Have you noticed websites loading slowly, even after ruling out issues with your internet connection and router? If slow speeds persist after troubleshooting, your internet service provider (ISP) might be throttling your connection. Throttling can be frustrating since many users are unaware it’s happening. In our guide, we’ll explain how to identify throttling, why it occurs, and how to address it.
What Is ISP Throttling?
ISP throttling is a money-saving tactic used by internet companies to manage network traffic, control bandwidth congestion, and impose data limits. By slowing down services and limiting bandwidth, prioritized users can surf with less lag. Throttling can affect your entire connection or target specific types of data traffic, such as video streaming, gaming, or file sharing. This can result in noticeably slower loading times, buffering during streaming, and reduced download and upload speeds.
Internet signals are often from shared cell towers that individuals within a certain radius of your home also use. Throttling occurs when ISPs monitor network traffic and use algorithms to manage and limit bandwidth for specific activities. ISPs use deep packet inspection to examine the data packets being sent and received to determine their type and origin. Once identified, the ISP can apply bandwidth limits to these packets, effectively reducing the speed at which data is transmitted and received, which can be done in real time.
Once you’ve determined that it’s not your router causing issues but your ISP throttling your data, you know that internet bandwidth is never truly unlimited. ISPs throttle users to circumvent limitations and save money.
Why Does Throttling Happen?
Throttling occurs with data-intensive activities like gaming, streaming, and torrenting. By throttling data, internet companies can take on more customers without adequately scaling their services. While throttling frequently happens with mobile and wireless services, it isn’t as common with cable, DSL, and fiber internet connectivity.
Here are some common scenarios for throttling:
- Network Congestion: When too many users access the network simultaneously, it can become congested. When the network reaches its maximum capacity and becomes congested, internet companies commonly use ISP throttling to regulate user connectivity. ISPs often use throttling to manage connectivity during high traffic times or in densely populated areas like apartment complexes or public spaces with free Wi-Fi.
- Exceeding a Data Cap: A data cap is the maximum amount of data (the number in GB) you can use each month. If you surpass the bandwidth on your service plan, your internet provider is likely to throttle your internet service with a soft data cap. Data caps help ISPs manage bandwidth usage on their networks. We’ve listed every single internet provider with data caps on their plans.
- Paid Prioritization: A more controversial reason for ISP throttling is paid prioritization, a financial arrangement that involves a company paying an ISP to prioritize their data over others on the network, like a fast lane. In 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) overturned existing net neutrality laws and legalized paid prioritization. Critics of net neutrality fear that large companies with data-intensive services, like Netflix or YouTube, could strike deals with internet companies, making it challenging to access competitors’ sites. However, in April 2024, the FCC voted to restore net neutrality and now considers paid prioritization as a harmful practice.
What is Net Neutrality? Net neutrality is the principle that all internet traffic should be treated equally, without discrimination or preferential treatment by ISPs. This means ISPs should not throttle, block, or prioritize certain types of data or services over others. Throttling directly conflicts with the concept of net neutrality. When ISPs throttle, they disrupt the equal treatment of data, potentially giving an unfair advantage to certain services or disadvantaging others, undermining the open and free nature of the internet that net neutrality aims to protect.
How to Tell if My Internet Is Being Throttled?
If you have slow speeds or intermittent connectivity, there’s a chance you’re experiencing ISP throttling, especially if you’ve ruled out other issues. The only way to determine if your internet hasn’t been throttled is to administer and compare the results of two internet speed tests. To see if throttling is occurring, follow these steps:
Run an Internet Speed Test
By running an internet speed test, you can compare the speeds you’re getting to the speed you’re paying for on your data plan. To get the best results, perform multiple speed tests at different times and in various locations throughout your home. You can also perform tests when engaging in certain activities, such as streaming 4K content or downloading large files, to see how these impact speed.
Download and Activate a Reputable VPN
ISPs sometimes manipulate speed test results. To avoid this, re-run your speed test using a virtual private network (VPN) to get an untampered reading. A VPN is an encrypted connection that acts as a secure tunnel for users to send and receive data on public networks. With a VPN, the content you view online will be encrypted and hidden from your ISP. You’re essentially masking your activity and can access a more accurate speed reading.
Before choosing a VPN, do plenty of research to ensure you use one that offers protection. There are lots of free VPN services, but be wary. The only reputable free VPN service is ProtonVPN. If you’re willing to spend a little bit of money on a paid VPN service, NordVPN or ExpressVPN are also both great options.
Compare Your Results
Once you’ve re-run your second internet speed test on a VPN, compare the two results. If your results are in the same range with and without the VPN, throttling is unlikely. If your results are significantly different, especially during certain times of the day or while using lower speeds during specific services, it might indicate throttling.
How to Stop My ISP From Throttling My Internet
If you discover your ISP is throttling your connection, there are several steps you can take to help prevent it from happening in the future.
- Monitor your data usage more closely. Staying on top of your data usage is a preventive measure to avoid reaching your cap. If you surpass your cap regularly, it might be time to look for a plan with a higher data allowance.
- Use a VPN when you’re online. If your ISP can’t see the content you’re viewing online, it will not throttle you for specific activities. Navigating the internet with a reputable VPN will hide your activity from your ISP and decrease your chance of being throttled.
- Reach out to government officials. If you’re dissatisfied with the current state of net neutrality, contact the FCC or your state representatives to share your concerns about how this legislation impacts you.
- Find a new ISP. If you can’t resolve throttling by your current provider, it may be time to cancel and switch to a new ISP with a higher data cap. You could also find an internet provider with no data caps. We provide a comprehensive list of internet providers, along with their coverage and download speeds.
Is Throttling Legal?
Throttling an internet connection is like a sneaky business that shortchanges its customers. As of this writing, the FCC has reinstated net neutrality practices, but there are still some remaining loopholes. Nonetheless, throttling is legal, as long as ISPs adequately explain it to their customers. Failure to inform customers about throttling, however, is illegal. Certain ISPs have faced lawsuits for deceptive throttling and false advertising regarding unlimited data.
What to Do if Throttling Isn’t the Reason for Slow Internet
Throttling may not be the reason you’re experiencing slow internet. There are several other reasons your internet isn’t moving at the speed you need. Here are some next steps you can take to troubleshoot your internet connection.
- Restart your router and modem. Rebooting your router and modem can resolve connectivity issues. If your equipment is clogged with dust, consider wiping it down as well.
- Move your router location. Your router needs adequate space to access the internet signal. Optimal router placement should be elevated off the floor, away from furniture and electronics, and in a central location within the home.
- Update your equipment. Outdated modems or routers sometimes may struggle to provide a strong internet signal and may need replacement.
- Upgrade your internet speed. Evaluate your household’s internet usage and determine if your current plan speed meets your needs. Consider upgrading if necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions About Internet Throttling
Which VPN is best to stop ISP throttling?
NordVPN and ExpressVPN are both excellent choices for stopping ISP throttling. NordVPN is renowned for its robust privacy protections, extensive server network, and high-speed connections. It also features obfuscated servers to help bypass ISP throttling. Similarly, ExpressVPN offers fast, reliable connections, a wide range of server locations, and strong security features.
Do all ISPs throttle data?
Nearly all ISPs may throttle connections to manage network traffic, though frequency varies. For example, ISPs without data caps are less likely to throttle your data, whereas those with data caps are more prone to doing so.
How do I know if my ISP is throttling my Netflix?
Signs of throttling include consistent buffering, reduced video quality, or significantly slower speeds during peak usage times. To check, run a speed test while streaming Netflix and compare the results to your typical internet speeds. If you’re unsure of your internet’s typical speed, you can perform a test first without Netflix running to compare.
How do I stop my ISP from throttling me without a VPN?
You can use a proxy server as an alternative to a VPN. A proxy acts as an intermediary between your device and the internet, masking your online activities from your ISP. When you connect to a proxy server, your internet traffic is routed through this server, hiding the specific types of data you are accessing, such as streaming videos.
Can my ISP block my VPN?
Yes, ISPs can block your VPN by identifying and restricting traffic associated with VPN use. ISPs can detect VPN traffic through methods, such as recognizing common VPN protocols and ports, using deep packet inspection (DPI) to analyze the characteristics of encrypted traffic or blocking known IP addresses associated with VPN servers.
