A reader is experiencing a slowdown when using a VPN:
“I recently started using a VPN(Dashlane) & whenever I have it turned on it cuts my download speed way down. What is the remedy?”
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a service that encrypts your Internet connection to make it more secure. The service routes your connection through secure servers. That can affect your speed based on several factors
If the server for your VPN is halfway around the world, that can cause a slowdown. Your speed may also be affected by the number of servers your VPN company has available to handle the traffic.
Keep in mind that with so many more people working from home recently, many VPNs are overwhelmed with traffic. If you look on Dashlane’s site, the company even admits that having a VPN can slow down your connection.
One possibility is that your Internet Security Software could be having an issue with the VPN. Try turning it off for just a second to see if there’s any change.