Why is my internet data throughput better when using VPN?

[bubba]

I am fairly versant regarding internet data subjects, but one thing has me puzzled: I am using True and apart from sites hosted in Thailand, I nearly always get significantly better data throughput and DNS lookup when using a Witopia VPN connection to the USA. Without the VPN, I set my DNS servers to google (8.8.8.8), so I don't think that is the issue.

Anybody?

[innerspace]

True are notorious for their proxies and traffic shaping.

In some cases it genuinely helps deliver a faster service but a lot of the time it makes connections unreliable, in my experience.

With a vpn you avoid the proxy and traffic shaping and get the best they can offer, which with a minor additional vpn processing overhead, you see as an improvement.

[Sandman77]

Can you give some example sites?

[bubba]

For me, just about any site loaded faster when using VPN, apart from those physically hosted in Thailand.

Thanks for the explanation, innerspace. That makes sense.

[CaptHaddock]

OP, do you find that Witopia drops your connection every day at about 3:00 AM? Mine does. That's the only complaint I have about Witopia.

[bubba]

I have never noticed regular dropouts at 3am. Maybe it is the particular Witopia server you are using? Have you tried others?

Witopia's tech support is excellent and very quick to respond. You might want to contact them.

[BudRight]

Two reasons:

1. Port blocking. True is famous for doing this and lying about it.

2. A VPN will always have worse latencies, but under the best conditions can have the same bandwidth.

[chingching]

Your VPN could be caching some sites. So when you go to one of those sites it supplies the cached version. The stuff about proxies does not make sense, as what is a VPN but a proxy.

[GMajor]

Two reasons:

1. Port blocking. True is famous for doing this and lying about it.

2. A VPN will always have worse latencies, but under the best conditions can have the same bandwidth.

I have no explanation but for someone sneaking at what we're doing.

A Senior HP Technologist told me that primitive data screening leaves such imprints within the trace route; obviously others don't...

while a basic VPN throughput lends this:

What do you think ?

[Dochifi]

While I cannot speak to the Thai Internet, I wanted to point out that even in America a VPN can give you better page loads than direct connections. I have recently learned that my ISP, while giving me true high-speed, slows down page loads due to the fact they filter everything. They do not have a solid reason (outside of collecting user date or spying), but using a VPN speeds up page loads even though it slows the connection speed down.

As some have pointed out wisely above, though, your VPN thru-put speed may hurt you more than help you.

[hawker9000]

OP, do you find that Witopia drops your connection every day at about 3:00 AM? Mine does. That's the only complaint I have about Witopia.

I find with Witopia that my connections tend to go stale, regardless of time-of-day. Also, Witopia doesn't seem to be very tolerant of lower bandwidth connections, say for example typical hotel wifi. And their technical support solution to nearly everything is to try a different server and/or VPN type, which can be kind of a pain if it happens frequently. Lastly, their VPNs don't always play well with the odd login protocol (preventing logins). They certainly have plenty of servers to choose from in plenty of locations though, and being able to decide what country you want to be "local to" as well as being able to choose between PPTP, L2TP and IPsec VPNs can be very handy at times, but having to jump into your settings on a routine basis gets old.

But to answer the original question, would VPNs not bypass deep packet inspection going on at the thai ISPs, thus speeding things up a little?

[manarak]

4 reasons could explain a slowdown:

- filtering at government level

- filtering at ISP level

- traffic shaping/throttling

- traffic routing

[aronp1]

Sounds like a possible security issue. VPN stands for virtual private network. Hence the better connection. "Maybe".

[sniffdog]

I mainly use my Thai Bangkok VPN to get better download speeds for torrents.

[BudRight]

Two reasons:

1. Port blocking. True is famous for doing this and lying about it.

2. A VPN will always have worse latencies, but under the best conditions can have the same bandwidth.

I have no explanation but for someone sneaking at what we're doing.

A Senior HP Technologist told me that primitive data screening leaves such imprints within the trace route; obviously others don't...

No VPN.jpg

while a basic VPN throughput lends this:

With VPN.jpg

What do you think ?

All of your latency happens at hop 5 in the 'No VPN' traceroute. That IP is in Bangkok.

Run ten traceroutes and see if that IP times out every time as in the one you showed me. If so, redirect it to the working one in your hosts file.

Also, stop using the crummy True DNS and use Google's 8.8.8.8

Edited April 12, 2015 by BudRight

[hawker9000]

Two reasons:

1. Port blocking. True is famous for doing this and lying about it.

2. A VPN will always have worse latencies, but under the best conditions can have the same bandwidth.

I have no explanation but for someone sneaking at what we're doing.

A Senior HP Technologist told me that primitive data screening leaves such imprints within the trace route; obviously others don't...

No VPN.jpg

while a basic VPN throughput lends this:

With VPN.jpg

What do you think ?

All of your latency happens at hop 5 in the 'No VPN' traceroute. That IP is in Bangkok.

Run ten traceroutes and see if that IP times out every time as in the one you showed me. If so, redirect it to the working one in your hosts file.

Also, stop using the crummy True DNS and use Google's 8.8.8.8

I'll second that recommendation for using an alternative DNS to your provider's. Easy to do; easy to undo. 'Nothing to lose by giving it a try, and you might be pleasantly surprised.

Here's a short list of candidates.

Performance (including latency) is an area where paid- vs free VPNs might have something to offer as they can afford to invest in optimization.

Edited April 12, 2015 by hawker9000