If you are a VPN user, then wouldn’t it be great if the connection is fast? Fast service is always one of the best features of a VPN. And once you use a VPN, the expectation is that you will never wash other vegetables. It means that you don’t have to look for other VPN services.
As a suggestion, before you use the VPN services, you will have to test the speed. You can check here how you can test the VPN speed before you decide which one suits you. Always ensure that you have picked a fast VPN.
But what causes a slow VPN connection in the first place? In a high-level, it all starts with encrypting your device’ connection to a server.
Let’s discuss it further.
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What Causes Slow VPNs?
With a VPN connection, all communications are re-routed via an encrypted virtual tunnel. By selecting a different server from your location, it allows you to avoid snoopers. Snoopers are entities who wanted to spy or steal your information. It can be your personal information, bank accounts, emails, and etc.
In a nutshell, there’s no direct connection from your device to the VPN. The speed may vary depending on the location of your preferred server. For example, you are connecting from Canada but the VPN server you chose is in Dublin. Then with that connection, you are trying to access AliExpress. Can you see where we are getting at?
Other reasons for VPN slow connections are the type of encryption used. And it can also be the security protocol used.
Then, Which is the Fastest VPN?
To be blunt, it wouldn’t be fair to specify a provider that they are the fastest VPN. There are different factors that one needs to consider. Before you decide which is the fastest VPN, then think about the following features.
Latency
The latency of a VPN will depend on the amount of traffic in the network. Generally, latency is the measure of time taken to send and receive a request from the server. This is also called ping time. Most of the VPN apps will show you the server that offers the least latency. The latency metrics is in milliseconds.
If you can, connect to the server and use a terminal or command prompt to ping any website. You can then view the time it has taken to complete the request. You will then see the latency of your connection.
Proximity
This is the distance between the server location and you (the user). It’s not rocket science. If you choose a server from your VPN app which is close to your location, then expect that speed is not a question.
Let us say you are in Asia and you want to access content in the US, you’ll need to pick a server that is on the west coast of the US. But if you are in Europe, an East Coast server in the US would assure you of a speedy connection.
Generally, always go for the nearest server location to you.
VPN Protocol
There are a few VPN protocols that will deliver fast connections. For example, most top VPN services on the market will use the OpenVPN protocol. The OpenVPN protocol is an open-source protocol that is also the most secure.
But IKEv2 is a faster protocol, which is secure and works well with mobile data connections. We have a couple recommended mobile VPN apps that might interest you. PPTP protocol is also considered to be very fast. However, it will come with some security flaws, which is a major concern.
If you value your privacy, you’d want to go with a more secure protocol like OpenVPN. This protocol is very secure, but not exactly the fastest. But if you only care about speed, the way to go would be PPTP. If you were using a mobile device, the most appropriate protocol would be the IKEv2.
Server Load
A good VPN will allow you to view the current load of VPN servers. It is usually shown as a percentage of the total capacity. When there is a high server load, you are to expect slower connections.
Generally, always choose a VPN that can help you view the current load of the VPN server.
Which One Should You Pick?
So yes, you want a fast VPN to help you connect to the internet. But does that mean you must only consider the speed of the VPN? No, that shouldn’t be the only factor to consider. Instead, you should consider two major factors, which are stability and security.
Most experts prefer a more stable VPN more than a fast one. In other words, stability is always more important than speed. If the VPN is unstable, in turn, affect its speed.
However, it should be noted that every VPN will come with a flexible score. The VPN will have bad days or hours, which give you a very bad score compared to the average, normal score. You can find some VPNs that have high traffic periods or downtime than others.
You should avoid such VPNs because they are unstable.
The VPN you choose must be secure enough. The downside of having a secured connection can affect connection speed.
A strong encryption algorithm will take longer time encrypting the data going through a VPN. Then the decryption process will also take time when it reaches the destination. Don’t forget that some security protocols are slower than others. A VPN that uses such security protocols will always have slow connections.
Ideally, avoid using PPTP and only use protocols that use the SSL or IPSec encryption. OpenVPN is the one that uses SSL, whereas IKEv2 and L2TP use IPSec.
Unfortunately, most VPN providers do not offer users to choose the desired protocol. But what ever happens, never disable the encryption of the VPN. Disabling the encryption will compromise your security.
When deciding which VPN to use, if possible, go for the provider that can offer all the services. If you can get a VPN service provider that offers stability, security, and speed – go for it. But at least always consider stability and security. Speed is a bonus!
Don’t forget always to stay safe as you use the VPN online.