Keeping your VPN connected can hide your IP address, protect your device from attacks associated with unsecured public Wi-Fi networks and help you bypass various geo-restrictions – but it may also slow down your Internet connection. This guide will walk you through 7 simple tweaks to boost your Internet speed while using Bitdefender VPN on a Windows PC, Mac, Android, or iPhone.
Why is my VPN slow?
Although VPNs are a great way to counter privacy violations, they have some drawbacks, and one of them is slowing down your Internet connection. There could be many reasons why a VPN is slow.
- This can happen because VPNs redirect your traffic through remote servers, which can cause delays. The farther the servers are, the longer the delay. Let’s assume a fiber-optic network: in this scenario, latency refers to the time it takes light to travel through the network. This latency increases over the distance traveled. Considering that the speed of light is 299,792,458 meters per second, the latency is 3.33 microseconds for every kilometer covered. Considering the refractive index of the fiber cable, it makes sense to say that light travels slower in it, which brings the latency up to 4.9 microseconds per kilometer. Not all network infrastructures are based on fiber optics, so it’s safe to assume that connecting to a distant VPN server can affect your connection speed even more than our hypothetical scenario.
- Encryption also strains your connection in a similar way. Using stronger encryption will trigger a slower response from the network. However, it is important to remember that this trade-off in speed is often worth it for the added security and privacy that a VPN provides.
How to speed up your VPN connection
In some cases, Bitdefender VPN can make your internet connection faster, such as when your Internet Service Provider (ISP) artificially slows your connection in response to online activities like streaming, torrenting, and gaming. ISPs practice bandwidth throttling to avoid network congestion during peak hours. Fluctuations or slow connection speeds can be frustrating, but you can get around this by using a VPN. Many ISPs limit specific services or destinations in order to prioritize other types of traffic across their network, or just to dissuade subscribers from utilizing a service.
Your internet speed may be subject to some slight slowdown when using a VPN. This is due to the extra step created by routing your traffic through a VPN server. But if your VPN is extremely slow, here are a few things you can try to speed up your internet connection while using a VPN:
1. Check your Internet connection speed
2. Let Bitdefender VPN connect to Automatic
3. Switch to a faster VPN protocol
4. Close unnecessary background apps
5. Use App Traffic Optimizer
6. Enable Split tunneling
7. Restart your router
If none of these suggestions help, it is possible that the slow VPN connection is due to an issue with the VPN service itself. In this case, you may want to consider contacting Bitdefender support. They may be able to help you troubleshoot the issue or provide recommendations for improving your VPN connection speed.