Are you a victim of bandwidth throttling? It might be that you’re trying to watch Netflix (or any other streaming service), use P2P protocols to torrent, game and you’re finding that your speeds just don’t seem up to par.
The reason could be that your ISP is purposely limiting your bandwidth and restricting your speeds would could give you buffer time or even lage. ISPs around the world argue that they do this in order to reduce congestion and maintain a stable speed for everyone, but the real reason are more complicated and perhaps, greedy.
Why do ISPs Throttle Bandwidth?
ISPs claim that they shape and control bandwidth for good reasons, but a lot of the time that’s not true. Or a large majority of the time, they might just not admit it. But now, especially since the US has lost some regulations protecting consumers, ISPs have more freedom. Elsewhere in the world, ISPs have freedom as well to work with governments or on their own for their own pursuit of making more money.
Many ISPs will throttle companies now that are in direct competition. For example, Comcast has a stake in Hulu, so why wouldn’t they slow down Netflix speeds? Or they could give discounts for Hulu customers and incentivize packages. Most ISPs run monopolies and it’s easy to see how they could take advantage of this position.
It’s a slippery slope, but be sure that ISPs will continue to look for ways to shape, control, and slow down bandwidth in order to make more money. This could come in the form of slower plans that cost more money, or incentivizing users to upgrade plans in order to get speeds they should have been getting in the first place! Netflix too slow, well why not upgrade to a better plan?
How to Bypass ISP Throttling with a VPN?
One of the best and easiest ways to get around bandwidth throttling or internet shaping from your ISP is to use a VPN. VPN stands for virtual private network, and essentially it’s connecting your computer to a remote server through a virtual tunnel that encrypts your traffic and gives you a new IP address (your computer’s virtual numbered identifier).
When your traffic is hidden from your ISP, they can’t automatically check data packets so they therefore can not shape your bandwidth. The result is a clean unfiltered internet experience free from bandwidth shaping.
A VPN could give you better streaming speeds for Netflix and the like, but it can also potentially increase torrent speeds if your ISP is limiting how much speeds can be used for P2P activity. Most ISPS don’t like people to be torrenting since they are responsible to send out copyright claims and threats to cancel service.
Best VPN to use to Stop Throttling?
So which VPN should you use to stop your ISP from taking advantage of you? Well, I have a few recommended qualities that you’ll need. You’ll probably want a VPN that is fast, a VPN that doesn’t collect or log your info, and a VPN that allows torrenting.
Not only that, but you’ll probably want a VPN that gives you access to Netflix. Luckily, I’ve made a chart comparing the BEST VPNs around to help you find the best vpn to prevent throttling. Find the chart below!
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|---|---|---|
| Multi-platform Compatible | ||
| 256-AES Encryption | ||
| PRICE | $5 for 1 month with code "best10VPN" | $6.95 a month |
| Website Rating | 9.9 | 8.8 |
| 24/7 Live Chat | ||
| Residential / Dedicated IP for permanent streaming access | ||
| Has Mobile App + PC / Mac Support | ||
| Stealth VPN / Advanced Obfuscation techniques | ||
| Visit VPN Provider | Visit TorGuard | Visit PIA |
