Getting slow internet speeds while using a VPN service? Common problem! You don’t need to worry. VPN services – no matter how high-quality they are, will affect your internet speed to a certain extent.

Usually, if you’re using a renowned, high-quality one that offers speed boosting features like split tunneling, you won’t notice this difference as you’re streaming and browsing won’t be affected. However, if you are, there could be a number of reasons why you’re facing the issue.

Luckily, there are a few different ways to fix it. In this blog post, we’re going to go through five simple ways that will help you increase your internet speed while using a VPN service on any device.

Try connecting to a different server

Now here’s the thing, when you’re using a VPN service, you’re getting connected to a remote server, which usually isn’t even in your country. Now, this is important because the greater the distance between you and your server, the more your internet speed is going to be affected.

This is because your encrypted data is simply going to take a lot longer to travel back and forth, resulting in slower downloads and glitchy streaming. That being said, going for a server that is closer to your own location in distance could help considerably increase the speed.

Give your router a restart

Sometimes, internet speed while using a VPN gets affected because of memory leaks or other problems that make your router or modem work slower. If that is the case, a simple router restart generally fixes the problem.

Using a VPN on your router will also help you spread out the benefit of secure surfing and streaming to multiple devices easily, however, this process will be slower as compared to using a VPN directly on your computer or phone.

If you’re using your VPN on your router and the restart hasn’t worked, connecting it directly to your device should help too!

Switch up your encryption level

Some devices and services offer multiple encryption levels to choose between and sometimes switching between them can help give your speed a boost. This happens because VPN services use several different protocols to encrypt the data as it is conveyed to and forth between your device and the server, and some of them affect internet speed.

If, in case you’re looking to switch between encryption levels and protocols, it’s important to understand that you’d be making certain changes in the level of security the VPN provides, which could potentially put you at risk.

To ensure that you’re making an informed decision, it’s wise to read up on encryption levels and security protocols before making the switch.

Turn your local security software off

If you’re using Firewalls or a security software, there is a chance that they are affecting your internet speeds they make sure to filter out any outgoing data in order to provide you enhanced security.

To check if this is the issue, we recommend temporarily disabling these applications and software to check if there is any improvement.

However, again, disabling them will put you at a higher risk for a security breach, leaving your sensitive information and data vulnerable—which isn’t the best idea even if you’re using a good VPN service.

Try logging in from another device

Another common issue that could be lowering your speed could be a conflict between the VPN service and the OS of the device you’re using.

Since VPN services use complex encryption methods, they sometimes fail to run smoothly on certain devices, especially if the devices feature an old OS that doesn’t support certain technological updates.

To gauge if this is the issue, try using it on another device. If the situation improves, there you have it—you’re all set to unblock Apple TV and enjoy!

Reinstall your VPN application and restart your device

If you’ve tried all of these methods and none of them seem to work any better to give your internet speed that boost you’re looking for, there’s one last thing to try: redownload and install your VPN application or client and/or restart your device.

This closes down applications and processes running in the background of your device as well as the application, giving your device a fresh new start.