Does Spectrum (Time Warner Cable) Throttle Internet?

Does Spectrum Throttle Internet?

We wrote this article with the reason to find out does spectrum throttle the internet and we did find some interesting facts. Spectrum^[1] is one of the fastest-growing TV, Internet, Voice and Mobile service providers in the United States. It is a brand of Charter Communications^[2] Company which is operating in mostly in the United States. It has more than 28 million customers in 41 states. At the moment there are working 98 000 employees in Charter Communications. Many people from America are using the Internet provided by Spectrum. Some of them are happy and some of them are not. Most complaints are considered to the quality of the internet speed.

We did some investigations and researches on testing the internet speed in various conditions.

The reassons why Spectrum could be throttling the internet

Internet service providers tend to throttle^[3] internet speed of heavy users which reaches a monthly data cap. For example, if you stream online videos on Hulu^[4] or Netflix^[5] or torrenting^[6] a lot, your ISP might start slowing down the speed for the certain media sources. Your Netflix video quality might drop-off from 4K to 1080 or even more. So if you have an unlimited internet plan, it does not mean, that you can stream online videos all the month. Once you hit a 100 GB limit during the month, you might also feel what Spectrum internet throttling is.

Moreover, many Internet service providers including and Spectrum does not like the traffic from P2P^[7]/BitTorrent^[8] connections. It means that if you are a passionate user of torrents, you also might face the throttling of Spectrum.
The saddest part is that it is very difficult to prove that Spectrum is throttling the internet. You might notice the internet speed slowdowns during the online video streaming or torrenting sessions, but after some time it rises again. If you will call the support center, they might say, that it was just a simple slowdown because of overloaded line.

In the United States, internet throttling is an illegal activity which was regulated by the law in 2011. Federal Communications Commission is monitoring the bandwidth and speed throttling, of the biggest service providers. Many internet service providers like Spectrum or Comcast Xfinity agreed that they are not using this technique. However, technologies are going forward and there are many places for the manipulations.

Check if Spectrum is throttling your internet

The best way to find out what is going on with the speed is to perform a speed test during the Netflix, Hulu or torrenting sessions. There are many various online speed test applications, but you can try SpeedTest.NET

Also, you can try the internet health test which makes some additional speed test in one time and shows you the speed of the internet. We did the test but as you can see from the results, our connection was not affected by internet throttling at this time. If you have any concerns about the internet speed, make your test with the internet health test and see what happens.

Also, you can try to scan ports with some special tools. There is some available software on the market or you can use a free online tool – Port Scanner. If you are using torrenting software and you feel that something is not right, try this tool and see if some ports are blocked.

Bypass Spectrum from internet throttling by the proven methods

There are some ways how you could bypass Spectrum from throttling your internet. We have tested various solutions to bypass the internet throttling:

• Proxy servers – to slow internet speed and it is not suitable for watching Netflix and Hulu in 4k quality.
• TorBrowser – absolutely not suitable for stopping internet throttling, because it works extremely slow.
• Free VPNs – absolutely not recommended services due to it insecurity.
• ShadowSocks – similar as proxy server, it is to slow for streaming videos online and torrenting.

But the only solution what did help us to bypass the internet throttling was a decent VPN service, which made our internet faster and more stable. If you don’t believe, you can try a professional VPN service for free with 30 days money-back guarantee.

You can request your money back after one month and it will happen without a simple question. We have tested it ExpressVPN and it worked out. We did use a professional VPN service for free all month.

Choosing a VPN for stoping the internet throttling

We did many various tests and made this list of the evaluation of the best VPN services for Spectrum. Our list of VPN was made considering to these criteria:

1. Internet Speed and encryption.
2. Does it unblock Netflix, Hulu, HBO and so on?
3. Does it suit for torrenting (kill-switch option)?
4. Price and Customer Support.

VPN speed – When ISP throttling lessens your internet speed, then it is where your VPN comes into effect, especially if you select the services of any of the ones we advised you to pick. Such a kind of a VPN not only has the ability to bypass Spectrum’s throttling, but it can steady the internet speed while offering you unlimited bandwidth through its servers.

Online video streaming – In this day and age, people and families bound with each other while streaming a popular movie or TV show from streaming platforms like Netflix, and others. Unfortunately, due to specific geo-restrictions, you cannot watch the content from the service instantly. It is where VPNs like Express, Nord, or Ivacy come in, that not only offer to bypass such geo-blocking but allowing enough speed to maintain 4K quality stream. Make sure to be on a lookout for the ability to avoid geo-blocking by the VPN you pick for yourself.

Kill-switch support – A kill switch ceases the internet connection to your device of use when it detects that you are connected to any server of the VPN. If the ISP detects your online activity without the cover of a VPN such a torrenting, then it has all the right to throttle your internet or disconnect you entirely from the service. Almost all the VPNs provide the kill switch feature, and it is up to you to switch on the function whenever you use a torrent site or any other services prohibited by ISPs like Spectrum.

Support – No one can fully understand the full functions of any technology, much less a VPN. There may come a time when you wish to use the VPN service on devices like a router or your gaming consoles, both of them are not straightforward for an average user. A reliable customer care service offered by the VPN providers comes in at that moment through live chat features and other troubleshooting roadmaps to guide you out of any technical hassle. Make sure to look for a VPN provider that has an extensive library of how-to tutorials, if not a live chat feature.

Price – Committing to a service for the longterm is tough, especially if you are on a tight budget. Fortunately, popular VPN providers offer affordable options to negotiate your budget with your friends and family, so that you could share the VPN all at the same time. Other than that, these VPN services occasionally offer discounted prices at significantly lower prices, especially during any festive occasion.

VPN that helps to bypass internet throttling

Certain ISPs have a habit of lessening the speed of the internet service to maintain a hold on data usage. Such manipulation often occurs when the ISP learns or finds out the details of your internet usage. Your activities may involve using torrent sites to download high-quality videos or using the facility of platforms such as Netflix.

Lucky enough for the avid users of the internet, there is a way to bypass the throttling of ISPs like Spectrum to a full effect. A VPN fools the Spectrum through IP address randomization and offers you to access sites without Spectrum noticing. You will find out through this article about the 5 most effective VPNs that can help you end Spectrum’s reign of internet throttling for good.

This section of the article is for those readers who understand the full functions of a VPN while possessing the basic knowledge of ISP throttling, and are short for time. We have compiled the list for them to show which of the VPNs can bypass Spectrum’s attempts at throttling their users' internet, which can have a substantial impact on their day to day browsing activities.

1. ExpressVPN – could be named as one of the fastest VPN

Official website	www.expressvpn.com
Rating	(Excellent – 4.8/5)
Available applications
Money-back guarantee	30-days
Price from	$6.67 (-49% deal)
Visit website
More information	ExpressVPN review

If you ever feel that the quality of videos is dropping significantly all of a sudden and it is taking longer for you to stream or download anything from the internet, then there’s a chance that your ISP(Spectrum) is throttling the internet.

ExpressVPN helps you bypass such type of influence by encrypting your internet traffic and hiding your IP address so that the ISP isn’t able to detect anything that you do online. ExpressVPN does all of that while maintaining the integrity of the internet speed up to 106mbps(average) and offering you unlimited bandwidth to download or stream anything. You can perform all of the actions mentioned earlier by simply connecting to any of Express’s 3000 servers in 160 virtual locations around 90+ countries.

Actions such as DNS leakage may allow the ISP to detect your online whereabouts, but with ExpressVPN’s DNS leak prevention protocol, no one will ever know about your browsing endeavors. Express holds its complete infrastructure in the British Virgin Islands, which helps it in upholding the no-logs rule, as the five-eyes alliance holds no power in that region.

No matter which device you may use, ISP throttling is everywhere, which is why Express offers native apps for each notable platform and widgets that link up with these operating systems to bypass the unfair throttling by Spectrum or any other entity. Some of the OS involved are Windows, Android-based gadgets, Apple products, Linux, and Amazon Firestick. All of it goes well with the option to sync the account on 5 variable devices at once to espouse accessibility.

Privacy methods such as encryption and an instant kill switch do not allow the device to remain unprotected from the net of the VPN for even a second.

While all of it is simple to hear and adhere to, but some users simply do not possess the necessary information to maneuver the VPN according to their liking. It is why ExpressVPN provides a complete gallery of how-to guides, faqs, and live chat support for assistance in the time of need.

Here are the pricing packages that you can share with your friends to make it more affordable for yourself and others:

• $6.67 each month for 1-year with 3 additional months for free with a full 30-day refund policy;
• $9.99 each month for 6-months with a full 30-day refund policy;
• $12.95 each month with a full 30-day refund policy;

2. NordVPN – nominated as the best VPN overall

Official website	www.nordvpn.com
Our Rating	(Excellent – 4.9/5)
Available applications
Money-back guarantee	30-days
Price from	$3.49/month (-70% deal)
Visit website
More information	NordVPN review

It is within the human instinct to acknowledge something wrong with the speed of the internet. Such a change in behavior of your internet is often referred to as ISP throttling. ISPs do that when you exceed the monthly fair usage limit, despite having subscribed to the unlimited data package. You can skip through all this red tape by using NordVPN and utilizing its knack to bypass Spectrum’s ISP throttling.

One can remain anonymous from the detection of the ISP by picking any one of Nord’s 5500 servers in more than 100 locations in over 60 countries with sustainable connection speed and boundless bandwidth. With the assistance of these servers, you can download any torrent file or stream any restricted content that is not accessible in your region of residence.

Nord’s app with intuitive interface is downloadable/usable on platforms such as MS Windows, Apple computers & iPhones, Android tabs, phones, & TVs, and Linux. You can synchronize your account on as much as 6 devices all at the same time, no matter how far they are from each other.

As far as the online protection goes, each method that Nord offers to bypass ISP throttling assists in keeping the users safe. These protocols put in place by Nord are DoubleVPN, kill switch, and DNS leak protection, which will never allow the ISP you detect anything that may put the throttling into effect.

Nord offers reasonably priced packages that come with a 30-day reimbursement option and an award-winning customer care program that includes live chat with a service rep, offline ticket support, and troubleshooting guides.
Here are the three price plans that you can select to start using the services of NordVPN:

• $3.49 each month for 3-years, which you can wage after every 36-months;
• $4.99 each month for 2-years, which you can wage after every 24-months;
• $6.99 each month for 1-year to be paid after every 12-months;

 3. CyberGhostVPN – cheap and reliable VPN with wide server selection list

Official website	www.cyberghostvpn.com
Rating	(Great – 4.5/5)
Available applications
Money-back guarantee	45-days
Price from	$2.75 (-80% deal)
Visit website
More information	CyberGhost review

CyberGhost vast range of security and encryption protocols are enough to bypass any ISP throttling done by Spectrum or any other ISP. These features include IP masking, kill switch, DNS leakage detection, and prevention through an OpenVPN encryption. CyberGhost offers all of that while you keep on using torrents and stream content without any fear of running out of data or Spectrum’s throttling.

CyberGhost has made more than 5900 servers available for its subscribers to pick and connect at will. All of them help in holding a stable internet connection rate while bypassing geo-restrictions to open the American Netflix from any random part of the world. You can watch on these streaming services from the comfort of your home or any other place through any notable device by downloading the native app for platforms like Android, Windows, Linux, and Mac. Moreover, you can connect these apps with external devices such as PS4 & Xbox gaming consoles, along with smart TVs. With

CyberGhost, you have the chance to use a maximum of 7 devices simultaneously without any hesitation.
Basing it all operations in Romania points to one fact that CyberGhost keeps a firm grip on its no-logs policy as the full fourteen-eyes alliance has no authority over its privacy protection laws.

All you need to do before start using the full features of CyberGhost is subscribe to the service by selecting any one of the below-mentioned subscription plans that also offer a 45-day repayment policy:

• $3.69 each month for 24-months;
• $5.99 each month for 12-months;
• $12.99 each month that you can cancel at any time;
  

 4. IvacyVPN – the cheapest VPN you can get and stop Spetrum from internet throttling

Rating	(Great – 4.4/5)
Available applications
Money-back guarantee	30-Days Money Back Guarantee
Price from	$1.33/month
More information	IvacyVPN review

During the holiday season, there is nothing more comforting than playing a video game or binge-watching a show on Netflix with your loved one. But all of that can turn into a disaster by the cruel activity of ISP throttling. If you have the complete intention to avoid such an ordeal from occurring in the first place, then you should immediately opt for the services of IvacyVPN. Ivacy’s 256-bt encryption through an OpenVPN, smart-purpose selection, kill switch feature, and DNS leakage prevention can bypass or stop any throttling attempts by your ISP.

You can perform the activities as mentioned earlier by picking any of Ivacy 1000 servers across 100 virtual locations that come with infinite bandwidth and stable speed to prevent any disruption or other shortcomings. Ivacy is available on Windows PC, Android phones, Apple computers & phones, Linux, and other add-on electronics like Roku TV, AmazonFireStick, & gaming consoles. Furthermore, you can connect these devices on as many as 5 devices, all at the same time.

IvacyVPN is Canada’s VPN that understand what the Canadian citizens need and how much trouble they go through to access the content that isn’t available in any part of the country. It offers a stringent no-log policy for users who feel worried about Canada’s intelligence-sharing coalition in the five-eyes alliance. The 1000+ super-fast servers of Ivacy are spread across 100 locations all around the globe with unlimited bandwidth to compensate every little shortcoming.

Here are the pricing plans of IvacyVPN that also has a 30-day money-back policy

• $2.25 each month for 24-months(2-year plan);
• $3.33 each month for 12-months(1-year plan);
• $9.95 each month.
  

5. ProtonVPN – fast and secure VPN service from Sitzerland that also works great in US.

Rating	(Good – 4.3/5)
Available applications
Money-back guarantee	45-days
Price from	$4.00
More information	ProtonVPN review

If your internet provider is Spectrum and you suddenly feel a decrease in internet speed, then there is a possibility that Spectrum is throttling your internet intentionally and preventing you from using the service with full efficiency. Despite being a low-scale VPN, Proton has all the right tools to make it big as it can bypass Spectrum’s internet throttling through OpenVPN encryption, IKEv2/IPSec, and DNS leak protection. ProtonVPN also holds a stringent policy on keeping no-logs of user data that is protected by the firm laws of Switzerland.

ProtonVPN is increasing its network of servers with every passing day. As of the eve of Christmas day, ProtonVPN has scored 610 servers in 44 countries with a bandwidth capacity of 706 Gbps. Proton offers its app with a user-friendly interface on Windows PC, macOS systems, iPhones & iPads, Android tabs, TVs, & smartphones.

Proton offers you to connect as much as 10 and as low as 2 devices simultaneously depending on the package you pick to protect yourself from prying eyes and viruses. You can see the top three plans stated below:

• The Basic Plan allows you to link 2 devices at once and it is available at $4 each month with a full 30-day refund plan;
• The Plus Plan will enable you to connect 5 devices at once at the cost of $8 per month with an entire 30-day refund plan;
• The Visionary Plan allows you to link 10 devices at once at the price of $24 each month with a whole 30-day refund plan;
  

Final thoughts

ISP throttling is a necessary evil for the internet providers to maintain their standards and keep up with the piracy laws of the country, much like the USA, especially if the user is torrenting. However, you can get your way around this sort of manipulation by using a specific type of VPN service that has the proficiency to bypass ISP throttling without any hassle.
Now you know the top 5 VPNs that are good enough to do precisely that and maintaining quality all at the same time