Is your ISP throttling your internet speeds? Here’s a fast test to find out

March 7, 2022

By Kim Komando

Does it ever feel like your internet is running slower than usual? Of course, it does. It’s happened to all of us at some point.

Web pages seem sluggish, while downloads and uploads seem to take forever. It’s very frustrating — especially when you’re paying for high-speed internet. Many potential issues are causing the slowdown, including problems with your device, browser or even a website you’re trying to visit.

But there could be another culprit you might not have considered — your Internet Service Provider (ISP) could be throttling your speeds. Outrageous, right?

There are many reasons to use a virtual private network. Privacy and security are the most important; however, a VPN can also help determine if your ISP is throttling you. We’ll explain how in just a couple of simple steps.

Protect your privacy with the VPN Kim trusts: ExpressVPN. Get three months free when you sign up for one year at ExpressVPN.com/Kim.

First things first: finding the right VPN

For those of you who might not be familiar with the term, think of a VPN as a secure bridge between your device(s) and the internet. At first, it was just a way to securely connect business networks online or allow users to access a business network from home.

Fast-forward to today, and the primary function of a VPN is to safeguard your online traffic from all forms of interference, snooping and censorship.

ExpressVPN has become known for its legendary speed, performance and capabilities. It’s also the only VPN Kim uses. In fact, she used it on a recent trip and messaged us at the office, asking, “Are you guys using this? It’s great!”

ExpressVPN has carefully engineered its apps and servers to categorically eliminate sensitive information. It can never be compelled to provide customer data that does not exist.

OK, now that you know which VPN to use, let’s talk about incorporating it to test your ISP.

Is your ISP throttling you?

Before activating ExpressVPN, check your internet speed on a trusted site. We recommend a site like Speedtest.net. Just visit Speedtest.net and click “Go” in the middle of the screen. It will automatically detect test servers near your location.

For the first test, use the server it chooses. Afterward, you can try other servers around the country if you want. It will quickly tell you the ping, upload and download speed of your connection.

Now that you know what your internet speed is activate ExpressVPN. Run Speedtest.net again and compare speeds with and without an active VPN.

By default, internet speeds will be slower when connected to any VPN. This sometimes happens if you’ve reached your data limit for the month, but if you haven’t hit it yet, you shouldn’t be getting slower speeds.

You see, a VPN hides the IP address that ISPs use to see who’s connected. If your internet speed is slower without an active VPN, your ISP is most likely throttling you unjustly.

Make sure to call your ISP immediately to find out what’s going on. In many cases, they can speed up your connection without even making a house call.

Try ExpressVPN now, and get three months free when you sign up for one year at ExpressVPN.com/Kim.