A slow Internet connection can ruin any gaming experience, so serious and casual gamers alike may want to know if the best VPN can speed up the Internet while gaming.

For those unfamiliar with VPNs, they protect your online privacy by rerouting your Internet connection through a secure server located anywhere in the world. This prevents not only Internet service providers, but also hackers and other malicious forces from spying on your online activities.

With a VPN, you can browse the Internet the same way you would view it in other countries, or watch streaming content that is exclusive to other countries, simply by rerouting your connection through a server in that region.

This article discusses how using a gaming VPN can speed up your Internet connection and avoid network throttling that can halt gameplay.

To some extent, it is true that VPNs may slow down your Internet connection slightly; VPNs add a layer of encryption, which may slow it down slightly. Additionally, if you are using a VPN with a limited number of servers (common to many free VPN services), the servers may become overloaded. This will almost certainly result in slower Internet speeds.

If you decide to use a VPN to connect to a server in a country far away from you, there may be an additional time lag when browsing the Internet. This is due to the physical distance data packets must travel.

Most premium VPNs are aware of these problems and have taken steps to mitigate them, such as having many servers around the world to prevent overcrowding.

However, because of the practice of bandwidth throttling, using a faster VPN may actually speed up your connection. Bandwidth throttling is when an Internet Service Provider (ISP) slows down your Internet connection in response to certain online activities. Common activities that may lead to bandwidth limiting include streaming, torrenting, and gaming; ISPs may limit bandwidth for a variety of reasons, including to prevent network congestion during peak usage times.

If your Internet connection speed fluctuates or is significantly slower than normal, bandwidth throttling may be occurring at the hands of your ISP.

Fortunately, an easy way to get around bandwidth throttling is to use a VPN.

VPNs completely anonymize your Internet activity from your ISP. When you connect through a VPN while gaming, your ISP cannot see what you are doing and will not be able to throttle your Internet connection based on your activity.

There are other benefits to adding a VPN to your gaming setup. Protecting your online privacy is essential, especially when gaming on public Wi-Fi networks. Such networks are typically unencrypted and are especially vulnerable when playing on a cell phone in a hotel or coffee shop while traveling.

VPNs can also be used to bypass geo-blocking, access region-specific in-game rewards, and try games that are not yet available in your country. with a VPN, you can bypass the geo-blocking of many streaming sites and unlock worldwide content can be unlocked.

The best providers offer mobile VPN apps for tablets and smartphones, making it easy to connect on any device you use for gaming.

Having your ISP artificially slow down your Internet connection because of your online activity is a frustrating experience, not to mention an invasion of privacy.

Fortunately, there is an easy way to get around unreasonable bandwidth limitations: using a VPN can completely hide your online activity from your ISP, ensuring that you always have the speed you need to finish your battle campaign with your friends.

When choosing a VPN for gaming, look for one with a variety of servers and fast connection speeds to prevent overcrowding. There are also VPN apps available for routers, so you can bounce around bandwidth limitations no matter which device you use.