Is My Internet Being Throttled in New Zealand?

The simplest way to determine if your ISP is throttling your internet connection is to run a speed test and then run the speed test again using a virtual private network (VPN). If your connection is significantly faster with the VPN, your ISP is likely throttling your service.

What Is Bandwidth Throttling, Exactly?

To put it simply, throttling your internet happens when an ISP is throttling purposely slows down your internet speed based on what you are doing online, you can check this by conducting speed test on your internet connection. Throttling your internet connection is particularly true when it comes to activities like streaming, downloading and gaming as they require higher bandwidth data usage. You can check if the ISP is throttling your internet connection by conducting the Speed Test.

As a result, a vast majority of Internet service providers have resorted to the practice of restricting your internet speeds or throttling your internet when they detect you are watching a video, downloading a large number of files or playing a video game on your Xbox Live, you can confirm this by conducting speed test on your internet connection.

Why Do ISPs Throttle Bandwidth?

With high-speed internet a necessity in today’s technologically advanced world, you must be confused as to why an ISP throttling your internet would intentionally make your internet connection slower, you can compare results taken different times, conduct and analyze speed test on your internet connection. There are, however, various reasons why they choose to take this route.

ISPs may throttle your internet connection during peak times, simply because the same service is being used by a large number of users all at the same time, surprisingly providers know when you are running a speed test on your internet connection and will pause their throttling until your test is over. If the ISP doesn’t have the capacity to maintain a stable service during peak times, it will put a limit on connections also known as internet throttling which you can conduct by Speed Test.

Similarly, an ISP’s contract may contain a Fair Usage Policy which states that if a user breaks the data cap limit within a month, their connection would be throttled next month. ISPs claim the internet throttling prevents over-usage of the network by a small percentage of users and makes internet access fair for everyone else.

ISP throttling has also come into the limelight with the recent Net Neutrality debate. Internet users are concerned that if the existing Net Neutrality rules are abolished, ISPs would become the gatekeepers of the internet. They will be able to block or throttle sites or services and throttle your speed, especially those that compete against their own.

This subject has hit the headlines time and time again, as some ISPs have been caught red-handed for throttling speeds to websites they don’t favor, which has been checked multiple times by users via Speed Test.  Comcast’s throttling of BitTorrent and AT&T’s unlimited data throttling are some high-profile examples.

How Could the Net Neutrality Repeal Affect Internet Speeds?

The free internet that we love will cease to exist after the Net Neutrality repeal. ISPs could start bundling services like certain applications or websites, which means you will have to pay more to gain unrestricted access or else face throttled speeds.

Also, ISPs could throttle streaming websites speed like Hulu or Netflix so that they can make their own services more attractive. So, if you rely on streaming services to watch your favorite TV shows, you are most likely to face slow internet speeds and a reduction in video quality.

Frequently Asked Questions about ISP Bandwidth Throttling

To help you better understand ISP bandwidth throttling, here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the topic:

Can My ISP see What I am Doing?

Your ISP can’t see everything that you do online, but it’s quite close. Since they assign your IP address and know what IP addresses you are communicating with, they can see what websites and services you are using. Furthermore, they can also read any unencrypted data that you send over the internet, but whether or not they do that is open for debate.

Do ISPs Track Websites Visit?

Yes, ISPs can track every website you visit. How else do you think Verizon throttles their users’ when they are streaming videos on YouTube or Netflix?

How Do ISPs Throttle Bandwidth?

Deep packet inspection (DPI) is often used by ISPs to monitor your online activity and decide what traffic they want to restrict or slow down the speed. This method brings serious implications for your privacy because your ISP inspects your internet traffic so that they can throttle or block speed where necessary.

Is Internet throttling illegal? 

The legality of Internet Service Provider (ISP) throttling varies depending on the country and the circumstances. In some cases, ISPs may be legally allowed to throttle or slow down internet traffic in order to manage network congestion or to enforce their policies. However, in other cases, throttling may be considered illegal or against net neutrality laws.

How to Tell If My ISP Is Throttling My Bandwidth?

If you suspect your internet’s speed is being throttled by your ISP, there are two ways to find out:

1. Conduct Speed Test

Get an internet speed test done multiple times throughout the month. If you notice that your bandwidth is suddenly decreasing as the end of the month nears, then there’s a good chance your ISP is throttling your bandwidth.

2. Run a Throttling Test

If you are still unsure whether your ISP is the reason behind your slow internet connection, then running a throttling speed test should prove useful. We’d recommend using the Internet Health Test, to check internet throttling if your ISP is throttling, which checks for signs of any throttling from your ISP’s end.

Will a VPN(Virtual Private Network) Protect Me From My ISP(Internet Service Provider)?

Are you wondering, “How to avoid ISP throttling?” Well, if your internet is being throttled, and switching your ISP is out of the question, then probably the best way to protect yourself is by using a VPN.

It will not only change your virtual location but also route all your internet traffic through a secure encrypted, tunnel to make your activities completely anonymous. Also, if your VPN speed test results are faster then your provider may be blocking your speed.

However, since we are not completely sure what mechanisms will be put in place after the repeal of Net Neutrality rules, a VPN for bandwidth throttling can’t be relied on as a permanent solution as of yet. The same can be said about tools like Proxies and Tor.

Final Word

Bandwidth throttling by your ISP violates the very principles of Net Neutrality. However, with the rules now overthrown by the FCC, the best thing you can do is keep yourself informed about the situation, do whatever you can to record your protest against the repeal of Net Neutrality rules, and see what unfolds.