How to Check VPN Speed
If you connect to a VPN and the dreaded loading wheel appears on your screen, your first reaction might be dissatisfaction with the VPN service, or you might even think it's not working at all. While a VPN slightly decreases internet speed due to encryption and traffic routing, you shouldn't experience significant speed drops. However, if this happens, it's useful to verify whether your VPN is truly at fault by conducting a speed test.
How to Test VPN Speed
Testing your VPN speed is easier than setting up an account for online gaming. You can do it in just a few short steps: 1. Disconnect from the VPN and run a speed test through speedtest.net, connecting to the standard server offered by the service. Record your upload and download speeds. 2. Connect to the VPN, choose the same speed test server, and run the test again. Compare the results of both tests to determine your VPN speed.
How to Read VPN Speed Test Results
A speed test will evaluate your internet speed — and, by extension, that of your VPN — by analyzing three key metrics: download speed, upload speed, and latency (ping). Download and upload speeds are measured in Mbps (megabits per second), while ping is shown in ms (milliseconds). Here's what they all mean:
Download Speed
Indicates how quickly or slowly data from the internet reaches you. The higher this number, the faster you can enjoy online gaming, watch videos, download files, and navigate various pages.
Upload Speed
The rate at which you send data and requests to the network. Low upload speed can be particularly problematic if you are streaming content to other devices — for example, during a video call or on Instagram Live.
Pings
Represents the overall speed or latency. The lower your ping number, the faster your internet. For instance, if your speed test result shows 80 pings while your VPN is on, it means it took about 80 milliseconds for a data packet to travel from your device to a server and back.
What Else Can You Check?
You can also test the speed of your internet connection. For this, select your country's server on speedtest.net and test the connection both with the VPN connected and without it. If you want to check how fast your internet works with a VPN connected to a server in another country, follow the instructions below. Suppose you're in London and want to check how fast your internet connection is with a VPN connected to a server in the USA. To test the internet speed, first, disconnect the VPN and go to speedtest.net. Below the "Go" button, find the "Change Server" option and click on it. Based on your current location, the speed test will offer you speed test servers around your area. To check the speed of the US server, write down any US city that comes to mind, for example, New York, and choose any of the available servers. After completing the speed test, write down the numbers and repeat the test with the VPN on. Before the test, make sure to connect your VPN to any of the US servers, regardless of the city. Run the test again and compare the numbers. Remember to take the test results with a grain of salt because the connection speed can vary depending on your internet connection, computer performance, and even your browser. To get the best results, make sure to close all other pages and applications that might be using a lot of bandwidth. Close all extra tabs and stay off of online video streaming platforms such as Twitch or YouTube during the test. To test your VPN speed, be sure to conduct the speed test both with the VPN on and off.
