Just like any other software, virtual private networks are not perfect and have certain flaws. Occasionally when you are using the private network connection, you might experience some frustrating challenges. Some of the obstacles include a slow connection and the inability to connect to some servers on the network.

Most VPN providers have these issues, and the quality of the service is what determines how fast the provider fixes their product. As a user, you should know that some factors may cause your VPN to be slow.

Factors Which Slow Down VPN Performance

Here, in no specific order, are some of the elements which may be detrimental to your virtual private network connection speeds.

Server Overload

It is the main reason for a drop in performance in your private network connection. The moment many people are accessing a server at the same time, there is a high possibility it becomes overloaded with requests from the users. As a result, the VPN performance is affected.

Such a problem is common among free VPN services because many people try to access the limited number of servers at the same time. If you want to enjoy decent speed with your VPN, it is advisable to avoid using free providers. Just compare the performance of NordVPN’s servers with those of free services like Betternet, and the difference in quality should be clear. Another possible solution to this problem is to change servers and to use one with less traffic.

Internet Connection Interference

Your internet connection can also affect the speed of your VPN. A good example is when your internet signal gets interrupted in any way; it might spoil your connection. If the connection remains interrupted, the VPN will be disconnected as well.

To ensure you do not find yourself in such a situation, it is better to check your internet connection before activating your VPN. The moment you discover a problem with your internet speed, restart your router or contact your service provider for more assistance.

Poor Quality Servers

A server without proper hardware cannot work well with many requests from users. People who use free VPNs do not pay for them, and as a result, those services have to use low-quality servers to reduce costs. In most cases, some of these servers used by free VPNs are rented from overseas.

In addition, cheap VPN services also use low-quality servers to cut costs. If you have a provider who uses poor quality servers, the only way you can solve such an issue is by getting another one who uses premium quality equipment.

High-quality servers will typically assure you of top speeds and reliability, but not always. Just picking the fastest VPN does not automatically translate to fewer issues. You need to find a happy balance between hardware quality, performance and customer support to give yourself a chance at the best VPN experience.

Server Location

The location of a server is crucial when it comes to the speed of a VPN. If you are using a server that is near you, you will enjoy higher speeds than someone who is far from the server.

If, for example, the internet connection is 50 Mbps, someone living close to the server may enjoy 45 Mbps speed. Someone who is far away, say in another country, may see internet speeds of only 5 Mbps.

Conflicting Applications

If you have an installed antivirus on your computer, then it might affect your VPN software if you want to use them concurrently. Whenever your antivirus needs to get updates, which in most cases is daily, it requires a high amount of system resources. For that reason, your VPN will be forced to slow down temporarily.

For you to thoroughly enjoy your VPN connection, it is advisable to disable your antivirus software for a while. Once you are done using the VPN, switch it back on immediately.

Limitations on VPN Usage

If you purchase your VPN application from a highly reputable brand, you should not have any limitations as far as bandwidth speeds go. However, if you download a free VPN on the internet that gives you a trial period, chances are some limitations will exist. In those cases, do not get surprised when you notice some slower speeds while using the service. The only way to solve such an issue is to invest in a proper VPN application that provides maximum speeds and bandwidth without any limits at all.

Encryption Level

The higher the level of encryption, the slower the VPN speed. Therefore, if you want your VPN to be fast, go for a lower a lower setting. To get the best results, take your time and test different options to figure out which one strikes a right balance between speed and security.

Conclusion

Understanding all the factors discussed in this article is very important to easily be able to solve any problems you encounter with your VPN application and by extension our QK SMTP Server software. In all cases, it’s advisable to use a reputable VPN service if you want to enjoy the fastest connections, most benefits and minimize the number of issues.

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is one of the forms of the TCP/IP protocol applied in sending and receiving e-mails. The ability of the SMTP is limited when it comes to the aspect of queueing messages at the receiving end. The above makes it necessary for the implementation of some other protocols such as the IMAP and POP3, to facilitate the queuing process.

The two mentioned protocols help in the saving of the messages in the server mailbox and download them periodically from the mail server. Due to the above and many other challenges evident in the use of the SMTP, it calls for the implementation of some special techniques to improve its operations. This process is similar to troubleshooting the performance of a VPN. Below is an illustration of some of the approaches that can be used to improve the efficiency and operability of the SMTP.

Improving Techniques

Several techniques are available to anyone wanting to increase the performance of their SMTP server.

Use of Command Pipelining

Command pipelining allows the reception and sending of the emails to be done in batches. The above could cut down the back and forth traffic thus promoting speed per-mail rate.

Creation of Multiple Connections

A typical socket-labs server supports up to ten connections per account for the injection of the outbound message to be as fast as recommended. Since SMTP has a significant number of forwarding and back protocol traffic for each side, it spends a reasonable amount of time waiting for the responses.

The above issue can be solved by the implementation of multiple network connections which are meant to increase and maximize the throughput.

Multiple Messages per Connection

When each instance of the software is started, it experiences a lot of processing overhead. Additionally, the software undergoes the authentication process for each stable relationship. The above calls require a variety of round trips. To bypass this overhead, SMTP can be made to send one outbound message after the other on the same connection.

Alternative Improvement Techniques

The above techniques can be performed to ensure that SMTP operates optimally. Alternatively, if you are unable to implement the above approaches, you can make changes to your SMTP server or use a third party application that could create recommendations for installation of a local relay that could optimize the efficiency of the SMTP.

For the two known SMTP servers available, the send mail and the Microsoft SMTP services, improvement can be made by the use of a smart host to relay outbound mail to the server. The same is true for the QK SMPT Server.

Since a local SMTP server could not experience a back-and-forward latency of the sending via the Internet, the SMTP software will escape the performance issues it faces when relaying email to the local server. If any of the above approaches can be implemented, the SMTP server functionality could be improved.