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- How to Bypass Bandwidth Limit Restrictions (ISP Throttling)
- Why Do Internet Service Providers Throttle User Bandwidth?
- The 3 Best VPNs to Bypass Bandwidth Throttling
- 1. ExpressVPN
- 2. NordVPN
- 3. CyberGhost
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The repeal of the net neutrality laws gave ISPs leeway to use bandwidth throttling. Though unfair, the practice isn’t going to end anytime soon — so you have to find a way to get around it. Read on to learn how to bypass bandwidth limits with a VPN.
By Samson Max (Writer, Linking Editor)
— Last Updated: 2022-10-18T09:47:56+00:00 Facts checked by Elisabeth Ivey
Do you experience slothy connections that come out of nowhere when streaming movies or NBA playoffs online? That’s bandwidth throttling: when your internet service provider (ISP) slows down your connection based on what you’re watching. Fortunately, you can get around ISP throttling when you learn how to bypass the bandwidth limit with a virtual private network (VPN).
Key Takeaways:
- A VPN sends your traffic through an encrypted tunnel, preventing the ISP from seeing the websites you visit. When the ISP is blind to your online activity, it no longer selects you for throttling for viewing specific content.
- ExpressVPN is the best VPN to bypass ISP throttling because it’s the most secure VPN and delivers unparalleled speeds.
- A VPN doesn’t help bypass bandwidth throttling caused by network congestion or data cap overages.
A VPN gets around this anti-consumer practice, enabling you to enjoy an unrestricted online experience. In this article, we’ll use ExpressVPN — the best VPN provider — to demonstrate how you can skirt around throttling with a VPN. Keep reading also to learn why ISPs limit your bandwidth.
There’s no way to lift an internet bandwidth limit. Not even a VPN can help. The only way around the limit is upgrading to a higher internet plan or switching providers.
Using a reliable VPN is the fail-safe way to bypass bandwidth throttling.
No. If you’re on a 5 Mbps internet plan, using a VPN won’t make your internet connection faster.
Although you could use a proxy server to try to avoid ISP throttling, a VPN is by far the best solution because it provides better security. You can even try a good free VPN, like Windscribe.
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30-days money-back guaranteeHow to Bypass Bandwidth Limit Restrictions (ISP Throttling)
There are various reasons why ISPs limit your bandwidth (which we’ll talk about later). The gist of it is that it sees you using a lot of bandwidth — by streaming HD videos, downloading torrents or a number of other things — so it slows your connection down. When the ISP uses bandwidth throttling against you, you should take action. If you can’t change your ISP, your next best option is to use a VPN.
The Tor browser can also help you get around ISP throttling, but it’s super slow, which defeats the purpose. This leaves the VPN as the surefire way to easily bypass bandwidth throttling without putting further strain on your connection. So, how does a VPN prevent bandwidth throttling?
A VPN reroutes all of your internet traffic through its servers to anonymize everything you do online. This gives ISPs no chance to know when you visit bandwidth-heavy sites, like Netflix. ISPs prioritize throttling for users engaging in streaming or torrenting activities, so with a VPN you won’t be on the high-priority list. This saves you from content-based internet throttling.
Bypass ISP Throttling Your Internet Traffic: Use a VPN
For a VPN to effectively bypass bandwidth throttling, it should come packed with security features, like AES 256-bit encryption and strong VPN protocols. ExpressVPN is our favorite VPN here at Cloudwards, which is why we’ll use it to show you how to get around ISP throttling.
- Subscribe to the VPN of Your Choice
Head over to your chosen VPN’s website, pick a suitable pricing plan and complete the signup process.
- Download and Install the VPN
Go to your account dashboard and enter the ExpressVPN verification code sent to your email. Select the right app for your device, depending on your operating system, and download it. Next, locate and double-click the installation file, and then click “install” to start the process.
(Video) Hack Your Internet speed || Proxyfire Still on Hope || BDIX Speed Bypass in Every Sites Dec 22 || - Sign in to the VPN App
Once the app is installed on your device, sign in and enter your credentials.
- Complete the Setup
If the VPN has any extra steps for you, such as choosing some initial preferences, follow along with the installation wizard.
- Connect to a Preferred Server Location
Next, you need to choose a server to establish a connection. For example, if you want to watch movies on U.S. streaming sites, connect to a VPN server in the U.S. Otherwise, just use the server closest to you for the best speed.
- Enjoy Throttling-Free Streaming
That’s it. Once connected, just hop over to your channel of choice — whether it’s Netflix or Amazon Prime Video — and start streaming videos. With a VPN, you’ll no longer face ISP throttling, as it sends all of your traffic through an encrypted tunnel.
Why Do Internet Service Providers Throttle User Bandwidth?
Your ISP may decide to impose bandwidth throttling when it notices you’re engaging in activities like streaming or torrenting. By limiting download speeds for bandwidth-intensive websites, ISPs reduce bandwidth usage on the network. That enables the ISP to serve more internet users without increasing its network capacity.
You could have also gone over your data usage limit. Some ISPs won’t disconnect your internet altogether when you exceed the set data caps. Instead, they keep you connected but throttle your internet speed to prioritize users that are still within their data limit. Sometimes that will leave your connection operating below the good internet speed for streaming, gaming or browsing.
Beyond that, ISPs may throttle connections during “internet rush hour” to ease congestion over the network. Generally, the ISPs throttle the internet connection of anyone consuming a lot of bandwidth to enable other users in the area to get regular services.
The 3 Best VPNs to Bypass Bandwidth Throttling
A VPN helps bypass throttling because it prevents your ISP from detecting where your traffic originates. Here are the top three services that can stop ISPs from throttling your internet speeds.
- ExpressVPN — Stellar security and lightning-fast speeds
- NordVPN — Top-notch security and obfuscated VPN servers
- CyberGhost — Affordable and streaming- and torrenting-optimized VPN servers
We’ll discuss each provider’s strengths (and weaknesses, if any), starting with ExpressVPN — our best VPN service to circumvent ISP throttling.
1. ExpressVPN
More details about ExpressVPN:
- Pricing: $6.67 per month, plus three months free on the yearly plan
- Provider website: www.expressvpn.com
Pros:
- Excellent security & privacy
- Incredibly fast connection speeds
- Unlimited bandwidth
Cons:
- Pricey
ExpressVPN is the best VPN to stop ISP throttling, thanks to its strong digital security and blazing-fast speeds. It barely puts a dent in your browsing speed, and being our best VPN for streaming, it unblocks pretty much any streaming site. Using AES 256-bit encryption and a variety of VPN protocols, it ensures your activity stays private.
Besides that, ExpressVPN uses a private domain name system (DNS) on every server to prevent DNS leaks. Doing so prevents your internet provider from seeing the type of websites you visit based on your browser’s DNS requests. Plus, ExpressVPN has a strict no-logs policy to put your mind at ease.
It’s a little more expensive than the rest of our picks, but the value it offers more than makes up for the higher price tag. Read our ExpressVPN review for more information.
2. NordVPN
More details about NordVPN:
- Pricing: $4.13 per month on the two-year plan
- Provider website: www.nordvpn.com
Pros:
- Stellar security
- Obfuscated servers
- Smartplay technology
Cons:
- Inconsistent speeds across locations
NordVPN is another good VPN provider to defeat ISP throttling. With over 5,300 servers, NordVPN ensures you have a server that’s geographically close to you for faster connections.
Though it doesn’t match ExpressVPN’s speed consistency over longer distances, it makes sure you can access any geoblocked content using the “smartplay” feature.
NordVPN’s obfuscated servers conceal your VPN usage, making it look like you’re not using a VPN at all. Plus, most importantly, they make it impossible for the ISP to distinguish bandwidth-heavy traffic from simple web browsing. NordVPN is also one of the best VPNs for torrenting, plus it’s more affordable than ExpressVPN. You can read more about it in our NordVPN review.
3. CyberGhost
More details about CyberGhost:
- Pricing: $2.25 per month, plus three months free on the three-year plan
- Provider website: www.cyberghostvpn.com
Pros:
- Strong online security
- Around 7,800 servers worldwide
- Streaming & torrenting friendly servers
- Affordable VPN
Cons:
- Not particularly fast
- Inconsistent access to streaming services, except Netflix
CyberGhost is a cheap VPN solution to ISP throttling. It has around 7,800 servers across 91 countries, with a special focus in the U.S., UK and Germany. CyberGhost offers many specialty servers, like the NoSpy servers, that deliver strong data encryption and greater anonymity to keep your traffic out of an ISP’s reach.
CyberGhost also offers torrenting-optimized servers, which facilitate seamless and secure torrent downloads. However, one big disappointment is that in our testing, CyberGhost — despite its streaming-optimized servers — could access Netflix but not Amazon Prime Video, Hulu or BBC iPlayer. Read more about it in our CyberGhost review.
Can You Use a Free VPN to Bypass ISP Throttling?
Technically, yes, you can use a free VPN to get around ISP throttling, but only if you find a reliable free VPN, and those are hard to come by. You’ll rarely find a free VPN with security features to send your traffic via a truly secure tunnel. Some may sell your data to third parties or leak it on the internet, despite promising to never keep any user activity logs.
That said, some VPNs, like Windscribe, offer reliable free plans. We vouch for Windscribe because of its security and high monthly data cap of 10GB, and we have no reason to doubt its no-logs policy, too. Our list of the best free VPN providers has other effective services, as well.
Final Thoughts
If your ISP is deliberately throttling your bandwidth when it notices traffic from streaming or torrenting sites, a VPN can be of great help. We recommend getting started with ExpressVPN because it guarantees watertight digital security and excellent streaming speeds.Read our guide to learn about other instances when a VPN can help with internet speeds.
Have you ever experienced ISP throttling affecting your internet speed? Which VPN service did you use to stop bandwidth throttling from your internet service provider? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments section below. As always, thanks for reading.
FAQs
How do I bypass bandwidth limit restrictions? ›
There's no way to lift an internet bandwidth limit. Not even a VPN can help. The only way around the limit is upgrading to a higher internet plan or switching providers.
How do I Unthrottle my Internet speed? ›- Reduce your monthly usage.
- Pay for more bandwidth.
- Upgrade to a plan with a higher data cap or unlimited data.
- Switch to a provider without data caps.
You can use a web proxy to bypass ISP throttling without a VPN, but the proxy must encrypt your traffic. An encrypted proxy conceals your internet browser's traffic and spoofs your online location. This means your ISP can't monitor your browsing activity and throttle your internet connection.
Will a VPN stop throttling? ›Yes, a VPN will stop ISP throttling by hiding the device's IP address and web activity. If the ISP can't tell who the user is and what websites they visit, it can't throttle certain sites or activities.
Why is my bandwidth limit exceeded? ›Bandwidth Limit Exceeded error:
This error indicates that your site is receiving too much traffic than the host can allow, which is dependent on the server space you have purchased.
- Turn things off and on again. ...
- Move your router to a better location. ...
- Switch your Wi-Fi frequency band. ...
- Adjust your router's antennas. ...
- Extend your Wi-Fi network. ...
- Prune unnecessary connections. ...
- Change your Wi-Fi frequency channel. ...
- Upgrade to faster internet.
What's the best way to bypass bandwidth throttling? If your ISP is throttling your bandwidth, and switching providers is not an option, the easiest solution is to connect through VPN. Your ISP won't be able to inspect the data packets, so it won't be able to throttle that traffic based on what service you're using.
How do I manually speed up my internet? ›log in to your router's dashboard. Find a section called QoS Setup or something similar, which is where you set Internet traffic priorities. Using your own computer's MAC address or IP address, set up your traffic priority as high, medium, or low. You can repeat this process with each device that connects to your ...
Can VPN bypass internet restrictions? ›A reliable VPN is the very thing that helps you bypass various restrictions online. Yet your ISP, the government, organizations, or even websites can block your VPN connection. Luckily, by choosing a high-rated and trustworthy VPN you can avoid these restrictions and bypass VPN blocks.
Can VPN accelerate internet speed? ›Can a VPN improve Internet speed? Under specific circumstances, VPNs can increase speeds for certain services. ISPs sometimes throttle, or artificially slow down, specific types of traffic; for example, several major ISPs have throttled streaming entertainment services like Netflix.
Can a VPN be bypassed? ›
Use another security software instead
So, if your VPN service get blocked, using another security software can be the right way to go. Tor browser and its 'onion routing' technology can help you easily bypass IP blocking and/or deep packet inspections.
- Use a VPN. The most popular way of accessing blocked internet sites is to use a high-quality paid Virtual Private Network (VPN). ...
- Use a Smart DNS. ...
- Use a Free Proxy. ...
- Use a Site's IP Address. ...
- Use the Tor Browser. ...
- Alternate Between HTTP and HTTPS.
But if you're using a VPN for privacy reasons or to keep yourself anonymous online, then you should keep it on all the time. Since your VPN is your best form of protection against hackers and helps keep your information private, it's best to leave your VPN on whenever you're on the internet.
Can you max bandwidth? ›The maximum bandwidth in a conventional CAN Bus network is, of course, 1 MBit per second, and 250k/500k in an SAE J1939 vehicle network.
How do I change my bandwidth settings? ›- Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Click Network & Internet.
- Beneath Network status, you'll see your different internet connections and how much data each has used in the last 30 days. ...
- Beneath Data limit, click Enter limit.
Internet service providers may intentionally slow down customers' service to limit the total amount of bandwidth consumed. This, in turn, can allow ISPs to minimize network congestion or charge more for the privileges of higher bandwidth. Internet throttling is most common with mobile and wireless ISPs.
How do I get maximum bandwidth on my Wi-Fi? ›For the best signal, put the wireless router out in the open on the main floor of your house, away from walls and obstructions. Ideally, you'll want to position it off the floor, above the furniture. Keep it away from other electronics that might cause interference, like microwaves, baby monitors, and cordless phones.
How can I increase my internet speed without Wi-Fi? ›Use an ethernet cable
Cabled connections like ethernet, will always be faster and more reliable than wireless ones. The cable gets the signal directly to your connected device rather than relying on over-the-air transmissions. You can connect these multiple devices to ethernet: TV.
WiFi boosters and WiFi extenders are usually associated with filling in dead spots, but they can also be used to add faster speeds and even new features to your WiFi network.
Can a VPN bypass speed? ›A VPN can help you bypass bandwidth throttling in certain situations. Bandwidth throttling occurs when someone intentionally slows down your internet speed. Anyone with administrative privileges over the network, which reduces the available bandwidth, is engaging in bandwidth throttling.
Is 2.4 GHz faster than 5 GHz? ›
2.4 GHz vs. 5 GHz: Which frequency should you choose? A 2.4 GHz connection travels farther at lower speeds, while 5 GHz frequencies provide faster speeds at shorter range. Your choice of 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz will depend on where and how you use your WiFi connection most.
How can I have internet but no VPN connection? ›If your VPN software is not working properly, you can do several things: check your network settings, change your server, make sure the right ports are opened, disable the firewall, and reinstall your VPN software. If none of the below methods are working, it's time to contact your VPN provider.
Is it illegal to throttle the internet? ›Is Throttling Legal? Throttling an internet connection is like a sneaky business that shortchanges its customers. Nonetheless, throttling is a legal practice, as long as ISPs adequately explain it to their customers.
How do I get rid of ISP blocking? ›How do I unblock a website from my ISP? You can bypass ISP blocks with the help of specific software, such as the Tor browser, Smart DNS, proxy server, or virtual private network (VPN). These tools spoof your IP address and redirect your traffic to a remote server. We recommend you to unblock websites with VPN.