Although it’s unlikely your ISP is out to get you, they have been known to tamper with connections; throttling bandwidth for customer’s using excessive data with the intention to limit their usage, or encourage the upgrading of subscriptions. There are ways to check if your connection is being throttled, and in the article, we’ll outline some of the most accessible techniques and why using a VPN can overcome these issues.
Shaping BitTorrent Traffic
If you’ve noticed that BitTorrent downloads have become slower lately, but you aren’t sure whether it’s because of high traffic or if your ISP is to blame, there is a way to check. Neubot can monitor and compare P2P and normal traffic to help you establish any discrepancies. It is worth noting that the program isn’t that simple, and we recommend that you follow a tutorial on how to use it effectively and efficiently. However, once you do get the hang of it, it can be a wonderful tool.
Netflix and YouTube Throttling
Netflix FAST Speed Test is an easy-to-use tool that shows your internet speeds on Netflix to check if your ISP is throttling the connection. Also, you can check out Google’s Video Quality Report, which shows you how strong your connection to YouTube’s servers is. Again, compare this data to your other speed tests; if you find that your internet speed is good except when using YouTube, then your ISP might be playing a part.
Bandwidth Limiting
Your ISP could be throttling your connection if you’re using too much data; this can be done get you to pay for extra. There’s a way to check, but testing to see whether your ISP is guilty requires patience. You will need to regularly test and record your internet speed, preferably for one month. The best strategy is to record your internet speed when your internet data renews, throughout the month, and most importantly, towards the end. If your ISP is throttling your internet connection, then you may notice that your speed gradually drops over time, or reaches a certain point and changes drastically. Even if you have unlimited data, your ISP will still have a cap, though typically, that cap will be very high.
Interconnection Issues
Check out the Internet Health Test website for tests regarding interconnection issues. When you use the internet, data travels via the ISPs interconnection points before it can reach the desired destination. Using the Internet Health Test tool checks the different routes that your data can take when it is transmitted, and identifies where performance drops; typically, this is at these interconnection points.
Why Using a VPN Is So Important
As a result, your ISP doesn’t know what you’re doing, and they cannot control your connection. When connected to VPN servers, data is encrypted, secure, private, and unaffected by any third parties. We recommend you use a premium VPN provider to ensure a robust and uninterrupted connection, and our top recommendations are ExpressVPN, CyberGhost VPN, and Private Internet Access. Regardless of which you choose, with these, you are sure to have a better, more secure internet experience.
