Is Speed The Most Important Quality Of A Vpn?

There are many reasons why someone would choose to use a VPN. These can include more Internet security, the ability to bypass geographical restrictions of content, and affordability. What is most important to those who use a VPN for Internet browsing? A new survey indicates that an overwhelming number of individuals choose their VPN provider based on connection speed.

Almost Half Prefer Speed Over Other VPN Features

According to a recent VPN survey conducted by PCMag, 45% of VPN users say that speed is the feature they consider to be most important in a VPN. Speed outranked other features like the number of servers available, a wide location of servers, and compatibility with other services. Price was the second most popular feature. The survey found that most US customers expect to pay about $8 per month for their service.

What is very interesting about this particular survey is that security did not rank in the top five features that users want from a VPN. This would seem to indicate either a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of a VPN or that VPN security is taken for granted. As we have pointed out many times at VPNaccounts.com, security cannot be automatically assumed when choosing a VPN provider. Many providers have been compromised due to poor security protocols.

This survey provokes an important question. Why would VPN users prefer speed over other features? The answer likely rests in how they use the VPN. Before answering that question it pays to take a brief look at how the function of a VPN can affect browsing speed.

VPNs and Speed

We will state right up front that using a VPN should present no discernible difference in browsing speed. By that we mean that you should experience no difficulties in getting web pages to open, reading email, or any other issues with normal browsing activity. Our VPNaccounts.com service is very fast by VPN standards.

A VPN forms a barrier between your device and the Web. Instead of connecting directly to an ISP and browsing, you connect to an ISP and then to the VPN. It is only natural that the connection to a VPN would result in a slight dip in speed due to the tunneling and encryption that it offers. A negligible reduction in speed is a small price to pay for enhanced security in our opinion.

Things That Might Affect VPN Speed

The above-mentioned survey might provide an insight into how many people are using their VPN. If speed is a preferred feature, it seems that many people might be using their VPN to stream media, download files, or use VoIP. These are activities that would probably be the most susceptible to a reduction in speed when a VPN is used.

This conclusion makes perfect sense when you think about it. Many expats use a VPN to access media in countries where there are restrictions. The same can be said for chatting apps and VoIP services. A good high speed connection is important in these circumstances. It would be interesting to see how many of the individuals on the survey were expats.

It could also be that some of the respondents are using VPN service for BitTorrent downloads. This is unwise. Most VPN providers are no longer allowing users to access these services with their VPN servers. The reason for this is that illegal downloads can create a great deal of trouble for the VPN provider.

What VPN Feature is Really Most Important?

Security is the foremost reason why a VPN exists. If the service didn’t provide extra security, it would be useless. We recommend that anyone considering a VPN purchase should take some time to research providers. Determine if the provider has a solid reputation. Also, stay away from free VPN providers. These services are often riddled with security vulnerabilities. And remember, it is possible to have both speed and security when you choose VPNAccounts.