Using VPNs can cause your PC speed to be slower. This is explained by the fact that your data from the PC is encrypted and takes a little longer to decrypt both at the client and server ends. This time is accounted for through the additional work that your process is given to decrypt your data. Additionally, there is a high number of users using one server. In that case, it can loosely translate to lower speeds as the server’s processor is tasked with volumes of data, making it slower to decrypt.
Consequently, the distance from your website target to the server can also cause delays -the greater the distance, the longer the process takes, and vice versa. However, ExtremeVPN is equipped with a performance-enhancing proxy (PEP) to mitigate the speed challenges of VPN usage.
Getting the Best VPN Speeds
This article aims to demystify some misconceptions about factors that affect VPN speed by listing the proven reasons and possible solutions to these challenges.
Factors Affecting VPN Speeds
Distance
This is the most common cause of raw internet lag. This can greatly affect whether you’re on a VPN service or not. However, even if you have the best VPN available today, VPNs add the distance your data packets travel, as they must first travel to the VPN server before being relied upon to your target website.
The parent reason that distance adds to the raw internet lag is that the internet consists of many interconnected individual networks. Thus, the further your data packets travel, the more complex it becomes to route them, making it highly risky for them to encounter obstacles. Some of the obstacles may include;
- More routers, switches, or networks that your data packets need to travel to may cause some packets to be lost.
- Congestion at router points may slow down the rate at which your data packets travel.
- Cable types (mostly copper-based) also contribute to slowing data travel.
- Also, the physical distance to your target website can lead to slower speeds.
VPN Server Load
The server load loosely translates to how many users access the server at a given time. More people using a server at a time will lead to congestion at switch points, putting a high strain on the server memory, process, and disk throughput, slowing your data packet speeds.
VPN Protocol
VPN protocol is the encryption various VPN providers use (complex math) to encrypt data. The server and your device have an extra job to decrypt data, which may result in a lag. The more complex the encryption (VPN protocol), the more likely you will encounter a lag. However, more complex encryption means that your data is safer.
VPN Accelerator
This option is uniquely encompassed in ExtremeVPN. This includes complex technologies that increase your speeds up to 400 times faster. The ExtremeVPN accelerator is a re-engineered system that evenly distributes data received to 6500+ servers, greatly reducing the server load and thus increasing your browsing speeds.
Further, the accelerator is equipped with
TCP delayed-controlled flow, or the BBR, reduces latency and high speed.
Improving Your Server’s Performance
Change Server
ExtremeVPN has a Quick Connect button that automatically connects you to the best server, guaranteeing high speeds. But if you wish to connect manually, then there are a few considerations you should use;
- Distance – You should connect to a server geographically close to your location. This means that the physical distance your data travels will reduce and thus reduce your internet lag.
- Server load – when connecting manually, it is recommended that you connect to a server that is not as busy. This guarantees that your data packets won’t encounter congestion at switch points or routers, making them travel faster without data loss.
- Change your VPN protocol – IKEv2 is faster than OpenVPN, but you can switch to the OpenVPN option if it’s slower on your device. When using the OpenVPN option, TCP protocol can be advantageous in defeating VPN blocks.
Don’t Use Secure Core
Our Extreme Secure core or Tor guarantees you privacy and security. But to achieve faster browsing, you will need to disable them. Hence, when browsing on secure sites, you can disable them.
Upgrade your ExtremeVPN Plan
It offers a paid unlimited VPN plan, and due to this fact, it attracts a lot of users who then, intern cause the server to be loaded. However, to gain easy access, you can upgrade to a paid plan, which is not loaded as much.
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