VPN speed is less than internet speed

Discussion
1

My VPN speed shows 10Kbps, while I’m running a internet speed test showing 300Mbps. Is that because the internet speed test doesn’t actually download MB of data for the duration of the test, but rather computes the download from pings? Thanks

2

Took me a few reads to realise you’re getting different readings from a generic speedtest (speedtest.net?) vs the VPN app’s own speed estimate, with both results being from while the VPN was running.

Honestly, I don’t think it’s possible to answer without knowing the technical specifics of your particular VPN and how their app and speed reading works. I’d message their tech support people.

3

@Carmine
They would be using the same technique used in the speed test industry. Ie, if speed estimates from ping response are accurate, then why not borrow that into one’s tool, since a low-bandwidth tool is better than a high-bandwidth one?

(If we don’t know the answer, can’t we do the next best thing… do the test and report here your results?)

4

@Rudy
I mean… you asked the question? Speedtest.net doesn’t calculate speed from pings, it downloads and uploads a test file. Bandwidth and latency are two completely different things, one can’t be and isn’t used as a proxy for the other; this is networking 101 so surely you know that?

My advice is still to just ask your VPN’s customer/tech support.

5

@Carmine
“Ping” was probably not the best word. The idea was that a [low throughput] test wouldn’t attempt a 300MB transfer for 8 seconds to calculate speed, but would attempt eg a 3MB transfer every 1000ms.

But, as a first guess at what would cause the metric discrepancy at the top of this thread, a low throughput test plus a averaging filter for the VPN widget would explain it.

It would be great if users could just report what they’re seeing - start a speed test and look at the load on a VPN server.

6

VPN speeds are always lower

7

Hunter said:
VPN speeds are always lower

Lower than what? Lower than no VPN, of course, because there’s embedded security in the packets, and because the overall signal path is longer. That’s not the question, which is WHY is the download metric (visible on the VPN widget) never showing more than 10Kbps when running a internet speed test. In other words, please tell me how internet speed tests work? Thanks

8

@Rudy
10Kbps would be excruciatingly slow so I’m guessing the widget is just faulty.