Does O2 throttle VPN connections?

[MaxDaddie66]

So I get up to 90Mbps at home on O2 (Tesco), but when I connect to a VPN, it's throttled right down to 10Mbps. It's definitely not the VPN speed as it works at high speed in my computer through my regular broadband, just not through the mobile signal.

I've tried UDP, TCP, IKEv2 and different ports. The only thing I can think is that O2 throttles VPN speeds. It's always exactly 10Mbps, no matter which VPN provider I use or what server or even country, it's always the same.

[MaxDaddie66]

I just tested it now and I'm getting full speed using VPN, it only seems to be in the evenings that VPN speeds are slow on O2.

[madasaf1sh]

@MaxDaddie66

TCP and UDP are the transport layer (4) of the Layer 7 OSI model, and as such are independent of the VPN Client and are purely traffic.
IKEv2 is classed as Media in L3 on the OSI model.

Changing ports as well will make no difference.

You need to speak to Tesco, as they do routing and traffic management.
Also at Peak times, like all ISP's the speed you get can be slower as it is a contended service.

Also if using VPN's to IP's in other countries then your speed will always be slower than coming to UK IP's as the latency will be higher.

[MaxDaddie66]

Ok now i am at home after 5pm here at the results:

12pm lunch time:
No VPN: 83.4Mbps
VPN: 76.6Mbps

After 5pm
No VPN: 76.4Mbps
VPN: 18.8Mbps

There is definitely some throttling going on.

[Anonymous]

@MaxDaddie66 Hi, maybe it's the VPN servers that are slower, the 5pm download speeds are still fast without VPN (76Mbps) Why would an ISP throttle only VPN, makes no sense.