Wi‑Fi router and VPN problems slow internet connections in France

Internet speeds in France can appear fast on paper but feel slow due to issues that are not related to the ISP line. Common router‑related causes include poor placement, interference from other electronics, using the slower 2.4 GHz band instead of 5 GHz, and bufferbloat where the router’s packet queues become overloaded. Simple steps such as restarting the router, updating its firmware, repositioning it centrally, orienting external antennas, and selecting the appropriate Wi‑Fi band often restore expected performance.

When a VPN is active, pages may fail to load because the tunnel’s Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) is too large for the path. Troubleshooting involves disabling the VPN to confirm the issue, switching to a different server in the same country, trying alternative protocols (WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2), and turning off features like obfuscation or multihop. Testing the VPN on another network (e.g., Wi‑Fi vs. mobile hotspot) can also reveal whether the problem lies with the tunnel configuration. If adjustments do not resolve the blockage, the VPN provider must address the client settings.