine print that tells you the service limitations. Some plans may offer high speeds for a certain time or can have bandwidth limitations and this is why evaluate the service plan again and based on it, decide if you want to change the provider or the plan for faster Internet access.

Sometimes, a simple restart can help to fix many problems. Repeated use of the device can lead to memory leaks or use of resources, so a restart will remove all these problems. So, restart your router and computer and check for the speed again.

Your configurations can slow down your Internet speed. There are some settings, especially the protocol that can slow your Internet down. Also, the way your VPN is designed and set up at home can determine its speed. For example, using a single socket puts too much load on the bandwidth and can slow down your Internet access considerably. Look through these different options and if you're an expert, you'll be able to figure out the problem and do the fix. If all this goes over your head, take professional help to fix this slow speed.

The level of encryption you have can determine the speed of your VPN. But the flip side, you'll compromise on the security. For example, L2TP/IPSec has the highest security, but greatly brings down the speed of your connection. Likewise, PPTP is fast, but has low security. So, consider tweaking the encryption settings if you want to improve your connection speed, but remember that you'll be compromising on security when you do so.

Many times, you will look at problems with your VPN, but the problem would lie with your Internet Service Provider (ISP). You could have overrun your limit or there could be some technical issue with your ISP. So, before you try to fix your VPN, make sure you run a speed test of your Internet to check its speed. If this speed is according to the service agreement, you can know that the problem lies elsewhere.

Great! Now it's time to look at the VPN provider and your configuration settings.