Why is My VPN Slow?

There is nothing worse than a slow internet connection, other than perhaps a slow VPN connection. Unfortunately, slow VPN connections can be common for various reasons including busy servers and long-distance connections.

If you’re experiencing consistently slow VPN speeds or wondering why your VPN keeps disconnecting, then there may be a few reasons why. Fortunately, most of the reasons for slow VPN speeds can be easily solved so that you can continue using your VPN without enduring buffering, lag, or any of the other annoying things that occur with slow connections.

Keep reading to find out the most common reasons why your VPN is slow!

Distance from the Server Can Affect VPN Speed

The first reason why your VPN may be slow is because of the distance from the server you are connected to. This can happen if you’re using a far-away VPN server from your actual location.

You can solve this issue by connecting to a VPN server closer to your physical location.

High User Loads on VPN Servers Can Result in Slow Speeds

Another reason if why your VPN might be slow is if many users are connecting to that particular server at once, and taking up all of its bandwidth (AKA traffic). This can result in slower speeds.

Other VPNs might have an insufficient infrastructure in place in order to meet demand when multiple people connect at one time. This results in extremely slow service until the number of active connections falls below what the system can handle.

By switching servers, you might find that this problem is resolved. Alternatively, you can wait until usage decreases before continuing on with your browsing session. However, you can opt for a VPN with many servers on its network to avoid this issue.

Background Programs Might be Slowing Down Your VPN Speed

On the other hand, sometimes your VPN can be slow because of background programs that are running on your system. These might include BitTorrents or software updates in the background.

You may even have a large number of tabs open within your web browser which could result in heavy resource usage and slow down connections to servers outside of the country you’re located in.

In order to avoid this issue, try closing out all unnecessary applications before connecting to a VPN service so that it’s easier for them to handle requests without interference from other sources.

Additionally, use a lightweight web browser such as Google Chrome when using a VPN since this tends to require fewer resources than Firefox or Internet Explorer browsers do.

You May be Using a VPN with Bandwidth Limits

Another reason why your VPN may be slow is that you’re using a VPN that has bandwidth limits. This can happen if the VPN service isn’t properly configured or doesn’t have enough servers for its users to route their traffic through.

If you suspect this might be an issue with your current service provider, then it’s time to switch providers so that you don’t experience any more throttling issues!

Many free VPNs have data limits in place since they only provide users access to a handful of servers. For this reason, free VPNs are often not the best for fast online activities such as streaming or torrenting. It is worth purchasing a premium VPN service since these often provide users with more unlimited bandwidth.

Author Madeleine Hodson

Hi, I'm Madeleine. I'm a British writer with a global background, currently based in the UK. I have always been interested in the online world and how it connects people worldwide. My keen interest in the internet led me to ...
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