How to check if your ISP is throttling your internet speed

As if they’re giving you the marketed speed you’ve subscribed to, some internet service providers (ISPs) even have the audacity to throttle and slow down your internet connection.

There are ways to complain or report such issues, however, it’s best to first check if your ISP is indeed slowing down your internet connection. Because, as you know, there are a couple of other reasons why you’re experiencing bad connectivity.

So, without further ado, let’s start.

Why is my internet slow?

Other than the ISP throttling your internet connection, there are actually tons of other reasons why you’re experiencing slow service and requires a different solution. Here are some of the main ones:

• You may have reached your plan’s data cap.
• Service interruptions that may be due to natural causes or accidental damage to your ISP’s equipment, underground cables, etc.
• Your own modem, ethernet cable, and other equipment are already aging or damaged.
• Your computer, mobile device, or other device has connectivity issues.
• Your WiFi connection is crowded or isn’t capable enough to support the number of users in your household.

What does internet throttling mean?

Throttling means that your ISP is deliberately slowing down your internet connection, or capping it to a certain speed, not maximizing its potential.

Why is my ISP throttling my connection?

There are a couple of reasons why your ISP is throttling your connection, but it could be narrowed down into two categories: Either it’s their fault or yours.

ISPs may throttle your connection due to network congestion, especially when they insist in adding more subscribers above their network’s capacity.

On the flip side, you may experience speed throttling if you commit malicious and illegal activities like downloading torrents or other illegal content. Another reason is you’ve exceeded the limit on their “fair use policy.”

Related

• Fiber Internet Plans in the Philippines
• Can VPNs really lower my ping when gaming?
• Loss of Signal: What is LOS and how to fix it?

How to check if my ISP is throttling my internet connection?

Step 1: Run the internet speed test of your choice. For this tutorial, we’re using Ookla’s popular www.speedtest.net. No download is required. After you run the test, take a screenshot of the result.

*Take note that this test was conducted using a Smart Bro SIM with the Unli Data 599 promo, where excessive usage usually limits the speed to only 3Mbps.

Step 2: Run your preferred VPN service. We’re using VPN Unlimited for this, which is a paid software. For those who don’t want to pay, there are free alternatives out there like ProtonVPN.

Step 3: Then, run the speed test again. If the speed you got with VPN enabled is much faster, that means that your ISP is throttling your speed. If it’s the same or slower, that’s good.

So, why did we use VPN? ISPs implement speed throttling on specific devices with particular identifiers, which is something that VPNs can usually bypass. If the ISP doesn’t know the real identity of your machine, the throttling will not take effect.