First, test your baseline speed

  1. Disconnect the VPN
  2. Run a speed test at fast.com or speedtest.net
  3. Connect the VPN
  4. Run the same test again

A VPN will always add some overhead. Expect 10–30% speed reduction compared to your raw connection. If you’re seeing 70%+ reduction or speeds under 5 Mbps, there’s an issue.

Common causes of slow VPN speeds

1. Distance to the server

The farther the server, the higher the latency and lower the throughput.

Fix: Switch to a server closer to your physical location. Use Hiddify’s ping display or auto-select to find the fastest option.

2. Protocol overhead

Different transport protocols have different performance characteristics:

ProtocolSpeedStealthBest for
xHttpFastGoodMost networks
gRPCMediumExcellentHeavily filtered networks
WebSocketMediumGoodCorporate / school networks

Fix: Try switching protocols in your app settings.

3. Network congestion

Your local ISP or the VPN server may be congested.

Fix:

  • Try a different time of day
  • Switch to a less popular server region
  • Use Hiddify’s Load balancing feature if available

4. Device or app limitations

Older devices or outdated app versions may not handle high-speed encryption well.

Fix:

  • Update your VPN app to the latest version
  • Close bandwidth-heavy apps (streaming, downloads) while testing
  • Restart your device to clear network cache

5. MTU issues

Large packets may be getting fragmented, slowing down the connection.

Fix:

  • In Hiddify: Settings → Advanced → MTU → Try 1400 or 1300
  • In V2RayNG: Settings → Advanced → Set MTU manually

Speed test checklist

  • Test without VPN to confirm baseline
  • Try 3 different server regions
  • Try 2 different protocols
  • Test on a different network (e.g., mobile hotspot)
  • Update your VPN app

If speeds are consistently slow across all tests, contact support@sericavpn.com with your test results.