Are you having trouble streaming your favorite Netflix shows or playing PUBG on your mobile due to slow buffering? Your internet service provider (ISP) may be throttling your bandwidth. This has become a more common issue since the Net Neutrality laws gave ISPs the ability to adjust their bandwidth allocation.
If you suspect your ISP is throttling your internet speed, don’t worry! You can use a VPN to bypass ISP throttling and enjoy faster, more reliable internet.
In this post, we’ll introduce you to the top 3 VPN providers to bypass ISP throttling, starting with our #1 recommendation, ExpressVPN. It works with most ISPs worldwide and is the best VPN for BT Broadband. Say goodbye to bandwidth limits and data caps with ExpressVPN!
So, let’s get started!
How to Bypass ISP Throttling on your Internet Traffic with a VPN
Here’s how to prevent ISP throttling using a VPN:
- Visit the app store of your device or your VPN’s website and download a premium VPN (ExpressVPN is our top choice, offering 49% Off!
- Create the VPN account.
- Sign in to the VPN and connect to a server location of your choice.
- Enjoy your speedy internet connection.
What is ISP Throttling?
ISP throttling is when your Internet Service Provider deliberately limits your speed and internet bandwidth without informing you. Internet throttling results in speeds that are slower than what your ISP is offering you.
If your super-fast connection isn’t paid for or you’ve used up all of your monthly data allotment, you can face bandwidth throttling. Furthermore, regardless of the status of your contract, your ISP will frequently reduce your internet speeds.
Streaming video-on-demand services or gaming in high definition utilizes a lot of bandwidth. So, to prevent network layer congestion, the ISP throttles or slows your internet so all users on the network can get a stable internet connection, even if the experience is slower. This is called content-based internet throttling.
Why Do ISPs Throttle Your Bandwidth?
ISPs throttle your internet only to regulate your internet traffic and clear network congestion. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can also throttle their network users when they reach their data limit within a set period. However, throttling does get a bit questionable when ISPs use it to influence their users’ internet habits and derive profit from them.
There are multiple reasons for ISP to throttle your bandwidth. The most common reasons to throttle your internet speed and limit your data transmission speeds include:
- Tackling network congestion: Heavy internet usage will slow down the internet speeds of other people in the same area. To neutralize this problem, ISP may throttle the connection of anyone using high amounts of bandwidth.
- Usage regulation: If your internet connection has a data cap and uses a certain amount of bandwidth, your connection can become deprioritized. As a result, your connection could be the first to get throttled in periods of congestion on the network, or your speeds might stay reduced until the next cycle starts. You may even lose your internet contract.
- Deprioritization of certain services: Internet service providers are permitted to limit access to streaming platforms as part of their efforts to manage everyone’s connections. They can throttle the websites you visit and more. But you shouldn’t be denied parts of the internet for arbitrary reasons totally unrelated to you.
How Do I Know if I’m Being Throttled?
There are various symptoms of internet throttling. These include:
- Slow download speeds
- Lagging and buffering of videos.
- Frequent disconnections on Wi-Fi connection.
- Slowers internet speeds than usual.
- Blocked and nonfunctional websites.
- Websites loading slowly.
However, you can confirm that your internet is being throttled by taking various tests. These are as follows:
Internet Health Test
If your internet speed seems slower than usual or you’re noticing other problems like trouble on websites, the Internet Health Test can help you figure out what’s going on. This tool was created by freedom advocates that measure variations in speeds through a series of individual tests. The tool will perform a speed test to help you check your connection speeds.
If you see a pattern of huge variations in the measured speed when the tool connects to different servers, then this indicates throttling. A speed drop of more than 25-30% is abnormal and is caused by deliberate bandwidth throttling on the part of your ISP.
ISP Throttling Test
Wondering, how to tell if your internet is being throttled? You can use fast.com to verify internet speed throttle test. Since many ISPs specifically throttle speeds on streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube, this tool can help you judge if you’re indeed a victim of throttling .
If this test registers a speed slower than your base internet connection, then this is another indication that your internet provider is throttling Netflix and probably other services as well.
Wehe’s an app for mobile users that can test if your Wi-Fi or data provider is throttling speeds on your phones.
Blocked Ports Test
Sometimes throttling can occur when you are gaming online using open ports. You can run Blocked Port Test to check if specific ports are blocked:
- Go to WhatsMyIP.org.
- Hop on to Port Scanners at the left.
- Then click Game Ports Test and perform it.
- You might have a throttling issue if you find the port as ‘Rejected.’
- You can fix it by trying ‘Port Forwarding.’
If all the tests performed through the aforementioned tools point towards the possibility of throttling, then there’s a good chance your ISP is involved in throttling your connection.
Luckily, you can bypass bandwidth limits with a VPN. Using a VPN, you don’t have to worry about going over your data usage limit. ISPs use various techniques to throttle internet speed, but using a VPN is an efficient way to bypass it.
3 Best VPNs to Bypass ISP Throttling
We have conducted an in-depth analysis of the best VPN providers that you can use to bypass internet throttling and achieve maximum internet speed :
ExpressVPN – Blazing-fast Speeds and Robust Security VPN to Bypass ISP Throttling
ExpressVPN is the best VPN to bypass throttling and get super-fast speeds. The VPN’s Lightway protocol and military-grade AES 256-bit encryption combine and prevent your ISP from detecting your VPN traffic.
ExpressVPN encrypts your entire traffic and passes it through your chosen remote server. It then assigns you an IP for the server location that you chose before you reach the destination. This way, your content and your new IP address remain completely hidden from your ISP, preventing any throttling of your connection and ensuring the protection of your privacy.
ExpressVPN’s server network consists of 3000+ servers in 105 countries that enable internet users to obtain unlimited, uninterrupted, and unlimited access to various streaming, dating, shopping, and trading websites.
This VPN service offers consistently fast speeds for 4K Ultra-HD video streaming and lightning-fast torrent downloading and is one of the fastest VPNs in the VPN industry. Its throttling prevention capabilities make it one of the best VPN for streaming.
When we conducted an ExpressVPN speed test to confirm how fast its speeds are, the VPN delivered a downloading speed of 87.78 Mbps and an uploading speed of 42.22 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.
It is also known for offering best-in-class security and online privacy to internet users due to its strict no-logs policy. Also its DNS leak protection, and TrustedServer technology that completely hides the fact that you are even using a VPN by disguising your VPN traffic.In circumstances where online privacy and security are paramount, individuals and businesses trust ExpressVPN to protect their data by routing it through servers located in privacy-friendly jurisdictions. With its robust encryption and strict no-logs policy, ExpressVPN offers a trusted solution for safeguarding sensitive information from prying eyes, making it the best offshore VPN service available.
You can subscribe to ExpressVPN for $4.99/mo - Cyber Monday Deal: 2 Years + 6 Months Free—Save Up to 61% Now, and its premium subscription comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
With ExpressVPN, you can get a unique IP address that’s yours alone, enhancing privacy to the next level. It’s so secure that even ExpressVPN can’t trace it back to you. This feature lets you access work resources remotely, reduces those annoying CAPTCHAs, and provides a smoother browsing experience—all while connected to the VPN.
Moreover, if you want to know how to stop ISP throttling without VPN? Then, ExpressVPN’s Smart DNS features is here to fulfill your need. It will bypass ISP throttling without using a VPN. Learn more about this provider, check out our ExpressVPN review.
Pros
- High-speed servers cater to throttling in any part of the world
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Secure VPN protocols to give maximum
- Bypass throttling
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Minimize ping and lag during streaming videos
Cons
- Offers five multi-logins only
Surfshark – Budget-friendly VPN with Optimized Servers to Bypass ISP Throttling
Surfshark is the most budget-friendly VPN to overcome bandwidth throttling. Internet users can bypass geo-restrictions and enjoy streaming online without throttling, thanks to its 3200+ servers in 100 countries.
We conducted a Surfshark speed test and discovered this VPN’s super-fast streaming and torrenting speeds. In our test, the ping was quite stable, and there was no lag at all. On our 100 Mbps connection, we received a downloading speed of 81.32 Mbps and an uploading speed of 76.12 Mbps.
The whole network is capable of constantly delivering a good connection speed to not only defeat ISP throttling but also allow you to stream your favorite streaming services in Ultra-HD video playback quality like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney Plus, and more. Surfshark is one of those VPNs that works with unlimited devices simultaneously, it is also known to be the best VPN for Xbox including other devices, etc.
Its privacy-enhancing features, such as WhiteLister, Internet Kill Switch, and MultiHop, make it easy for you to stop throttling. Its essential features include a no-logs policy, secure DNS, open-source code, and military-grade AES-256-bit encryption.
The service is available for just $2.49/mo - Save up to 77% with exclusive 2-year plan + 30-day money-back guarantee with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you can also avail of a Surfshark free trial to try this service risk-free.
To learn more about this provider, check out our Surfshark review .
Pros
- It supports all major devices
- 24/7 live chat support
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Solid zero-logs policy and robust AES encryption
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Bypass ISP throttling
- Top-notch privacy and security
Cons
- Customer support gets down sometimes
- No port forwarding
NordVPN – Top-notch Security with Obfuscation Technology to Bypass ISP Throttling
NordVPN is the most secure VPN for bypassing ISP throttling . Based in Panama, a highly secured place, and operating in the market since 2012. The users of NordVPN can access 6000+ servers in 61 countries.
This VPN is free from IP and DNS leaks, and PwC Switzerland has carefully audited its no-logs policy to ensure that all processes are secure and safe. NordVPN also offers you many important features for extra privacy , such as Onion Over VPN, DoubleVPN, and Kill Switch.
We tested the VPN by connecting it with US servers and streamed our favorite shows without any buffering issues or throttling. We are impressed with its ultra-fast speeds that guarantee the best performance while surfing the web.
In our NordVPN speed test , we achieved a downloading speed of 83.82 Mbps and an uploading speed of 44.64 Mbps.
Although this provider focuses more on online security and privacy, its users can easily bypass 4chan IP Ban with a VPN any form of online censorship with its server network. As a result, you can easily unblock popular streaming services such as Disney Plus, YouTube TV, and Amazon Prime with NordVPN at 4K Ultra-HD quality.This ISP throttling VPN is available for just $3.99/mo - Save up to 63% with exclusive 2-year plan + 3 months free and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. To learn more about this provider, check out our NordVPN review .
Pros
- Kill Switch
- Available for all platforms
- 6 simultaneous connections
- Bypass bandwidth throttling
- Obfuscation technology allows you to stream for hours without getting throttled.
- No data caps
Cons
- Desktop app comes with a few glitches
How Do VPNs Help Bypass ISP Throttling ?
A VPN helps you bypass ISP throttling by masking the content you’re accessing from your ISP. Your ISP cannot throttle your connection across all services, so if the ISP cannot view what you’re doing, it won’t throttle your activities.
A VPN is a private network that allows internet users to connect to the internet through a secure path from their device/PC to the end node or server. It is different from a conventional network as it adds a layer of encryption to your data packets as soon as they leave your system.
Rather than communicating directly with the website or server that you want to access via your ISP’s server, a VPN uses remote servers that work on your behalf to do all the communication for you.
As such, a VPN guards your secrecy by implementing AES-256-Bit encryption and keeping your real identity masked from the eyes of your ISP.
Since a VPN conceals your internet activities, your ISP can no longer monitor your internet traffic. Additionally, a VPN cloaks your original IP address and replaces it with the address of a VPN server, thus hiding your true location and identity. You virtually become a ghost that your ISP can’t keep track of. So, even if they wanted to throttle your internet connections, they’d be basically shooting in the dark.How to Bypass Data Throttling on Android and iPhone?
A VPN is the most effective option to bypass ISP throttling on your smartphone. It bypasses any restrictions that your internet service provider puts on your speeds and offers a stable internet connection.
Follow the steps below of a step-by-step guide:
- Select a premium VPN service for your smartphone (ExpressVPN is the best VPN to stop throttling).
- Install a VPN app on your iOS or Android smartphone.
- Connect to any server you prefer.
- Enjoy super-fast speeds on streaming, browsing, and torrenting.
Can I Use a Free VPN to Bypass ISP Throttling?
Yes, you can! However, using a free VPN to bypass Throttling on ISP is not recommended at all due to free VPN’s poor privacy and security features.
Using a free VPN to evade ISP throttling is not the most reliable solution, as free VPNs have limitations such as slow connection speeds, limited bandwidth, and data caps that can exacerbate your internet experience and cause further throttling.
Additionally, free VPNs can jeopardize your privacy and security by selling your data to third-party advertisers or being malicious themselves.
Instead of a free VPN, investing in a paid VPN service with fast speeds, unlimited bandwidth, and robust security features is a better option to combat ISP throttling.
However, it’s worth noting that even with a VPN, your ISP can still detect VPN usage and potentially throttle your connection. It may be beneficial to contact your ISP directly to resolve the issue.
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FAQs – Bypass ISP Throttling
How to avoid ISP throttling while torrenting?
As explained above, a VPN is the easiest, fastest, and most effective way to bypass ISP throttling. A VPN conceals your online activities by encrypting your data from your ISP, so they’re unable to target you from torrenting, downloading, and streaming.
Out of all the VPNs, ExpressVPN is fully capable of concealing your online activities from your ISP so that you can avoid bandwidth throttling and download torrents with ease.
Is it illegal for ISP to block websites?
Since your ISP is usually a local company, it is subject to local laws. If the local law requires blocking a website, your ISP can easily block it by manipulating the DNS level. Therefore, if you switch to a different DNS provider such as Google, your DNS query will be directed to their DNS instead.
Can your ISP blacklist you?
Yes, your ISP can blacklist you and it happens when internet service providers release a list of known spam traps, including various IP addresses and domain names of origin, which can lead to you being flagged as a spammer and prevent your emails from reaching their intended recipients.
How can I bypass AT&T throttling ?
Here’s how to prevent bandwidth throttling using AT&T :
- Register for a VPN provider (ExpressVPN is our #1 recommendation).
- Download and install the ExpressVPN application on your device.
- Open the app and choose a server location.
- Tap on the Connect button.
- Wait for the connection to be successful. Once it’s done, you’ll be prompted with a notification.
In the same way, you can bypass ISP throttling on Android and iOS .
How to bypass data throttling without a VPN ?
You can use a web proxy to bypass data throttling without a VPN . However, a proxy lets you bypass throttling without routing your traffic through an encrypted server. This way, your online activities can still be viewed by your ISP. So, it is always the best way to bypass throttling with VPN.
Will a VPN stop throttling?
Yes, a VPN will stop ISP throttling by masking your online activities from your ISP . This way, your internet service provider won’t know what you’re doing online and will be unable to throttle your internet.
Is ISP throttling legal?
Yes, ISP throttling is not legal. Throttling an internet connection is a sneaky task that shortchanges the customers. However, throttling is legal until ISPs sufficiently explain how it works to their customers. But, it’s illegal if the ISP doesn’t inform its customers about throttling.
Can you use a VPN to bypass throttling ?
Yes, you can use a VPN to bypass throttling . A VPN is the easiest solution to mask your actual IP address so you can surf the web anonymously. This way, the ISP won’t be able to throttle your bandwidth.
We hope this answers your ‘Can you bypass ISP throttling’ query.
Does bandwidth throttling affect mobile data?
Yes, if the internet connection of your mobile is being throttled, it will lead to higher usage of mobile data. This is quite advantageous for ISPs since higher mobile data usage urges users to buy more data.
Conclusion
To summarize, if you’re experiencing throttling from your internet service provider, such as AT&T, you can only bypass ISP throttling and bandwidth limits with a VPN.
By redirecting your network traffic through VPN servers, you can stop your Internet Service Provider (ISP) from monitoring websites you visit and setting bandwidth limit restrictions.
For bypassing ISP throttling , ExpressVPN is our recommended option. This VPN obfuscates your internet traffic, so your ISP never knows that you’re using a VPN. It also offers fast speeds and thousands of servers, using which you can circumvent throttling without issues.
This ends our ‘how to bypass bandwidth limit with a VPN’ guide. Get a VPN and defeat throttling now!
Recent Comments 15
I am on t-mobile I tryed editing my VPN to the dun method but I am not allowed to edit it I can get into it and just look at the settings it already has
I have been using vpn to bypass internet throttling. I edited tcp header to a free website they offer without throttling to get into it. But somehow they blocked it now. But still those free unthrottled websites can get full speed. I don’t know how they did it. Does anyone have any idea what to do next.
To my knowledge and what I hear from the internet, a vpn reduces the speed of the internet and not the other way around.
Hello, this statement might hold true for free VPN service providers where they compromise the internet activities of users, thus not concealing your IP address. This results in further decrease in your internet speed. Whereas, paid VPN services completely conceals your internet activity and therefore it allows you to bypass ISP throttling.
I have recently noticed that my ISP is throttling internet connection. It has been a month since I realized that when I stream videos on YouTube, my connection speed drops quickly as a flash. Is there a way through which I can bypass ISP bandwidth reduction?
Dear user,
Today, a majority of internet providers impose deep packet inspection to identify online activities of netizens. Afterwards, ISP tends to throttle users’ bandwidth to minimize load on individual servers. In addition, this bandwidth throttling results in sluggish network speed, frequent buffering during video streaming, and unstable download speed.
To evade from ISP’s bandwidth throttling, a VPN encrypts your entire network traffic, making your online activities protected and anonymous to ISP, hackers and anyone who want to eavesdrop on your privacy. As a result, users achieve throttled-free connection and high-speed online experience. Not to mention, secure and private browsing is an added advantage of using a VPN service.
Except that the better ISPs monitor IP addresses as well, and they would start throttling VPN providers also. Of course, if they had 1,000s of IP addresses they could theoretically spread that traffic around, but theory and reality don’t always mesh.
I have subscribed to Shaw’s internet 7.1MB/s connection in Canada. My concern is that, I have been getting only 500kb/s download speed right from beginning. Although, I had contacted their support system to seek help, but they kept on claiming this issue as a result of hardware problem in my device. Is there a way to check that ISP is throttling my connection or a malfunctioned network adapter is causing it?
Hi, I’m from Connecticut and facing internet speed issue. It’s funny that my connection performs amazingly well during daytime but at night it runs like snail. I’ve already complained about it to ISP plenty of times but it’s happening with neighbors as well. Is there a way to figure out if it’s ISP throttling our network connection or something else is causing this?
Dear Daniel thanks for commenting,
As you have mentioned that network speed drops during a particular time, this means that ISP is surely throttling your network speed. Generally, ISPs throttles your bandwidth speed while streaming and downloading media.
To get around with this issue, we suggest you use a VPN to encrypt your network traffic and make ISP unable to monitor any of your online activity. A VPN will not only deliver blazing fast network speed, but it will make you protected against hacker, snoopers, identity thieves and other cyber threats.
I love to stream movies through on-demand entertainment sites including MOVIETVHQ, PUTLOCKER, TUBITV, WATCH55, and CAFEMOVIE. The only trouble I face while streaming is aggressive delay during night. I tried using Vypr VPN and it worked great for some time. But problem has returned and Vypr doesn’t seems to work now. Can you help me out?
Dear Johnny Muller thanks for commenting,
It seems like your VPN is facing DNS leak. When a DNS leak occurs, ISP identifies that you are using a VPN for streaming videos. As a result, ISP throttles your internet connections and you face slow streaming along with frequent buffering. To get around with the issue, you need to use a VPN with an Internet Kill Switch like PureVPN and Express VPN. Firstly, these VPN services will make sure that no DNS leak occurs. Additionally, the internet kill switch will stop streaming traffic if any DNS leak occurs, thus making ISP unable to monitor your online activities at all times.
ISP throttling is a nightmare for internet users around the globe. Have you ever experienced slow video streaming, while everything else works fast on internet? If yes then this is due to your ISP, throttling your streaming speed while you watch favorite videos. To get rid of ISP throttling, use a VPN, it will make you anonymous and encrypt your entire network traffic, while making ISP unable to see your online activities.
For a long time I was assuming that sftp protocol aids in evading ISP throttling. Moreover, the only concern I had with sftp was slow speed, but when in actual it was due to my provider’s fault “seedbox”. I assume network congestion by ISP may be the reason for slow connection. Are you experiencing slow Http downloads at any specific time?
Hi Abigail,
Thanks for your comment. The SFTP protocol encrypts the data the is transferred between you and the FTP server, but since it won’t route the data through its an alternate pathway, it won’t help in bypassing ISP throttling. This is where you should try a VPN service.
Similarly, a slow connection might be due to network congestion but if you are experiencing this issue around the clock then there is a chance that your network is throttled. This might also be the reason why you are experiencing slow HTTP downloads. One way of checking this is to download files at different time intervals and monitor your internet speeds.