How to Test if Your ISP is Throttling Your Internet Connection

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We’ve all heard about the stories and witnessed evidence. Certain Internet services slow the speed of certain kinds of traffic, including BitTorrent traffic. Other ISPs throttle their customers’ connections if they download too many files during one month.

However, do you know if your ISP provides any of these services? It’s not easy to know, and it is necessary to run various tests to determine if any appears odd.

What Is Throttling Data?

The process of throttle is an ISP deliberately slowing down a user’s data transfer. Sometimes, you’ll experience lower speeds that are hard to explain and don’t necessarily relate to technical issues. It’s not always possible to receive explicit notice that your connection has been restricted despite the rules that force telecom providers to notify you about the slowness of your connection can be extremely annoying.

At present, you’ll experience a slowing of your entire internet connection. However, following the demise of Net Neutrality, some people fear that ISPs might begin throttling certain kinds of content, and this isn’t currently a widespread issue.

Why Do ISPs Throttle Data?

There are a variety of reasons an ISP could block data:

1. You have exceeded your limit of data. Many people have limits on data on their internet connection, and if they exceed the limit of data speed, they will usually be reduced to a minimum. Instead of shutting off access to the internet completely, ISPs prioritize customers who are within the limits of their plans. The slow speeds can be frustrating, but it’s more preferable than not being able to browse the internet completely.
2. If you are connected during a “high traffic” time. While bandwidth isn’t typically an issue for large broadband providers, however, the reality remains that it’s an indefinite resource. If you’re using a lot of data that exceeds the limits, ISPs may need to limit certain connections to offer high-speed service to all their customers.
3. ISP chooses to restrict your particular activities. In the wake of the demise of Net Neutrality, the ability of an ISP to throttle its services could be increased, allowing the capability to throttle certain kinds of content or increase the fees charged to major users of data, such as streaming services such as Netflix. If the costs rise dramatically for these content providers, the cost of paying ISPs could be passed on to you.

How To Check If Your ISP Is Throttling Bandwidth

The best way to find out whether your internet is restricted is to conduct a free speed test on the internet. The problem is that most internet providers will recognize speed tests and then artificially increase your speed to appear as if they’re not throttled.

Therefore, a speed test isn’t the most reliable method to detect Internet throttles.

The most reliable method for verifying whether your connection is restricted is to use a Virtual Private Network, also called VPN. VPN.

ISPs can sometimes block certain kinds of content, and a VPN could render this impossible through the masking of your IP address as well as your activities by separating your Internet service provider.

With your ISP obliged to treat all your content equally due to the inability to distinguish what kind of sites you’re visiting, you’ll be able to determine your actual speed with a speed test on the internet.

To reiterate the point, you can identify whether your internet connection is restricted using these methods:

1. Run an Internet speed test
2. Download and install a trusted VPN
3. Do another speed test to see if you can get an alternative result.

Suppose your speed is significantly lower than usual, and you’re unable to pinpoint the issue after taking the steps listed in the troubleshooting section. In that case, your internet connection has likely been slowed.

How To Fix Data Throttling

There are, however, some actions you can take to resolve the issue of internet throttling.

1. Check your monthly usage of data. Suppose you’ve exceeded your data allowance for a plan that is capped. In that case, it is possible to get around the problem by monitoring your usage in the future or changing to a plan that has greater allowances for data. However, if your account is intended to be “unlimited,” there’s probably no simple solution.
2. Register with a reputable VPN. A reliable VPN might be able to give you a solution for throttled internet. If you find that a VPN can’t solve the issue, it is possible to go through one of the following steps. Another thing to keep in mind is that many major internet services like Netflix and Hulu are becoming more adept in identifying VPNs and could block users from using the services of these companies if they are unable to identify your geographical location.
3. Switch to a different Internet service provider. Certain ISPs are more well-known for slowing down their users, and virtually all ISPs have a distinct data limit in their conditions. If you’re constantly restricted, you might want to switch to an internet service provider with the highest data limit.
4. Send your concerns to representatives of the government. If none of these options provide the results you want, the only option left is to persuade representatives and Federal Communications Commission officials to push for an open internet. In submitting an FCC comment, expressing your concern, or writing to your congressperson, you can join with the many who fight against the exploitation of content and throttling.

Netflix and YouTube Throttling

It is also possible to test the speed test for Netflix. Netflix developed this test to determine if your internet provider is throttling your connection for Netflix as well. Check the results against the speed that you can see on Speed Test. If Netflix speed tests are much slower, it’s a sign that your ISP is throttled.

Google also offers the “Google Video Quality” report, revealing what the connection quality is with YouTube’s servers. Suppose you have a speedy Internet connection but a low high-quality connection with YouTube’s servers. In that case, this is a sign that your internet service provider might be slowing down YouTube connections.

Why Is My Internet Slow?

If you’ve run the proper tests and concluded that your internet isn’t blocked, or you aren’t sure one way or the alternative, there are additional tests you can run to determine the root of the issue.

Here are some reasons that your internet may be slow:

• Your router and modem are outdated. In most cases, it’s something related to your router and modem that they require restarting or maybe not functioning properly.
• You’re connected to the internet during “high traffic” hours. The most frequent problem can be “peak use” slowdowns from other customers. It is normal that the cable Internet to slow down by around 30% between 5-9 pm as everyone begins their nightly Netflix addiction.
• WiFi connections are less reliable than Ethernet. Keep in mind that it’s common to expect Internet connection to slow when using WiFi instead. Connected with Ethernet. Connect your device to your router via Ethernet and perform a speed test to check if the speed is decreased.

Read the following checklist to see if you’re experiencing an issue that’s not obvious. Before you assume you’re experiencing throttle:

Check for Throttling Checklist

• Reset your router. Sometimes, the device needs to be rebooted to get your connection back to speed.
• Connect using an Ethernet cable to check whether there’s a problem with your WiFi
• Connect with a different device to determine whether the issue is not limited to a particular computer.
• Verify for viruses using a reputable antivirus and a malware scanner
• Contact your service provider to determine if they can detect an issue with the technology.

To resolve the issue with your connection in more detail, look up our more in-depth WiFi Troubleshooting Guide.

If you’ve completed the steps above but still have problems connecting, your connection is likely reduced.

Is Internet Throttling Legal?

In the majority of cases, the throttling of an internet connection is permitted. A common reason the data speed is throttled is excessive usage on the plan that has data caps. In most situations, ISPs are obligated to notify consumers whenever they decide to restrict connections.

In 2015, US justices ruled businesses could not prioritize different data streams through “internet fast lanes,” or penalize customers who do not upgrade to a higher speed plan. With the repeal of Net Neutrality, this provision has been stripped of its effectiveness, which has made the rules surrounding selective throttles almost absent.

Despite removing these safeguards, ISPs generally still have to notify their customers when they limit data beyond the obligation to inform customers; however, ISPs are now able to do so with much less restriction in terms of making content priority and charging users for prioritization of connections.

Despite past problems with blocking certain services, many ISPs have made it a point to respect the greater freedom responsible.

Conclusion

I hope you find this guide helpful. For any comments or questions, do not hesitate to contact me using the contact form below.

User Questions:

1. Is CPU throttling harmful?

Throttling of CPUs isn’t a problem in and of itself, since it’s the processor being exactly what it should do under the conditions. … It’s not just that bad thermals can cause CPU throttling; it could be an indication that your PC is overheated and may indicate that the cooling system isn’t enough.

2. Does routers improve Internet speed?

A new router can boost your WiFi speed, and what it can’t achieve is to increase the speed of the internet service. For instance, if you have a 100Mbps internet plan, even the most expensive router available will not be able to make your internet speed exceed 100 Mbps.

3. Why is my internet so slow?

The slow internet speed can be the result of a variety of factors. Your router might be old or too far from your television or computer, for instance. The fixes are as simple as restarting your router or modem or changing to a mesh-based network. Another reason for slow internet connection could be due to speed throttling.

4. I believe that my ISP is restricting my bandwidth to sites that aren’t speed-testing websites, is there a way to prove it?

I think my ISP is throttling my bandwidth to sites that aren’t speed test sites, is there any way to prove this? from techsupport

5. How do I know whether my ISP is throttling my internet connection?

How can i know if my ISP is throttling my connection? from torrents