VPN faster than ISP

[dragoncurt]

Hi I do a speed test and well it is what it should say it it but when it comes to downloading files from like dropbox/mega it is pretty slow around a few Mbps when in theory I am supposed to be getting up to 78Mbps. Is it maybe their end or is it my end. More like if I use a VPN it is actually faster than my ISP well only when downloading from certain sites like I have mentioned.

 Thanks

 

 

[jared404]

I think your problem is the way you are reading the speeds 78M(bits)ps =  9.75 M(Bytes)ps. Also keep in mind this is the maximum for all devices summed depending on how your ISP does speed limiting. Little b = bits big B = bytes

[dragoncurt]

Just now, crashahotrod said:

I think your problem is the way you are reading the speeds 78M(bits)ps =  9.75 M(Bytes)ps. Also keep in mind this is the maximum for all devices summed depending on how your ISP does speed limiting.

Yh that's what I mean Mega bits per second. I only have me on the internet. Thanks

 

8 Mbps = 1MBps

[jared404]

Most browsers show everything in MB/s. Devices in standby also use some internet that could also affect your speed. Any further limitation is probably server side which you can attempt to fix with a program like IDM https://www.internetdownloadmanager.com/

[U.Ho]

And then there are ISPs that throttle some traffic, for example bittorrent traffic, and could be a list of sites too which get the slow treatment.

 

Have you compared results at the same time at the same site downloading the same file from the same mirror?

That's something you want to do before we start pointing fingers.

[Cheemonstonzo]

Telus I know for one, throttles certain traffic. Connected to Vpn on WiFi with my phone it'll max out the connection at 1.5MB/s whereas without the speed is about 10% slower and a slower ping even though my ISP is 100km away (Vpn is 1200km). 

 

On my desktop the results are similar, gaining 80-100kB/s on torrent traffic with a VPN.

 

Even on LTE with the phone connected via Vpn from rural Western Canada to the UK I was getting over 5MB/s where I'll be lucky to break 3MB/s connected directly to my ISP.

 

So don't feel like you're going crazy. It can be mind-boggling to understand when a connection 6700km further away can be 150% faster and with lower ping. Which is silly, as you're connected through the ISP enroute to the Vpn anyways.

 

Edit: spelling!

[KuJoe]

One thing a VPN can do is improve routing which might explain why you're experiencing that the "VPN it is actually faster than my ISP well only when downloading from certain sites".

[dragoncurt]

Oh, thanks guys for the help. Much appreciated