A VPN adds a privacy layer to your connection — but it can also add latency. Here's what actually happens.
A VPN routes your internet traffic through an additional server before it reaches its destination, which is useful for privacy but can introduce extra distance and processing that affects speed.
On an unfamiliar or public network, the privacy benefit of a VPN can outweigh a small speed tradeoff — see our guide on streaming on public Wi-Fi safely.
Try a server location closer to home, or temporarily disable the VPN to confirm it's the cause before troubleshooting further with our guide on fixing buffering while streaming.
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