ISP such as T-Mobile throttling is a more common issue than many users realize, and you need to bypass ISP throttling if you want to enjoy good speeds. Even though throttling has many symptoms, it usually only has one cause: an ISP meddling with your bandwidth allocation. If you are experiencing one or more of the following, you might be a victim of throttling:
- Long and continual buffering when streaming videos
- Poor download speeds on BitTorrent clients
- Speed test results show slower speed than what you signed up for
- Some internet-dependent activities working significantly slower than others
If any of these is true for you, then you are in dire need of a way to bypass ISP throttling. The easiest solution to this problem is a VPN service.
Also read: A guide to internet censorship in France
In this post, I am going to provide some tips for overcoming this problem both with and without the use of VPNs.
How to stop ISP throttling?
The trick to bypass data cap and throttling is to turn yourself invisible in the eyes of your internet service provider and hide your internet traffic. Throttling is only possible when the ISP can see your traffic to separate it into different sections to slow down a specific section of their choice.
Since the ISP can’t see your traffic if you are encrypted with a VPN, they won’t be able to separate and throttle it.
So how you deploy a VPN to stop ISP throttling on any device?
Follow the steps below:
- Get a VPN subscription and download the VPN app on your device/system.
- Install the VPN and launch the app.
- Enter your login credentials and choose a server location that is physically closest to you.
- As soon as the connection with the server is established, you will be invisible to your ISP.
- You should now be able to stream videos and perform other activities seamlessly without throttling.
So, if you’ve been wondering how to re-enable high-speed data after being throttled, using a VPN is the simplest way to get around this problem.
Best VPN to Bypass Bandwidth throttling
1. NordVPN
- Double encryption for added security
- Automatic kill switch
- A variety of platform support
- Six simultaneous connections
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- 3-Day free trial
2. ExpressVPN
- Unlimited Bandwidth with Ultra Speed
- Provides all VPN protocols OpenVPN (TCP, UDP), L2TP-IPsec, SSTP, and PPTP
- Dedicated VPN Apps for Android & iOS
- High-End Security with OpenVPN 256-bits
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- 3 simultaneous connections
3. Surfshark
- AES 256-Bit Network Encryption
- Chrome Extension Available
- Kill-Switch functionality
- A variety of platform support
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
4. CyberGhost
- Uses AES 256 Encryption
- Supports OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, and PPTP
- DNS & IP Leak Protection
- Uses 2048 Key & MD5 Authentication
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- Up to 7 Simultaneous Connections
5. Private Internet Access
- Offers all Protocols PPTP, OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec including SOCKS5 Proxy
- IPv6 Leak Protection & DNS Leak Protection
- Kill-Switch functionality
- Encrypted Wi-Fi Protection
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- 10 simultaneous connections
How do I know if T-Mobile is data throttling?
To find out if you’re being throttled, you first need to know what speeds T-Mobile has promised you. Look through your T-Mobile plan’s details for data caps, bandwidth limits, and other fine print.
Once you know how much speed you’re supposed to get, test it out. Speedtest.net is our preferred testing site.
If your download speed is significantly less than what’s in your plan, then you might be being throttled. Note, however, that this could also indicate an issue with your or T-Mobile’s equipment. Check to see if speeds dip at certain times of the day or during certain online activities.
If your speed test results are notably higher than what you get when torrenting, downloading, or streaming, then those specific activities could be throttled.
Try connecting to a VPN and testing your speed again. If your speeds are much higher while connected to the VPN, then it’s very likely that your ISP is bandwidth throttling.
Is it legal for T-Mobile to throttle my bandwidth?
Yes.
Under the Trump administration, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed the Open Internet Order, an Obama-era rule that stipulated ISPs treat all internet traffic the same. ISPs are now allowed to discriminate by application, device, content, or service.
But even though it is legal, T-Mobile says it does not discriminate against particular devices, content, or sources of traffic and adheres to basic Open Internet principles.
Conclusion
ISP throttling is a deliberate action that causes incredible frustration among users. But, you can simply prevent it without making many efforts. By using a reliable VPN, you can circumvent ISP throttling.
To prevent ISP throttling, you have many VPN options to go with but remember, not all of them give you the expected results you desired. When it comes to ISP throttling, you need to consider certain things and then make a choice.
Like, carefully check out the VPN features and make sure the VPN you choose should have a kill switch, a wide range of servers, and quick customer support as it proves to be useful to prevent ISP throttling.
The above-listed VPNs are the best to prevent or bypass ISP throttling. We recommend choosing any of these VPNs as they’ve all the features to ensure your online security and privacy.
