Comcast Throttling Workaround
Comcast Throttling Netflix & YouTube? How to Test + Stop …
Comcast may be throttling your connections to Netflix and other sites like YouTube and Skype. We reveal how to test if Comcast is throttling Netflix and how to use a VPN to fix it.
UPDATED: September 12, 2021
While Comcast has admitted to throttling internet speeds in the past, according to its most recent public announcement on the issue, it no longer carries out the practice. However, plenty of users are convinced that the company may still be selectively throttling speeds. In particular, users complain that Comcast is throttling Netflix and other bandwidth-heavy platforms, such as YouTube and Skype.
So how can you be sure? Developers have created an app that enables you to test whether or not your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is throttling certain streaming and communication applications. And thankfully, if you find that Comcast or any other provider is throttling Netflix, YouTube, and other apps, there is a simple solution. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) will encrypt your internet traffic making it impossible for Comcast to see what you’re doing online, including which platform you’re using.
In this post, we reveal how to test whether or not Comcast is throttling Netflix, and in case it is, how to use a VPN to fix it.
How to test if Comcast is throttling Netflix and other services
Researchers at Northeastern University have come up with a nifty tool called Wehe to help you test if your ISP is throttling popular apps, such as Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, Skype, and Vimeo. It tests the speeds of the apps in question against the speeds of other apps on your device. A discrepancy indicates that your ISP is throttling speeds. Wehe is currently available for Android and iOS.
We recommend reading through the relatively short consent form before using the app, as indicated in the instructions below.
Here’s how to use Wehe to to see if Comcast is throttling:
Download the Wehe app for your mobile device.
Ensure you’re connected to your home wifi network.
Launch the app and read through the consent form (see note below). Hit Accept if you’re okay with it.
Select Run Tests from the menu.
Use the toggle buttons to choose which apps you want to run tests on. For example, if you’re only interested in Netflix, toggle the others to the off (white) position.
Hit the blue Run Tests button. Results for each app will show up as the test is run.
To view previous results, choose Previous Results from the menu.
Each app could take a few minutes to test. As such, it’s best to select only the ones you’re really interested in. Bear in mind that you can use this app to test providers other than Comcast.
Note: This tool is part of a research study and isn’t exactly privacy-forward. It does collect some information, mainly metadata, such as timestamps, your operating system, and your general location (no more specific than within 1km), but none of this can be used to identify you. There is a possibility that your IP address is visible to researchers. This is anonymized after the data has been processed, but it still may be something some users are uncomfortable with.
How to stop Comcast throttling Netflix and YouTube
Did you find that Comcast is indeed throttling Netflix or another app? A VPN can help. When you connect to a VPN, all your traffic is encrypted and runs through an intermediary server. The encryption means that no one, not even your ISP, can view the contents of your traffic. So at any given moment, they can’t tell which sites you’re using or if you’re browsing, streaming, or downloading.
Here’s how to stop Comcast throttling Netflix using a VPN:
Sign up for a reputable VPN service. We recommend ExpressVPN, but NordVPN and Hotspot Shield are great budget alternatives.
Download the appropriate app for your device and log in using your new credentials.
Connect to a server in a location of your choice. If you’re looking for the fastest server, some providers will automatically connect you to the fastest one for your location. Otherwise, choosing a geographically close one is your best bet.
Open up your Netflix app and start streaming!
Note that you can use the same steps to prevent throttling on other platforms such as YouTube and Skype. And bear in mind, you’re not restricted to using US services. With a VPN, you can access streaming platforms from back home while you travel. Simply connect to a server in your home country (for example a UK server for BBC iPlayer) to securely access your usual services while on vacation abroad.
Related: Best VPNs for Comcast Xfinity
Netflix app doesn’t work? Try this fix
Netflix doesn’t allow users to access other countries’ libraries due to licensing restrictions. Travelers often use VPNs to continue watching their favorite shows while abroad Netflix has taken notice of this practice and actively blocks users when it detects they are using a VPN.
Netflix can’t determine a VPN user’s real location so it attempts to block all VPN traffic. This means that even if you’re located within the US, if Netflix detects you’re using a VPN, it will stop you from accessing the US Netflix catalog. In this case, you likely see a proxy error that reads:
“Whoops, something went wrong. Streaming error. You seem to be using an unblocker or proxy. Please turn off any of these services and try again. ”
Thankfully, several top VPNs, including the ones mentioned above, work reliably with Netflix.
That being said, not every server will work, so you may have to check with your VPN customer support team to find out which ones to use. This sounds like a hassle, but with the best VPN providers offering 24/7 live-chat customer support, this should only take a couple of minutes.
If you’re still having issues after connecting to a recommended server, a VPN customer support representative should be able to walk you through additional steps to help resolve the issue.
Comcast’s throttling past
In 2006, Comcast started deliberately throttling BitTorrent traffic. In 2008, the FCC ruled that this practice was discriminatory and should be abandoned. In the wake of the controversy that followed, Comcast switched to a new “congestion management system. ” Instead of throttling specific apps, this new system throttled the general speed for what the company referred to as “heavy internet users. ”
In June, 2018, Comcast announced it had stopped this practice, although in the announcement it reserved the right to implement a similar one if deemed necessary.
While it hasn’t announced such a new system, many users are convinced that Comcast throttles their speeds for certain applications. Here is one of the recent comments on the Xfinity support forum involving a customer claiming throttling by the provider. This user claims he has trouble streaming via YouTube due to throttling:
Will a VPN help me with my data cap?
Unfortunately, no.
A VPN will prevent Comcast seeing the contents of your internet traffic. However, your ISP will still be able to see how much data is passing through its network.
Most Comcast customers have a monthly data cap of 1TB. If you’re consistently going over that limit and enduring excessive overage charges, you may be better off going with an unlimited data plan.
Here is the breakdown:
Terabyte Internet Data Usage Plan: Basic fee covers 1TB of data. Pay $10 per extra 50 GB of data up to $200 per month.
Unlimited Data Option: Basic fee plus $50 per month gives you unlimited data.
Comcast Xfinity Is Throttling My Internet: How To Prevent [2021]
RobotPoweredHome is reader-supported. When you buy through links on my blog, I may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying high-speed internet not only means delays in work projects but lack of entertainment and functionality as those with a smart home hub, throttled internet connections can be a major some people may have the luxury to change their Internet Service Providers to enjoy a seamless connection, others who are like me may not have the luxury to choose their, it is crucial to understand why you may be facing slow internet connections and how you can fix throttling of your Xfinity internet connection can be a result of network congestion, paid prioritization, or if you are accessing forbidden websites or services. If you believe your Xfinity internet connection is being throttled, check if you have exhausted your data cap and try using a trusted VPN to see if your speed improves. What is Throttling? Throttling refers to your Internet Service Provider intentionally limiting your internet speed or bandwidth. This means that you aren’t getting full speed on ’s different from your Wi-Fi disconnecting because your connection to your router is stable, your internet speed is just slow because of your ISP intentionally limiting throttling can occur if you have reached your present data cap for the month, or when you are visiting specific websites, or your ISP detects activities on your connection such as using torrents or if you think it’s the Wi-Fi connection that’s at fault and use your ethernet connection, your speed will be slow because your internet connection is being throttled by your to test if Xfinity is throttling Netflix and other services with a VPNTo detect if your ISP is throttling your internet connection, you will need a VPN. A VPN is a Virtual Private Network that helps you hide or encrypt your data from your to the VPN, ISPs will not be able to detect the traffic coming to and from your connection, which is useful if you’re experiencing a slow connection when streaming or downloading you’ve selected your preferred VPN, run a speed test on your connection twice: once with your VPN turned off and once with it turned on. If you notice discrepancies between the two tests, your ISP is likely throttling your internet ever, this test is not conclusive; it only helps when your ISP throttles your connectivity for specific websites or addition, there may be other reasons you may experience slow connectivity, such as paid prioritization, network congestion, or data does Xfinity Throttle my Internet? Internet Service Providers can throttle your internet connection for several mmonly, people experience slow connectivity because of data caps or network congestion, but there may be other reasons as twork congestionDuring peak hours of internet usage, network congestion may occur. In such cases, some people may enjoy a fast internet connection while others have no network at prevent this, ISPs may decide to throttle the internet connection in that area so that all houses can connect to the internet rather than some people having no capsAre you experiencing throttled internet connection towards the end of the month? It may be because you have hit your data cap for the ISPs have a data cap, limiting the amount of data you can upload or download at maximum speed during a billing data limit is usually mentioned in the service agreement provided by your ISP, so ensure that you go through your account details when you experience a throttled internet connection. Use Xfinity’s My Account app to monitor data use prioritizationUnfortunately, with the repeal of net neutrality laws in 2018, it became easier for ISPs to throttle internet connections to advance paid prioritization metimes, ISPs may throttle internet connection for specific websites or services because they want you to use their service example, if your ISP also runs any streaming services, they may throttle your internet connection when visiting sites such as Hulu or Netflix to encourage you to use their own may also throttle connectivity for specific sites because they want those websites to pay for faster loading times. Unfortunately, if the website decides not to pay, deal with a slow network connection whenever you decide to go to that metimes, ISPs may throttle internet connections for specific kinds of data as they can use up a lot of bandwidth, creating a lot of pressure on the prevent this strain, ISPs throttle the internet connection, especially for large rbidden activitiesIf your ISP detects that you are on illegal websites, such as popular domains known for pirating content, they may throttle your internet speed to prevent you from accessing this case, the ISP may be interrupting your connection to comply with government do I stop throttling? As mentioned earlier, a VPN can help you hide your traffic from your ISP. Hence, if you are facing slow connectivity because of your internet activity or visiting specific websites, using a VPN can be that you research the available VPN connections well; using a VPN adds a step between your ISP and your, the VPN itself may cause some latency issues, which defeats their purpose capsIf you spend a lot of your time on the internet, then the chances are that you are facing lower internet issues due to data deal with this issue, you need to track your internet usage to see how much data you use in a you have figured out your average monthly data usage, you can combat throttling issues by: Reducing your monthly data usage and staying under your monthly data cap. Paying extra for more high-speed data after you have reached your monthly data cap Upgrading your plan to increase your monthly data cap, or Switching to a service provider that does not have any data caps on monthly twork congestionWhen you experience slow connection during specific timings before you have hit your monthly data cap, network congestion may be the issue. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do about it, especially if you can only use the internet during peak you can, try to keep your heavy-duty data usage such as large downloads or streaming services during the off-peak, ensure that you keep track of when you seem to be facing slow internet nally, if you are experiencing it more often than not, be sure to raise a complaint with your ISP to get them to fix the ually, your ISP may ignore the issue, but in some cases, you may end up getting a complimentary upgrade on your plan as Can You Manage Usage And Throttling? Understanding why ISPs throttle your internet connection can help you prevent it in the future. In some cases, simply getting a VPN may not be may want to look into changing your internet service provider as well. This will involve going through their early termination procedure to avoid cancellation go ahead and try out the fixes for your throttled Xfinity internet connection so that you can go back to enjoying your weekend binges! You May Also Enjoy ReadingHow To Change Firewall Settings On Comcast Xfinity RouterComcast Xfinity Wi-Fi Not Working But Cable Is: How To TroubleshootXfinity Upload Speed Slow: How To Troubleshoot [2021]Xfinity Ethernet Not Working: How To Troubleshoot In SecondsXfinity Modem Red Light: How To Troubleshoot In SecondsMoCA For Xfinity: An In-Depth Explainer [2021]xFi Gateway Offline [Solved]: How To Fix In SecondsDoes Netgear Nighthawk Work With Xfinity? How To SetupFrequently Asked QuestionsIs throttling your Internet connection Illegal? For most cases, such as when there is network congestion or hit your monthly data cap, throttling internet speed is much download speed do I need for streaming? A download speed of 3 Mbps would be best for a comfortable streaming Wi-Fi booster increase internet speed? Some Wi-Fi boosters can help increase your internet speed and even add new features to your is my internet so slow at night? Network congestion, which occurs when many people use the connection simultaneously, can cause your internet to become slow at night.
How to Bypass Bandwidth Limit Restrictions in 2021 [Full Speed]
Table of ContentsHow to Bypass Bandwidth Limit Restrictions (ISP Throttling)Why Do Internet Service Providers Throttle User Bandwidth? The 3 Best VPNs to Bypass Bandwidth Throttling1. ExpressVPN2. NordVPN3. CyberGhostFinal Thoughts
Do you experience slothy connections that come out of nowhere when streaming movies or NBA playoffs online? That’s bandwidth throttling: when your internet service provider (ISP) slows down your connection based on what you’re watching. Fortunately, you can get around ISP throttling when you learn how to bypass the bandwidth limit with a virtual private network (VPN).
Key Takeaways:
A VPN sends your traffic through an encrypted tunnel, preventing the ISP from seeing the websites you visit. When the ISP is blind to your online activity, it no longer selects you for throttling for viewing specific VPN is the best VPN to bypass ISP throttling because it’s the most secure VPN and delivers unparalleled speeds. A VPN doesn’t help bypass bandwidth throttling caused by network congestion or data cap overages.
A VPN gets around this anti-consumer practice, enabling you to enjoy an unrestricted online experience. In this article, we’ll use ExpressVPN — the best VPN provider — to demonstrate how you can skirt around throttling with a VPN. Keep reading also to learn why ISPs limit your bandwidth.
There’s no way to lift an internet bandwidth limit. Not even a VPN can help. The only way around the limit is upgrading to a higher internet plan or switching a reliable VPN is the fail-safe way to bypass bandwidth If you’re on a 5 Mbps internet plan, using a VPN won’t make your internet connection though you could use a proxy server to try to avoid ISP throttling, a VPN is by far the best solution because it provides better security. You can even try a good free VPN, like Windscribe.
How to Bypass Bandwidth Limit Restrictions (ISP Throttling)
There are various reasons why ISPs limit your bandwidth (which we’ll talk about later). The gist of it is that it sees you using a lot of bandwidth — by streaming HD videos, downloading torrents or a number of other things — so it slows your connection down. When the ISP uses bandwidth throttling against you, you should take action. If you can’t change your ISP, your next best option is to use a VPN.
The Tor browser can also help you get around ISP throttling, but it’s super slow, which defeats the purpose. This leaves the VPN as the surefire way to easily bypass bandwidth throttling without putting further strain on your connection. So, how does a VPN prevent bandwidth throttling?
How a VPN prevents ISP throttling.
A VPN reroutes all of your internet traffic through its servers to anonymize everything you do online. This gives ISPs no chance to know when you visit bandwidth-heavy sites, like Netflix. ISPs prioritize throttling for users engaging in streaming or torrenting activities, so with a VPN you won’t be on the high-priority list. This saves you from content-based internet throttling.
Bypass ISP Throttling Your Internet Traffic: Use a VPN
For a VPN to effectively bypass bandwidth throttling, it should come packed with security features, like AES 256-bit encryption and strong VPN protocols. ExpressVPN is our favorite VPN here at Cloudwards, which is why we’ll use it to show you how to get around ISP throttling.
Subscribe to the VPN of Your ChoiceHead over to your chosen VPN’s website, pick a suitable pricing plan and complete the signup wnload and Install the VPN Go to your account dashboard and enter the ExpressVPN verification code sent to your email. Select the right app for your device, depending on your operating system, and download it. Next, locate and double-click the installation file, and then click “install” to start the in to the VPN AppOnce the app is installed on your device, sign in and enter your mplete the SetupIf the VPN has any extra steps for you, such as choosing some initial preferences, follow along with the installation nnect to a Preferred Server LocationNext, you need to choose a server to establish a connection. For example, if you want to watch movies on U. S. streaming sites, connect to a VPN server in the U. Otherwise, just use the server closest to you for the best Throttling-Free StreamingThat’s it. Once connected, just hop over to your channel of choice — whether it’s Netflix or Amazon Prime Video — and start streaming videos. With a VPN, you’ll no longer face ISP throttling, as it sends all of your traffic through an encrypted tunnel.
Why Do Internet Service Providers Throttle User Bandwidth?
Your ISP may decide to impose bandwidth throttling when it notices you’re engaging in activities like streaming or torrenting. By limiting download speeds for bandwidth-intensive websites, ISPs reduce bandwidth usage on the network. That enables the ISP to serve more internet users without increasing its network capacity.
You could have also gone over your data usage limit. Some ISPs won’t disconnect your internet altogether when you exceed the set data caps. Instead, they keep you connected but throttle your internet speed to prioritize users that are still within their data limit.
Beyond that, ISPs may throttle connections during “internet rush hour” to ease congestion over the network. Generally, the ISPs throttle the internet connection of anyone consuming a lot of bandwidth to enable other users in the area to get regular services.
The 3 Best VPNs to Bypass Bandwidth Throttling
A VPN helps bypass throttling because it prevents your ISP from detecting where your traffic originates. Here are the top three services that can stop ISPs from throttling your internet speeds.
ExpressVPN — Stellar security and lightning-fast speedsNordVPN — Top-notch security and obfuscated VPN serversCyberGhost — Affordable and streaming- and torrenting-optimized VPN servers
We’ll discuss each provider’s strengths (and weaknesses, if any), starting with ExpressVPN — our best VPN service to circumvent ISP throttling.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN offers all the features you need to bypass throttling and stream videos without buffering.
More details about ExpressVPN:
Pricing: $6. 67 per month, plus three months free on the yearly planProvider website:
Pros:
Excellent security & privacyIncredibly fast connection speedsUnlimited bandwidth
ExpressVPN is the best VPN to stop ISP throttling, thanks to its strong digital security and blazing-fast speeds. It barely puts a dent in your browsing speed, and being our best VPN for streaming, it unblocks pretty much any streaming site. Using AES 256-bit encryption and a variety of VPN protocols, it ensures your activity stays private.
Besides that, ExpressVPN uses a private domain name system (DNS) on every server to prevent DNS leaks. Doing so prevents your internet provider from seeing the type of websites you visit based on your browser’s DNS requests. Plus, ExpressVPN has a strict no-logs policy to put your mind at ease.
It’s a little more expensive than the rest of our picks, but the value it offers more than makes up for the higher price tag. Read our ExpressVPN review for more information.
2. NordVPN
NordVPN’s real forte is security, which comes in handy when bypassing ISP throttling.
More details about NordVPN:
Pricing: $4. 13 per month on the two-year plan Provider website:
Stellar securityObfuscated serversSmartplay technology
Cons:
Inconsistent speeds across locations
NordVPN is another good VPN provider to defeat ISP throttling. With over 5, 300 servers, NordVPN ensures you have a server that’s geographically close to you for faster connections.
Though it doesn’t match ExpressVPN’s speed consistency over longer distances, it makes sure you can access any geoblocked content using the “smartplay” feature.
NordVPN’s obfuscated servers conceal your VPN usage, making it look like you’re not using a VPN at all. Plus, most importantly, they make it impossible for the ISP to distinguish bandwidth-heavy traffic from simple web browsing. NordVPN is also our best VPN for torrenting, plus it’s more affordable than ExpressVPN. You can read more about it in our NordVPN review.
3. CyberGhost
Besides helping you bypass data throttling, CyberGhost provides streaming- and torrenting-optimized servers for an excellent online experience.
More details about CyberGhost:
Pricing: $2. 25 per month, plus three months free on the three-year plan Provider website:
Strong online securityOver 7, 300 servers worldwideStreaming & torrenting friendly serversAffordable VPN
Not particularly fastInconsistent access to streaming services, except Netflix
CyberGhost is a cheap VPN solution to ISP throttling. It has more than 7, 000 servers across 91 countries, with a special focus in the U. S., UK and Germany. CyberGhost offers many specialty servers, like the NoSpy servers, that deliver strong data encryption and greater anonymity to keep your traffic out of an ISP’s reach.
CyberGhost also offers torrenting-optimized servers, which facilitate seamless and secure torrent downloads. However, one big disappointment is that in our testing, CyberGhost — despite its streaming-optimized servers — could access Netflix but not Amazon Prime Video, Hulu or BBC iPlayer. Read more about it in our CyberGhost review.
Can You Use a Free VPN to Bypass ISP Throttling?
Technically, yes, you can use a free VPN to get around ISP throttling, but only if you find a reliable free VPN, and those are hard to come by. You’ll rarely find a free VPN with security features to send your traffic via a truly secure tunnel. Some may sell your data to third parties or leak it on the internet, despite promising to never keep any user activity logs.
That said, some VPNs, like Windscribe, offer reliable free plans. We vouch for Windscribe because of its security and high monthly data cap of 10GB, and we have no reason to doubt its no-logs policy, too. Our list of the best free VPN providers has other effective services, as well.
Final Thoughts
If your ISP is deliberately throttling your bandwidth when it notices traffic from streaming or torrenting sites, a VPN can be of great help. We recommend getting started with ExpressVPN because it guarantees watertight digital security and excellent streaming speeds.
Have you ever experienced ISP throttling affecting your internet speed? Which VPN service did you use to stop bandwidth throttling from your internet service provider? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments section below. As always, thanks for reading.
Frequently Asked Questions about comcast throttling workaround
How do I stop Comcast from throttling?
Once you have figured out your average monthly data usage, you can combat throttling issues by:Reducing your monthly data usage and staying under your monthly data cap.Paying extra for more high-speed data after you have reached your monthly data cap.Upgrading your plan to increase your monthly data cap, or.More items…•Oct 7, 2021
How do I bypass WIFI throttling?
Bypass ISP Throttling Your Internet Traffic: Use a VPNSubscribe to the VPN of Your Choice. … Download and Install the VPN. … Sign in to the VPN App. … Complete the Setup. … Connect to a Preferred Server Location. … Enjoy Throttling-Free Streaming.Jul 5, 2021
How do I bypass throttling?
Bypass ISP Throttling on iPhone or AndroidChoose a VPN with a great smartphone app. … Download and install the application on your iPhone or Android device.Connect to the appropriate VPN server.Enjoy fast, stable browsing on any app or website.Sep 23, 2021
