Why is my VPN slow? Common causes and fixes
The most common causes of slow VPN speeds and how to fix each one.
Some speed reduction is normal with a VPN due to encryption overhead, but you shouldn't lose more than 10–20% of your base internet speed.
1. Server distance
Connecting to a server 10,000 km away adds significant latency. Use Quick Connect to automatically pick the nearest available server.
2. Protocol choice
OpenVPN is slower than WireGuard due to its older architecture. Switch to WireGuard for a significant speed improvement.
3. Server load
A server at 90%+ capacity will be slow. The server list shows current load percentages — switch to a server under 50% load.
4. Your base internet speed
Run a speed test without the VPN first. If your base speed is 10 Mbps, the VPN can't exceed that. Contact your ISP if base speeds are lower than your plan.
5. Hardware limitations
Older devices may struggle with VPN encryption CPU overhead. WireGuard's ChaCha20 cipher is significantly faster on devices without hardware AES acceleration.
Run a speed test while connected to the VPN at fast.com — download speed above 80% of your base speed is excellent.
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