Internet speed has gone a long way since the ‘90s. At that time, the common connection available was the dial-up networks with only up to 50 kilobytes per second. Now we have fiber cables all around the globe that can bring speeds of more than 100 megabytes per second. Speed is the key to the transfer of information over the internet. The people who get their information faster have the advantage.
As speed has progressed so has security but the risks are even getting bigger. Hackers and scammers are getting more resourceful in their acts wherein they seem to be unstoppable. Your usual anti-virus or firewall is not enough to secure yourself from the attacks of modern days online thieves. They can easily get your information; may it be for credit fraud or identity theft. That is why you need to be careful and should find ways to protect yourself. Transactions are being done online, nowadays, and it is unavoidable that you will input your information through your computers and devices.
One of the best ways for you to protect yourself from online thieves is by using a VPN. A VPN or a virtual private network is a way for internet users to use a secure channel over the internet as if they are using a private network. Using a VPN protects users from scammers and hackers as their information will not be seen online as their connections are encrypted.
Encryption is the process of turning data or information into a code so that no one will be able to understand it except the intended users only. Encryption is normal for emails but VPN encrypts all your online activities to ensure that you are safe. To learn more about encryption.
VPNs are very useful in keeping you safe and secure online. However, they have a downside as they can effectively reduce your internet speed. This happens for a variety of reasons but the good thing is that there are things you can do about it. Of course, it all boils down to your choice of VPN and knowing what can slow it down will help you choose the right VPN for you.
Here are some of the factors that affect the internet speed of VPNs:
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Server location
The factor that affects VPN speed the most is the location of the server that you wish to connect to. The farther the server is from you, the slower your internet speed will be. That is why it is better to use servers close to you.
However, there are times that you have no choice in using a server of a VPN when you are using it to access sites that are restricted to a certain place only. For example, there are websites that can only be opened in the United States. To be able to open this outside of the United States, you will need to connect to a server in the United States.
Another situation is when you need to open a website that is banned in the region where you are. Facebook cannot be accessed in China, but using the right VPN can allow you to use Facebook even when you are in their country. This, however, will slow down your internet speed. You can check for the list of places where Facebook is banned.
Encryption
One of the things that can cause your speed to slow down is the type of encryption that you are using. Generally, the better the encryption, the slower it is for you to move information. That is because the better the encryption, the heavier the files will be.
The good thing about using a good quality VPN is that you can change the type of encryption you are using as of the moment. You can choose to lower the encryption or make it tighter when you are transacting or moving sensitive information. Using better encryption will slow down your speed but it will keep your information safe.
Protocol
Your choice of the protocol will also affect how fast your internet through the VPN is. A protocol is the type of connection that you use. There are many different types of protocols and some are faster than the others. Protocols are basically what allows you to communicate and send information through the internet and there are many ways that this can be done. The choice of the protocol will also determine the safeness of your connection.
Server load
Lastly, the server load of your VPN provider will also affect its performance. The number of users and the capacity of its servers will naturally be a determining factor for performance. The more users are using a single server will negatively affect performance. That is why to get access to faster VPNs; you need to pay for a premium one with more servers for better performance.
Premium VPNs have a lot of servers in all their locations to ensure that their clients get the best service anywhere in the world. They make sure that the ratio of clients and servers is at the correct number for efficient and reliably fast internet connection all over the world. Visit FastestVPNGuide.com for the best VPN providers.
Choosing the right VPN company will differentiate how fast your connection will be. Make sure that you are well-informed with the services that they give and the features of their VPN. More options on encryption and protocols are always a good thing and make sure to read customer reviews about them to be certain that you get the best service.