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How We Test VPN Speeds — Our Methodology

Transparency matters. Here's exactly how we measure VPN speeds, including our testing equipment, locations, and analysis methods.

By Alex ChenPublished 2025-10-20

Testing Environment

All speed tests are conducted from dedicated testing locations:

  • Primary: 1 Gbps fiber connection in Dallas, Texas
  • Secondary: 500 Mbps fiber connection in New York City
  • European: 500 Mbps fiber connection in Frankfurt, Germany

Testing Equipment

  • Dell XPS 15 running Windows 11 Pro (latest updates)
  • Custom Linux testing rig running Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
  • WireGuard, OpenVPN, and proprietary protocol clients at latest stable versions

Testing Protocol

  1. Establish baseline speed without VPN (5 consecutive tests)
  2. Connect to nearest available server on each protocol
  3. Run 5 speed tests at 30-second intervals
  4. Repeat at peak (8 PM local) and off-peak (6 AM local) hours
  5. Test at least 3 different server locations per provider

Latency Testing

Latency is measured using ICMP ping and TCP handshake timing. We record both average ping and jitter (ping variance) which affects gaming performance.

Variables Controlled

  • All tests run on wired Ethernet connections
  • No other network activity during testing
  • Same time windows used across all providers
  • Multiple tests per session to account for normal variance