VPN Speed Testing Done Right

[trev 1]

BestVPN.com have produced a VPN speed testing comparison, which will apparently be ongoing; they claim that it is the most accurate test of VPN speeds,

 

https://www.bestvpn.com/vpn-speed-tests/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email

 

Air VPN do not score very well at all; is there any merit in these tests or is it all a shill for their partners who pay them commission?

[zhang888 1066]

These "tests" are almost useless since every user has different ISP,

location and hardware.

The most accurate test is a trial account from each provider and an

own speed test.

The real time statistics page show you what speeds different users

achieve with Air. No other provider is transparent in that way.

[Mad_Max 15]

I have a 50 Mb connection. My download speed ( using internet download manager) without using vpn is ( 6.1 Mbps ) and whenever i use AirVpn + internet download manager i can easily  get a steady ( 5.9 ~ 6 Mbps)

I use youtube for testing.

[scooby0786 6]

Hi guys,

 

Sorry to regurgitate older topics, but I am having some speed issue using AirVPN.

I love the UI for Windows, and this software was recommended over other VPN's by a Dutch friend of mine.

His connection speeds from his ISP is 2.5MB/s, and that's what he gets with AirVPN. That's awesome.

 

My connection speeds from ISP are 100MB/s, and I usually had around 7 to 10MB's a second download speed. With AirVPN, I only hit around 1.1 to 2.3MB's download speed max.

Although my ISP speeds are faster in general than my Dutch friend, he gets better speeds from AirVPN than me. I'm getting 1/10th of the speed than I was used to seems a bit of a drag, but I'm sure you guys can help a noob like me improve that, somewhat.  

 

I've read multiple topics here by user LZ and the links he provided to other users on the forum that have discussed similar things, shy of giving me a headache, but to no avail in helping with the speeds I would be happy with. Some of the advice given seemed to relate to older UI where the similar options don't seem to be available in the current Eddie version I have, or are maybe named differently, so I couldn't complete the guide in the help topics. Although it helped the original posters, I can't seem to be getting anywhere fast.

 

I use BitTorrent for my file sharing. It has been mentioned before to increase the buffer size to 256kb in Eddie, but isn't 512kb better? Or was that option not there when the original topics were created?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Even if I can get 5/ to 6MB's speed will be better than what I'm getting now.

If you need any more information, I'd be glad to provide it. Please don't be too technical   ... 

 

I already tried: https://airvpn.org/ports/ forum topic and the: https://airvpn.org/topic/21072-slow-speeds/?p=54344  topic and a few more.

 

I have to say, I don't regret buying AirVPN for the year and will always be a member, regardless of the speed. I love the UI and the site and what it stands for, but would greatly love more speed form using it. That's all that's missing for me to put a ring on the finger for life.

 

I've also added the port from BitTorrent to the "forwarded ports" section on the actual site.

Also followed some notes in this topic: https://airvpn.org/faq/p2p/

 

I did post this somewhere else in a very old topic, but thought it best in a new topic. Sorry if that is any issue. Thanks.

 

 

Thank you for any help

[mith_y2k 6]

These "tests" are almost useless since every user has different ISP,

location and hardware.

The most accurate test is a trial account from each provider and an

own speed test.

The real time statistics page show you what speeds different users

achieve with Air. No other provider is transparent in that way.

I actually think their testing approach makes sense. As you say each individual will have a number of variables. What would be great is to have a script that each user can run even just to pick the best performing server for them at that point in time.

[larky 40]

Actually this "BestVPN.com" speed test seems to be done relatively correctly in a user practical sense if its using actual file downloads and measuring at the target system, If It uses downloads from a fixed point with measurement performed at the system that began the download with an actual hard file written to the system. I do this for a living, test network compliance which also includes (when requested by the contracted customer) system connection throughput (AKA 'connection speed'). We use actual measurement instrumentation on the connection with a purpose built system with known tested and qualified parameters, the speed test web sites (all of them) are always 100% wrong 100% of the time for what they call "connection speed".

 

The reasons that speed test sites are really not suitable are varied but some items are:

 

1. Speed test web sites can't do this as the "download" is not really a hard file written to the target system and the "download" is really initiated in the speed test site domain and not on or by the users computer. That which the user sees in the browser for speed test sites is what the speed test site is reporting from their end and not the users end, this is not a true reflection of what the users system is actually seeing.

 

2. Connection "throughput" is actually connection "speed" and what one really wants to measure and that is always measured at the user system connection end. Speed test sites do not and can not do this, they are really trying to measure "bandwidth" and then try to relate that to connection throughput ('speed') and then present their results as 'connection speed' when it really isn't. Their results are a scientific and mathematical impossibility as a quantifying measurement of throughput as throughput and bandwidth are not the same and the speed test web sites methods of "math" exclude (up to) at least half of that needed to actually measure throughput.

 

3. Bandwidth can never increase throughput, it can only contribute to limiting throughput. An increase in bandwidth only lessens the limiting contribution amount, a decrease in bandwidth increases the limiting contribution amount. Speed test web site testing does not take this into account and present their results as 'connection speed' when what their test really shows was available bandwidth fluctuation due primarily to the number of users testing at the same time along with the inherent fluctuations in bandwidth. The speed test site test is not specific to your connection, a quantification of throughput measurement must be specific to your system connection only.

 

Basically, bandwidth is the raw capability of a communications channel capacity to hold data moving through that channel, its how big the pipe is.

Basically, throughput is the total capability of a processing system to move data through that system (of bandwidth), this is how fast data is transferred (AKA, in common usage language known as 'connection speed').

 

Like a vehicle passing through a tunnel, the vehicle is not the tunnel and the tunnel is not the vehicle. Likewise, bandwidth and throughput are not the same and each has their own systems/methods of measure. Speed test web site tests assumes one is the other, that they are synonymous, that both are the same, that bandwidth is or equals throughput. This is a false assumption and logical fallacy, its based upon an old  argument of ignorance put forth by ISP's as a selling/marketing support method gimmick many years ago in the earlier days of the World Wide Web and Internet we know today. The masses knew no different, the ISP said "we give you 'up to' this 'speed' and the ISP provided a "web site based test" so the masses said "Wow, a test, it must be true because the math used and the <what ever> said..." without ever realizing what they were seeing was basically a bandwidth test (and a poor one at that) and not a 'connection speed' test. Today we end up with users that unknowingly perpetuate the myth without ever realizing they are not seeing 'connection speed' with the test. We see tons of posts on forums pointing to this or that speed test site result then users disappointingly wonder why they get the 'speeds' they get or they brag about it or are satisfied with it. None of the speed test web site tests are a measure of throughput which is also known (and unknown to some) in common usage as 'connection speed'. Bandwidth and throughput are different things, one is not the other.

 

Bandwidth is only one of several factors that can limit throughput. Others include processing speed, latency, jitter, and reliability. "processing speed" includes that on and at the users system, included in this, broadly, are the CPU processing, memory, hard drive response ('write' & 'read' times), network interface response times and processing, and the interface device to the ISP (wireless, cable modem, etc...) response times and processing, and even the operating system factors (your computer and that at your end which touches or handles the connection and data in any way is also part of your connection path). A speed test web site does not take these factors into account even though these factors contribute around half of that needed to quantify a throughput measurement. Without those other factors known and accounted for it is a scientific and mathematical impossibility to quantify a measure of throughput. Yet speed test web sites make (or imply) claims of how 'accurate' their test is because they use such-n-such method or calculation but exclude half of whats needed to actually measure throughput. A measurement method or calculation result that leaves out factors needed to quantify that measurement is like pouring a cup of water into an empty gallon bucket then saying that because your math says the bucket is full that there is a gallon of water in the bucket. Unless some new form of math has been invented that the rest of the world knows nothing about and someone has found a way to magically abolish the laws of physics and Harry Potter actually exists and Hogwarts is real, a speed test web site can not measure the throughput ('connection speed') for your system connection.

 

Throughput ('connection speed') is always and only relative to the end point. The end points, in the case of most common usage, is the site/location at which the downloaded item (web page, file, movie/video streamed, etc...) is stored, and your system. The true throughput of that transfer is only seen at the users system connection end and can only be measured there, speed test web sites can not do this. As the 'internet' end point changes so does the throughput as throughput is always and only relative to the end point.

 

Since throughput ('connection speed') is always and only relative to the end point the BestVPN.com test, although maybe useful for their purposes in their conditions of testing, are basically useless for anyone else because others will have a different end point even using the same VPN's the BestVPN.com test used. I think some people look at these types of "tests" on VPN review sites and become disappointed when they do not achieve the same "speeds". People need to stop chasing the speed test web site 'unicorn' thinking its some defining test of "absolutes reality" because it isn't. The only practical manner for the common user (unless they have the instrumentation to measure with) to measure throughput is at their actual system connection end with actual hard file downloads/uploads actually written to their system with that measurement taking place only on the user system with that measurement taking into account all factors and being conducted at socket level locally, a speed test web site will not and can not do this for you no matter what they claim or what they use (java, flash, html 5, etc...).

 

A VPN service can not promise or guarantee you any certain throughput, they have no control over the end points you use or how well the system on your end processes for throughput. The bandwidth of a VPN service 'gateway' server and its connection to the internet is not and never has been an indication of the throughput one will have or can expect on VPN. It is only an indication of how big the pipe is (bandwidth) for that server, your throughput ('connection speed') will be what you get depending on the various factors outlined above and that's it.

 

For those who always seem to want to draw some sort of comparison of the 'speed' they get on VPN vs that they get without VPN on their ISP connections; There is no comparison, period. Your throughput on or off VPN has nothing to do with what your ISP said was your 'connection speed' - because ISP's do not actually sell you 'connection speed', that's a marketing trick, what they actually sell you is a bandwidth 'tier' (AKA 'bandwidth range').

 

 

(Note: The above is very condensed and brief and presented in a plain language form, this is a very complicated subject.)

 

(note: edited after original post to put in something left out in original post, and to correct spelling and grammar.)

[Staff 10016]

Since throughput ('connection speed') is always and only relative to the end point the BestVPN.com test, although maybe useful for their purposes in their conditions of testing, are basically useless for anyone else because others will have a different end point even using the same VPN's the BestVPN.com test used. I think some people look at these types of "tests" on VPN review sites and become disappointed when they do not achieve the same "speeds". People need to stop chasing the speed test web site 'unicorn' thinking its some defining test of "absolutes reality" because it isn't.

 

Very well written, congrats.

 

Kind regards

[scooby0786 6]

Update:

Guys, a quick update: I get the same/similar speeds now as I do whether I use AirVPN or not.

In a nutshell, the links provided in my above post are guides as to what you can do to improve the speeds using a Torrent client, such as BitTorrent.

It says to go in:

 

Options> Preferences> and in the subheading “Connection”, to disable UPnP port mapping and NAT-PMP port mapping. It also says to disable “Randomize port each start” in this subheading.

 

Note: In the “Connections” area you don’t need to disable “Randomize port each start”, unless you plan to use “Forwarded ports” option from the “Client Area” from the AirVPN site.

The AirVPN staff confirm this isn’t a feature to make your tunnel more secure, just to help with seeding, etc.

 

Next: Go in “Bandwidth” in your BitTorrent client, and deselect “Apply rate limit to uTP connections”.

 

The advice ends there (in the forums here) and after doing all the steps above, I was still downloading at low speeds.

Maybe the following information was missing, as the client has been updated over the years.

Here’s what I tried: 

 

Click on the subheading, “Bittorrent”, and deselect “Enable bandwidth management [uTP]” also deselect “limit local peer bandwidth”.

Voila. My speeds are the same as they were before I became a member of AirVPN.

 

To make sure the above works for you, you need to make sure your speeds are the same/similar with and without AirVPN using speed-test sites. If so, the problem is the torrent client settings and not AirVPN servers.

 

Also important to note, the speed advice above is taking into consideration your download speeds were normal before you used AirVPN. Not to help with speeds in general if you don’t use AirVPN at all.

If this doesn’t help your case, unfortunately there isn’t anything else I can recommend.

 

Hope this helps other noobs like me who are new to AirVPN.

A big thank you to AirVPN members and staff.