Slow Internet? Here’s How to Cure That Throttling Headache

Your internet’s gone from silky smooth to as slow as a snail? Don’t reach for the painkillers just yet – figuring out what’s slowing you down and fixing it is the quick fix you’ve been looking for. Throttling headaches are a regular nuisance for loads of us, and it’s not hard to see why. Internet throttling – and it’s usually down to your internet service provider (or ISP) – is one of the main culprits here. Throttling will mess up certain online activities like streaming or anything else that chews up a lot of data, because ISPs can deliberately dial back speeds for these services to manage network traffic. So why would a provider want to stifle your connection speed, and what can you do about it? By spotting throttling and taking action, you can get control back over your internet connection. Let’s get to the bottom of this and find a solution that works.

VeePN Research Lab

Jan 5, 2026

11 min read

Slow Internet? Here is How to Stop Internet Throttling

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What’s Internet Throttling?

Okay, let’s get some terms straight. When your ISP deliberately slows you down, often by bandwidth throttling or just plain old cutting back your internet speed – that’s what internet throttling is. Put simply, you’re not getting the high-speed Wi-Fi you’re paying for. ISPs claim they do this to stop their networks getting clogged up, but the reasons vary. They use congestion-based throttling and manage traffic to stop their networks getting overwhelmed during peak hours and prevent system crashes. They may not always be upfront about their throttling practices which can lead to you not getting the internet speeds you’re paying for, or messing with your devices’ performance. Throttling can also happen if an ISP thinks you’re using your account for dodgy stuff like torrenting – or if they’re just trying to slow down services like streaming platforms to get you to upgrade your plan or put other customers first. Let’s take a closer look at what’s going on here.

Why is Your Internet Being Throttled?

First, ISPs aren’t just throttling speeds for fun – there’s usually a reason. They look at what you’re doing online and decide whether to throttle or not. If they’re doing it, it was probably for one of the following reasons:

Your high-speed data usage is exceeded. The first reason is that you exceeded the data limit provided by the service provider and he decreases your internet speeds to prevent you to consume excess data. This happens specifically in the mobile networks where mobile data throttling sets in once you are done with your monthly mobile data quota on a mobile data plan. To help prevent throttling, consider going to an unlimited data plan or a carrier that is not going to reduce your speeds as soon as you reach a specific data cap.You’re streaming or using a ton of data. Streaming uses up a load of data, so if you’re watching loads of stuff online, your Internet provider may slow you down to stop you sucking up too much bandwidth. The same goes for downloading big files – ISPs often slow you down when you’re downloading large files or chewing up a lot of data.
Network congestion – this is especially true if you’ve got cable internet and it’s peak hours. ISPs may throttle your connection to keep everyone’s speeds balanced, or to stop their network getting overwhelmed with too many users at the same time.
Paid prioritization. Some ISPs will slow you down on certain sites and apps that use up a lot of bandwidth (like Netflix) to encourage you to use other services instead. This can be because some services are willing to pay ISPs for a better user experience.

Some ISPs are getting with the times and offering unlimited data and consistent speeds without hidden restrictions.

Is Throttling the Internet Legal?

Right, so we’ve covered the reasons. But here’s the question on everyone’s lips: “Is ISP throttling actually legal?” After all, if you’re paying for the fastest service, getting a mediocre connection doesn’t seem right.

Looking at it like this, it’s clear that throttling can be necessary to help ISPs manage their network and make sure everyone gets a decent service. If they don’t throttle when it’s needed, it can lead to connection drops or a lousy service.

But what about the law now? In the US, with net neutrality rules repealed in 2018, American ISPs can now treat internet traffic differently. So, internet throttling isn’t actually unlawful – as long as ISPs are upfront with their customers about why they’re doing it.

In a nutshell, throttling is legal as long as ISPs can explain themselves to their customers.## How to Keep your Internet Speeds on the Right Track

To put it simply, internet speeds are all about how quickly data can zip through from your device into the wider world. We measure it in megabits per second (Mbps) or gigabits per second (Gbps) and that speed is what makes all the difference between streaming videos without any annoying buffering, joining video calls without freezing up, playing online games or downloading big files without anything holding us back. Ever find yourself wondering why your favourite show keeps freezing or video calls keep dropping in mid-conversation? Slow speeds – or even the worst case scenario of internet throttling – could be the problem.

The companies that supply our internet often take steps to ease congestion on their networks by capping your data or slowing down your speed during peak hours. What that means in simple terms is that if you use a lot of data or just happen to go online when everyone else is too, your internet is likely to slow to a crawl. And throttling can be especially tough on stuff that needs consistent speeds – like watching high-definition video or making important video calls.

To avoid getting stuck with slow internet speeds, it makes sense to keep a close eye on your data usage and get a good grasp of how your internet plan works. Picking a plan that suits your online habits and offers enough bandwidth can help you keep your internet running smoothly, even when your ISP is dealing with a flood of traffic. By staying on top of your speed and how your provider handles congestion, you can take steps to avoid internet throttling and enjoy a smoother online experience.

How to tell if your internet is being throttled

Right, now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Lets find out how to tell if your ISP is slowing you down. To determine if throttling is at play, simply run some speed tests to see if your connection is being artificially slowed down. A sudden drop in speed – whether that’s a slow download, a sluggish speed or a noticeable decrease in your download speed – is the obvious sign of internet throttling. ISPs usually throttle when people are uploading, streaming, watching videos or playing games.

Now, there isn’t a specific test for throttling, but there are a few things you can do to make sure something’s not dragging your connection down. First off, switch off all the devices you’re not using on your network – that might just give your bandwidth a bit of a boost and help you figure out what’s going on with your speed. Run some speed tests at different times of the day, like Ookla’s Internet Speed test or Google’s Speed Test, and run the same test with and without a VPN to see if you can spot any patterns. Using an ethernet cable for these tests will give you a more accurate reading than Wi-Fi. If you’ve got access to fibre, consider using it – it’s a more reliable speed and less prone to throttling than other kinds of connections. Compare your speed test results to what your ISP is promising you to spot any differences. You can also use tools like Netflix’s FAST to check your speed when you’re streaming. Keep a record of your speed tests so you can build a case if you need to sort things out with your ISP. If your speed improves when you’re connected to a VPN, it might be a sign that your ISP is throttling your connection.

Test your internet speed

That will tell you if you’re getting the speed you’re paying for. You don’t have to look far for speed tests though – a speed test from Google’s Measurement Lab, Internet Health Test, or Ookla speed test will do the trick. They check your speed across loads of different access points and see if there’s anything slowing it down. That way, you can see your current speed and compare it to your data plan.

Note: Because internet speeds are so varied, it’s a good idea to run loads of tests throughout the day to get a decent average.

How to stop internet throttling?

So you’ve run a speed test and didn’t like what you saw. Well, that’s one job you’ve done – your ISP might be throttling your internet. But the important question is – can you do anything about it?

Get yourself a VPN. The best way to get around throttling is to use a decent VPN (virtual private network). A VPN scrambles up all your online activities and sends your internet traffic through a secure server, making it a bit more difficult for your ISP to see or slow you down. This makes it harder for your ISP to see what you’re doing online, and if your speed improves while you’re connected to a VPN, it’s a pretty strong sign that your ISP is throttling. Just make sure to pick a reputable and reliable VPN provider for the best results.
2. Check if your ISP is playing with fire – aka has data caps. It’s not exactly brain surgery, but take a peek to see if your ISP is limiting your data. Can’t remember if you’ve got a data cap or how your data usage is shaping up against the limit your ISP’s got set? Take a gander at your most recent bill – it should tell you all you need to know. Upgrading to a faster speed plan or a more flexible data plan might just help you avoid getting throttled if your current plan is being a bit too restrictive. Or, you know, just go ahead and upgrade to a plan with no data caps at all – it’s the way to go.
3. Time to cut ties with your ISP. If you’ve had it up to here with all the hassle caused by throttling then maybe it’s time to call it a day and switch providers. The truth is some ISPs are worse than others when it comes to sorting out traffic and making sure their customers aren’t getting throttled – which can leave you hanging with speeds that are slower than they should be. If your current provider is consistently throttling your speeds then it’s probably best to just switch to an ISP that doesn’t throttle at all. That way you can say goodbye to all the throttling issues and hello to the speeds you’re actually paying for – as well as avoiding all the hassle that comes with dealing with a provider that’s just too aggressive with its throttling. Do your research, look into which wifi providers are doing it right in your area, compare the major players on their data cap and traffic management policies – and if your current provider is causing you too much grief, don’t be afraid to vote with your wallet and switch.

By following these simple steps, you can take back control of your online experience and get the speeds you deserve.

Stopping your ISP from throttling Netflix – you don’t need to be a genius

We’ve mentioned this before but ISPs aren’t above throttling specific websites just to see how people react – and that’s usually because they’re trying to discourage you from using a particular site or ease the strain on their own network. And, guess what, streaming sites like Netflix get throttled all. the. time – along with other streaming platforms and services. When an ISP starts messing with traffic, and throttles specific services, it’s usually because of bandwidth heavy activities like watching Netflix or YouTube. One way to figure out if your connection is being throttled when accessing streaming services is to bust out some tools like Netflix’s FAST speed test. Your best bet here is a VPN, no matter which network provider you’re stuck with – and it’s simple: a VPN lets your ISP not have a clue what your data is, so they can’t slow you down. Give it a go: turn on your VPN and enjoy streaming Netflix without any pesky buffering.

Will a VPN actually put a stop to your ISP throttling?

To put it bluntly, a VPN is the most effective way to avoid ISP throttling – because it makes it impossible for your ISP to snoop on what you’re doing online. If you are still on the fence about which VPN provider to choose to protect your connection from throttling, well, we’ve got some good news for you (check out VeePN as a reliable VPN solution). They’re pretty good, are VeePN.

Why VeePN is a solid choice for avoiding internet throttling

On top of offering top-notch encryption, VeePN has got a seriously impressive 2500-server network spread across more than 50 locations. This means you can pretty much hide your online activity from your ISP by just hooking up to one of their many servers – no problem. Don’t worry about any lag or internet slowdowns, a premium VPN like VeePN has got your back.