Internet Service Providers, or ISPs, have the power to limit your Internet speed—a tactic referred to as ISP throttling. ISP throttling affects all of the devices you have connected to your network and can negatively impact your user experience. Although you have the option of changing your Internet provider, it probably won’t help.
Every ISP has the authority to perform throttling, and most choose to act on that authority. Throttling is a way that providers handle network traffic. Traffic is something that every ISP has to deal with. During times that network traffic is highest, your ISP likely engages with bandwidth throttling. The goal is to reduce congestion.
Use a VPN
One of the best ways to avoid ISP throttling is to use a VPN service, which allows you to bypass the Internet provider entirely. VPN services redirect your Internet activity away from the ISP and, instead, go through their chain of servers.
The VPN service also encrypts your online activity, making it more private and more secure. When you use a reputable VPN, you can keep both your Internet provider and the government from spying on your online activity. The experts at vpnpro.com have a lot of information that can help you differentiate between the good and the bad VPNs on the market.
If you are not sure whether you are having an issue with ISP throttling, consider what happens when you stream media or download torrents. This is the type of activity that Internet providers are most likely to target because it requires more bandwidth than simple web browsing.
If you find that your downloads and streaming are consistently slow, throttling is likely the culprit. Also, consider the difference between your Internet speeds during the week versus the weekend. Throttling is most likely to happen during weekends when there is more network congestion. This is a sign you should invest in a VPN service.
You can also run a speed test. testmy.net or speedtest.net are two examples. Checking your speed regularly will let you know whether or not your bandwidth is being throttled. To learn more, visit vpnpro.com guys who share everything about online privacy, internet safety, etc.
The Problem with Throttling
ISP throttling is controversial because it takes bandwidth away from one user on a network and gives it to another user. Many people believe that Internet access should be equal for everyone, but throttling favors some users over others. Most Internet providers feel throttling is necessary because they need some way to control the network when traffic becomes high. This does not make it any less annoying, though.
Some of the Best VPNs
There are a lot of different VPNs on the market, but not all of them work well. Here are some of the best VPNs that will let you circumvent ISP throttling.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is an excellent option because not only will the service reliably redirect your online activity away from your Internet service provider, but ExpressVPN has robust privacy protocols. Your activity will be private and secure. Many VPNs slow down your speeds, which, in this case, defeats the purpose. ExpressVPN does not have this problem. So you can have privacy without sacrificing speed.
NordVPN
NordVPN is another great option. The company has privacy as a core value. Using NordVPN will keep both Internet providers and governmental organizations from spying on you. NordVPN has firewalls and a kill switch, which provides you with extra security.
NordVPN and ExpressVPN are two of the most well-known and well-respected VPNs out there, so they are your safest bets. Some VPNs claim to give you total privacy but are not as secure as they claim to be. You do not have to worry about that with NordVPN or ExpressVPN. They are also both affordable. You can check our NordVPN pricing page to see how much different packages cost.
Conclusion
There are a lot of other VPN services, so if you do not find ExpressVPN or NordVPN appealing, you have an option. When it comes to avoiding ISP throttling, there are certain things you want to look out for. Look for a service that has a kill switch. Not all VPNs have them, but you need it to evade ISP throttling reliably.
Also, look at how many servers the VPN uses. The more servers the VPN has, and the more diverse the server locations are, the better the VPN will be able to conceal your location. !
Since you likely will not find an Internet Service Provider that does not partake in throttling, the best way to avoid ISP throttling is to use a decent VPN service. A quality VPN will allow you to hide your identity, redirect your online activity away from the Internet provider, and keep them from interfering with your Internet speed. This is the only way to keep your speeds high even during high-traffic hours, like weekends and Friday nights. VPNs will give you the speed and privacy you need.
Author
Matija Kolaric
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