We all want a fast internet connection. But we also want a secure internet connection. To get one, do you have to sacrifice the other? Is there a way to get both? You’ll soon find out.
There are a couple of reasons why your internet is slow:
– You have an old router.
– Your router isn’t in the ideal spot in your home.
– There’s network congestion.
– Your ISP is limiting your speed via bandwidth throttling.
– You haven’t updated your plan.
However fast or slow, you want your connection to be safe. And the best way to protect your internet is to use a virtual private network (VPN) or a private DNS. So, will your internet get even slower if you start using them? The short answer is – it depends. Now, let’s get into the specifics.
VPNs and Internet speed
By definition, VPNs are supposed to slow down your browsing speed because of the laws of physics. Data needs to pass through a VPN server before it goes through your ISP, which could add a millisecond to your browsing experience. If you’re using a premium service, that difference is completely unnoticeable. Let’s look at a simple example.
You have a 90Mbps download speed, and when you use a VPN, it goes down to 80Mbps.
– You won’t notice a single difference when it comes to browsing.
– You won’t notice a single difference when streaming.
– Your download speed might increase.
Your download speed could increase because of bandwidth throttling. If you constantly download large files, your internet service provider could block you because they might think you’re pirating movies or games. With a VPN, you’re using a different IP address, which removes the filter, so your speed gets faster.
For the best experience while using a VPN, it’s best to connect to the closest server.
The myth that VPNs slow down your internet connection hasn’t disappeared because that was the case when the technology was first introduced. The server loads, server distance, and encryption protocols were slow. But now, many premium services cover every country, so there’s an unnoticeable difference while your network is protected. The difference is so negligible that gamers don’t even experience increased ping while playing online matches.
Private DNS and Internet speed
A Domain Name System (DNS) maps websites (like facebook.com) into IP addresses (like 192.123.000.120). Internet service providers can look at DNS queries and check which websites you browse. Hackers and marketers can do the same. They can monitor logs and see everything you’re browsing. Thanks to these queries, certain governments monitor DNS logs to enforce censorship.
Luckily, a private DNS prevents this from happening. It encrypts the queries before they go out, which makes it impossible for internet service providers, marketers, and hackers to see what you’re doing online. This is a major step forward when it comes to privacy and security, but it also comes with a couple of limitations.
A private DNS has privacy advantages, but that extends mainly to internet service providers who don’t care to put that much effort into checking what you browse. If they really wanted to, they could use a bit more resources to check your connections and block specific IPs.
The only way to stop that is to use a VPN with a no-logs policy. Because of the way VPNs work, the ISP can’t see what data got encrypted, and you get total and absolute security. Additionally, the websites you visit won’t be able to see your actual IP address. They’ll only see the VPN server IP.
Should you use a private DNS and a VPN together?
No. VPN companies have their own DNS servers. By using a VPN, all those DNS requests from your device go through a tunnel and get encrypted. The queries get encrypted in the tunnel, so you do not need a private DNS.
If you combine both, there’s a high chance that the DNS request will get routed outside the VPN, thus removing the encryption. It’s like multiplying negative numbers – you’ll get a positive read from the ISPs, and you don’t want that to happen. Every time you combine both, you run into the chance of a DNS leak happening.
How to make your internet faster?
You can do a couple of things to make your internet faster. Before you do anything, you need to have a base measurement. Perform a few internet speed tests throughout the week in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings. Find the average of all the measurements, and get ready to implement some tips.
- Turn the Wi-Fi off and on again
This is the classic engineering solution to most problems. Maybe a restart is all you need, and the errors and connection speeds will return to normal.
- Call your ISP
Dial your internet service provider and tell them to reset your router from there. They might delete some cache you can’t, increasing your speed.
- Update the firmware
Routers are practically mini computers, and you need to keep them updated. If you hadn’t enabled auto-updates, maybe your router is running on a build from five years ago. Check and update the firmware version to the newest version while enabling auto updates.
- Replace your equipment
Technology gets outdated. If you get the newest iPhone every year but have the same router from a decade ago, it’s time to make an upgrade. Call your ISP and request a new unit, especially if you feel that it is the thing that’s slowing down the connection.
