AT&T does slow down your Internet connection from time to time. Especially while downloading or uploading – and sometimes while streaming during peak hours. But luckily, you can overcome AT&T speed throttling.
Every netizen knows about throttling. The service providers like AT&T deliberately slow down internet speed for several reasons. Downloading torrents, streaming, playing games, and reducing network congestion are the main reasons for throttling. No matter the reason, it is always frustrating for the user. The good news is that security specialists have come up with a solution, and now you don’t need to worry about slow internet speeds.
A joint research study reveals that AT&T throttles users’ bandwidth on different video streaming platforms. They throttle 61% of users’ bandwidth on YouTube, while on NBCB sports, 59%, and 56% on Netflix.
This is something concerning and can have a significant impact on your browsing activities. Switching to another service provider is the easiest way to get around AT&T throttling. But like AT&T, other ISPs, too, have a history of throttling your connection. In such circumstances, switching to a new ISP can be risky. But there’s another way too by which you can change your IP address and perform your activities anonymously over the web.
By using a reliable VPN provider, you can prevent AT&T congestion. This article provides you with deep insight into bypassing AT&T throttling, so let’s get started.
Quick Tip
ISP throttling worldwide issue, whether you like it or not, it’s there. Sometimes it is the name of peak hours, bandwidth loads, extensive torrenting or streaming, or because of the net-neutrality bill. There are many ways to get around this issue, but the most effective and quick way to use the fastest VPN service.
- CyberGhost (9.9 ratings) is the most recommended.
- NordVPN (9.9 rating) has fastest severs
- Surfshark: offers better support for streaming and downloading.
Using the fastest VPN, you can easily change your IP and get around the ISP throttling filter.
Why AT&T Throttles Your Connection?
With the repulsion of Net Neutrality, netizens have to experience severe restrictions that destroy their core idea of accessing free internet. The ISPs now have the power to control users’ bandwidth and connection. If they caught you doing something like playing excessive online games or streaming Netflix, they would throttle your connection.
But before Net Neutrality, the concept of throttling was present. Comcast and, Verizon, AT&T are among the largest global telecom providers famous for throttling. The service provider owns a history of throttling the user’s speed.
The FTC has fined the telecom provider for throttling unlimited data plans. It is the worst scenario for any user. But now, using a VPN, you can get rid of throttling and make your browsing experience worth amazing.
How Does a VPN Help to Stop AT&T Throttling?
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is the best solution to prevent AT&T throttling. The VPN hides your original IP address and makes your online activities anonymous. Your ISP won’t ever know if you’re spending hours streaming Netflix, downloading torrents, or playing online games, and you can protect yourself from AT&T throttling.
When you connect to a VPN server, it assigns you a new IP address and replaces it with your original one. Your ISP cannot see any of your traffic while all your data traffic routes to the VPN server located in some other location.
Furthermore, a VPN is compatible with major devices and platforms, making it easy to use and run on any device you want.
As a whole, you should always look for a reliable VPN provider to bypass AT&T throttling. It guarantees online privacy and protects your online experience from all snooping eyes.
The Four Best VPNs to Stop AT&T Throttling
Several VPNs available in the market claim to prevent AT&T throttling. I tried them all and ended up with the three best VPNs. Here is a brief overview of the best VPN to stop AT&T throttling.
1. CyberGhost
Another best VPN to bypass throttling is none other than CyberGhost. Unlimited bandwidth, fast and consistent speeds, and an extensive server network make CyberGhost a reliable VPN to bypass throttling. The VPN protects against DNS and IP leaks and uses military-grade encryption to protect data from ISP monitoring and tracking.
Besides this, the VPN also comes with some handy features like split tunneling, No Spy servers, and specialized servers that ensure that you carry out tasks like streaming and torrenting without any speed issues.
2. NordVPN
NordVPN is the best VPN when it comes to securing your online privacy. The Panama-based VPN provides super-fast and reliable speed on more than 5000+ servers, making it among those with an extensive server network. Its unlimited bandwidth and consistent speeds make it best for streaming, torrenting, and playing online games, ultimately preventing throttling.
It is a private VPN and follows a strict no-log policy. The VPN doesn’t collect the user’s activity log, IP address, or timestamp connection. Although NordVPN was accused of hacking, they have undergone a log audit that verifies their logging policy. Thus, with NordVPN, you don’t have to worry about your activities getting exposed.
If you want to prevent AT&T throttling, NordVPN’s obfuscated server helps make your traffic look like HTTPS. NordVPN comes with great encryption and security features. It protects against DNS and IP leaks. Moreover, it comes with a kill switch, dedicated IP address, and double VPN mode for maximum protection. Overall, NordVPN is the best choice one can use.
3. ExpressVPN
Our next top pick is ExpressVPN. It is among the best VPNs that prevent AT&T throttling. It comprises more than 3000 servers in 94+ states. All these servers provide consistent speeds that efficiently help in preventing throttling. The VPN has the fastest servers that boost your connection, making it an ideal choice for torrenting and streaming. It doesn’t limit data usage; you are allowed unlimited torrenting.
ExpressVPN belongs to the British Virgin Islands. The country doesn’t follow any strict internet laws that compel them to keep users’ data. Like NordVPN, it also follows a zero-log policy and uses military-grade AES-256-bit encryption. It protects against DNS, IP, and WebRTC leaks. It has various advanced security boosting features, including a kill switch, Smart DNS, and split tunneling.
The incredible thing about ExpressVPN is its obfuscated protocol. The protocol is useful when you want to circumvent censorship and bypass throttling.
4. SurfShark VPN
SurfShark is among the best VPNs to stop AT&T throttling. It has all those features and is a new VPN that is necessary to bypass throttling. The server network is spread in 60+ countries, which is more than enough.
The VPN comes with a private DNS server to prevent DNS or IP address leak. Moreover, it uses AES-256-bit encryption and OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec protocol to safeguard your data traffic from any snooping eyes.
It also comes with an obfuscation mode that helps in bypassing censorship and speed issues. By activating this mode, you prevent AT&T from throttling your network connection. It has an automatic kill switch, double VPN, SOCKS, and split tunneling for extra security.
Furthermore, the speeds are fast with unnoticeable lags. It means you won’t have any issues accessing Netflix or other streaming sites or during P2P file sharing. The VPN is compatible with Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. You can avail of all these benefits at an affordable price with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
How to Check If AT&T Throttling Your Bandwidth or Not?
If you have a doubt and are unsure if AT&T is throttling your bandwidth, then there are two ways to check it. You can either run a simple speed test or the internet health test to test the speeds. If you observe a decrease, then assume that you are a victim of throttling.
The other way is to check your monthly data cap. Most of the time, it happens that your data cap reaches its limit. As a result, the ISP throttles your connection. These things would impact speeds overall rather than at specific websites.
In both cases, you can use a reliable VPN provider and prevent AT&T from throttling.
Things to Look for In a VPN to Prevent AT&T Throttling
Although a VPN is the best solution to bypass throttling, you can’t use any VPN immediately. Several VPNs are available in the market, but not all are reliable. You need to keep in mind specific criteria while choosing a VPN to prevent AT&T throttling.
These points are essential because if your VPN has these qualities, it can prevent you from throttling. The following are the vital things you must look for in a VPN to bypass throttling.
- Speed: The first important thing to look for in a VPN to bypass throttling is their speed. Your VPN should have super-fast and consistent speeds without any lags. It should maintain excellent speeds throughout the browsing experience.
- Server Network: Another vital aspect is the server network. Despite your location, a large server gives easy access to the fastest available servers. They help in bypassing strict censorship, throttling, and accessing the blocked content and websites.
- Security: Make sure your VPN provides reliable safety and online protection. Check what encryption level and security protocols it uses. Also, your VPN should have advanced security boosting features like a kill switch, double VPN, DNS leak protection.
- Logging Policy: The VPN’s logging policy defines what data it collects. A service provider with a no-log policy is more private and secure. It doesn’t gather any information that can reveal your identity. Moreover, a VPN with a log audit report is a plus point.
FAQ’s
You can also do a few things to improve your connection speed without resorting to a VPN.
1- One is to upgrade your AT&T plan to a higher tier of service. This will likely cost more money per month, but it could significantly increase your connection speed.
2- Another option is to connect to AT&T’s network using a different type of device. For example, if you use a wireless router, connect directly to your modem with an Ethernet cable. This can sometimes provide a significant boost in speeds.
3- Finally, if all else fails, consider switching to another ISP. Many high-quality ISPs out there don’t throttle their customers’ connections like AT&T does.
There are several ways to tell if your ISP is throttling your bandwidth. The first way is to test your internet speed at different times of the day. If you notice a significant difference in speed at different times, your ISP may be throttling your bandwidth. Another way to tell if you are being throttled is to test your internet speed on different websites. If your speed is significantly slower on one website than on another, your ISP may be throttled.
If you’re an AT&T customer, you may have noticed that your data usage is higher than usual. There are a few reasons why this could be happening:
You’re using more data than usual. This could be due to streaming more video, downloading more files, or simply using your phone more often.
AT&T is intentionally throttling your data speeds. This means that your data is being slowed down on purpose, making it harder to stream video or download files quickly.
There’s a problem with AT&T’s network. This could be due to maintenance or upgrades, resulting in slower speeds for everyone.
If you’re unsure why your data usage is so high, we recommend contacting AT&T customer service for more information.
If your data usage suddenly jumps without explanation, it could be due to bandwidth throttling by your ISP. Bandwidth throttling is when your ISP deliberately slows down your internet connection in order to conserve bandwidth or improve network performance.
There are a few ways to tell if you’re being throttled.
First, check your internet speeds at different times of the day. If you’re consistently getting slower speeds during peak hours (usually evenings and weekends), that’s a sign that you’re being throttled.
Second, run a speed test from a website like SpeedTest.net. If the results show that your speeds are much lower than what you’re paying for, that’s another sign of throttling.
If you suspect you’re being throttled, the best thing to do is contact your ISP and ask about their policies. Many ISPs will throttle users who consume large amounts of data, so they may be able to give you more information about why your speeds are slow.
Check your signal strength and see if you can improve it. You can do this by moving closer to a window or going outside.
Use a signal booster to amplify your signal. A signal booster can be purchased online or at most electronics stores.
Upgrade your AT&T data package to get more data each month. This may cost more money, but it will give you more data to work with each month.
Use Wi-Fi whenever possible to free up your cellular data allowance. Many public places, such as coffee shops and libraries, offer free Wi-Fi access.
Parting Words
Most of the service providers, including AT&T, throttle your bandwidth. They do it deliberately and purposefully. You can’t do anything in this regard because sometimes they are right to throttle your connection. But being a netizen, you can’t accept the fact.
The best possible solution to stop AT&T throttling is to use a VPN. The VPN hides your IP address and makes your activities invisible to the ISPs. Not all VPNs are not good at bypassing throttling. You should consider some considerations while selecting a VPN for throttling.
The VPNs mentioned above are the best to prevent AT&T throttling. Each of them is personally tested separately and reviewed following the criteria. All of them give exceptional results, so using them and getting rid of AT&T throttling is recommended.
