OpenVPN Support Forum

Hi all,
I'm using OpenVPN GUI on Windows 10 to connect to my work's local network when working from home. At the office, the OpenVPN server is hosted on a Synology NAS.
I have noticed that when I am not connected to the VPN, my internet download and upload rates are both around 200 Mbps, but as soon as I connect to the office's VPN, the upload rate drops to 0.3 Mbps while the download rate is unaffected. I have used speedtest.net to get these numbers.
Has anyone ever heard of something like that?
Thanks a lot in advance!

As a rule of thumb, it's well worth expecting to see a change in Internet speed when you connect via VPN. However, this is unlikely to happen instantly. As a rule, it affects your browsing speed, but you may not even notice it.
If a VPN does affect your internet speed, it could be for one or more of the reasons listed below:

1. Server location.
The physical distance between you and the VPN server tends to have a huge impact on your VPN speed. Why? Because it takes longer to move information between you and the VPN server.

Simply put, the further away you are from the VPN server geographically, the more likely it is that your VPN speed will be slower.
2. bandwidth limitations on the server
If the VPN server you're using has bandwidth limitations, the speed can be affected. Also, this can happen if you have exceeded the allocated amount of bandwidth, or if the server is overloaded.

It's worth noting that the VPN server itself also directly affects the speed of the VPN. The better the quality of the server, the faster it handles the encryption and transmission of web traffic. Accordingly, your speed will be higher.
3. Your initial internet connection speed.
After all, if your initial connection speed is low, it's almost guaranteed that you'll experience problems with your VPN. In that case, there's nothing else to do but buy a faster rate from your ISP.

My answer may seem a bit irrelevant, but I though that using VPN connection always means sacrificing the upload and download speed. Or am I wrong and it's connected with some problems?