CNET BANDWIDTH SPEED TEST WINDOWS

If you're using a VPN for online activities such as these, it'll need to be strong enough to handle all the data you're using and offer a sturdy and swift connection. Nowadays, there are so many things you may need your internet connection for: streaming, gaming, video conferencing and torrenting, to name a few. Speeds generally hovered in the low-to-mid 300s when testing the VPN’s speeds from Ohio. The fastest speeds we measured through ExpressVPN were to Europe, where we registered 343.31 Mbps, and the slowest speeds we measured were to Singapore at 287.43 Mbps. Though not quite as consistent as NordVPN, ExpressVPN’s speeds were largely stable throughout the multiple rounds of testing we did on various server locations around the world. Because we recommend OpenVPN for critical privacy needs (and due to its demonstrated commitment to security and transparency), ExpressVPN is perhaps an even better option than NordVPN for anyone looking for the very best combination of speeds and security. Though the provider’s proprietary Lightway protocol should theoretically be quicker than OpenVPN, the fastest round of testing through Lightway was slightly slower at an 11% speed loss. ExpressVPN’s fastest round of tests yielded a 9% speed loss through OpenVPN. The recent drop in speeds has, for the time being, relegated ExpressVPN to third place behind NordVPN and Surfshark. However, ExpressVPN’s stratospheric speeds came back down to Earth in our most recent tests, averaging a still-respectable 18% speed loss overall. And as expected, speeds to distant server locations like Singapore and Australia were generally a bit slower - but still fast enough for just about any online activity, including streaming.ĮxpressVPN wowed us with its incredible 2% speed loss last year - a result that placed it handily in the lead as our fastest VPN at the time. Speeds through Surfshark’s New York and UK servers were the fastest, but speeds to France and Germany weren’t far behind. In our latest benchmarks, Surfshark’s speeds were generally fastest through WireGuard and server locations closest to our testing locations. We were also pleased with the overall consistency of Surfshark’s speed performance across the board.

CNET BANDWIDTH SPEED TEST WINDOWS

During our most recent tests, we recorded an overall average speed loss of 17%, with OpenVPN speeds on Windows cutting our speeds by an average of 28% (a marked improvement from the previously recorded 77%). However, Surfshark promised to fix its OpenVPN speeds on Windows, and we were impressed with the improvement in performance after recently re-testing the VPN’s speeds. At the time, Surfshark’s speeds were wildly inconsistent, especially through OpenVPN on Windows, where it cut our speeds by 77%. Surfshark briefly dropped off our fastest VPN list with a disappointing showing in our previous speed tests, slashing our internet speeds by an average of 40%. However, Nord’s speeds to Singapore were faster than other VPNs’ speeds to closer locations, which we liked.

We achieved the fastest speeds to servers in Europe and, as expected, the slowest speeds to Singapore. Our base internet speeds hovered around 370 Mbps, and NordVPN’s speeds held consistently between around 320 Mbps and 355 Mbps to server locations around the globe. We were impressed with NordVPN’s consistency across the board, regardless of whether we tested speeds through OpenVPN or NordLynx. This steady improvement in speeds has helped NordVPN leapfrog ExpressVPN and take the reins as the fastest VPN. The fastest round of testing yielded a mere 7% speed loss through its proprietary WireGuard-based NordLynx VPN protocol from our testing location in Ohio. During our most recent testing in 2023, the average speed loss dropped to just 10%. In our 2020 speed tests, we calculated a 53% speed loss, and in the summer of 2022, a 13% speed loss. NordVPN’s speeds have improved over the past few years.

Cnet bandwidth speed test