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5 Best VPNs for Plusnet

These are the best VPNs for Plusnet:

  1. ExpressVPN
  2. CyberGhost VPN
  3. Private Internet Access
  4. Surfshark
  5. VyprVPN

By using a VPN for Plusnet you can stop Plusnet from throttling your traffic. As an internet service provider (ISP) that supplies broadband, landline, and mobile services to consumers in the UK, Plusnet is often criticized due to the way it prioritizes traffic into three bands. This causes certain traffic to be throttled, slowing down the internet for people who are downloading torrents, streaming, and doing other data-intensive tasks.

When you connect to a VPN, Plusnet can no longer tell whether you are streaming, downloading, gaming, or doing a VoIP call. As a result, your traffic remains unthrottled and you can enjoy the maximum connection speeds available to you.

 

The Plusnet VPN services?

We have done our research and have listed the best VPNs for Plusnet below. All of these services are reliable and will ensure that you get the connection speeds you paid for, no matter what time of day it is. Our recommendations have fast VPN servers giving you the best speeds possible, provide users with excellent encryption, and are able to unblock websites and services so you access to more content online. If you want more information, you can click through to our VPN reviews at the end of each provider.

1. ExpressVPN
Editor's Choice | March 2024

ExpressVPN is a super fast VPN that is ideal for bypassing throttling, gaining privacy, and unblocking content.

  • Pricing

    • 12 months + 3 months FREE + Backblaze backup: $6.67/mth
      49% OFF
    • 6 months: $9.99/mth
    • 1 month: $12.95/mth
  • Available on

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux
  • Unblocks

    • Netflix
    • iPlayer
    • Amazon Prime
    • Hulu
  • Website

ExpressVPN is a service based in the British Virgin Islands that has a superb reputation for providing lightning-fast speeds. This means you can use ExpressVPN to download via torrents or to stream in HD. And, due to ExpressVPN’s lightning fast speeds, it is ideal for bypassing any throttling forced on you by Plusnet.


ExpressVPN is also great for accessing content in privacy, thanks to its no logs policy and strong OpenVPN encryption. The provider has apps for all platforms with a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, port forwarding, and Obfuscation. We love that this VPN has 24/7 live chat support and guides to get the VPN working on any platform.


Because this VPN provides lightning fast speeds, you can use it for streaming in HD, torrenting, VoIP calls, or anything else you desire. And, ExpressVPN can unblock sought after services like BT Sport and iPlayer from outside of the UK – and international services like Netflix US, Hulu, and HBO Go, to allow you to watch even more content.


Finally, ExpressVPN allows all users to install the VPN software on up to 5 devices simultaneously. You can compare it to other VPNs yourself, thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee. 

CyberGhost VPN is an easy to use VPN that has apps for all platforms.

  • Pricing

    • 24 months + 3 months FREE: $2.11/mth
      83% OFF
    • 6 months: $6.99/mth
      42% OFF
    • 1 month: $11.99/mth
  • Available on

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux
  • Unblocks

    • Netflix
    • iPlayer
    • Amazon Prime
    • Hulu
  • Website

CyberGhost is a hugely versatile VPN based in Romania. It has servers in 90 countries, and those servers provide excellent speeds for streaming, downloading, and doing VoIP calls. This makes it great for gaining privacy and bypassing traffic shaping implemented by Plusnet. 


The VPN is fast enough to allow you to perform data-intensive tasks, and it will conceal what you are doing from Plusnet to ensure that you don't get throttled while gaming or streaming HD content on Netflix or YouTube. This makes it an excellent choice for any internet user who often performs data-intensive tasks (or who likes to torrent a lot). 


For unblocking content, this VPN is superb. It can access Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and many other geo-restricted international services. Plus, it has live chat support to help you when you need it. Privacy wise, this VPN will give you watertight privacy against the overreaching UK government and its Snooper's Charter – thanks to its no-logs policy and OpenVPN encryption.


Finally, we love that this VPN lets users install the software on up to 7 devices simultaneously. And you can test CyberGhost VPN yourself thanks to its super-generous 45-day money-back guarantee. An incredible all-rounder at an unbeatable price for what you get. 

Private Internet Access is a US based no-logs provider that is fast and reliable.

  • Pricing

    • 24 months + 2 months FREE: $2.19/mth
      82% OFF
    • 6 months: $7.5/mth
      38% OFF
    • 1 month: $11.95/mth
  • Available on

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux
  • Unblocks

    • Netflix
    • iPlayer
    • Amazon Prime
    • Hulu
  • Website

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a reliable no-logs VPN provider based in the US. this might not be the best location in terms of privacy, but it has proven its no-logs claims in court on several occasions, which makes it trustworthy in our book.


Where this VPN shines is in its amazing, fully-featured apps. Users get access to a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, as well as rarer features such as port forwarding. For internet users looking for a highly customizable VPN, this service is a fantastic option that provides granular control over encryption strength and other parameters from inside the clients.


Where speeds are concerned, this VPN is in the top half of the best VPNs in the world. This makes it suitable for streaming in HD. And this VPN permits torrenting right across its network of 74 countries. Plus, this VPN is one of the few services that consistently provides access to sought after services like Netflix US and BBC iPlayer. PIA is a VPN that represents exceptional value for money, and you can compare it to our other favorites yourself using its 30-day money-back guarantee. 

Surfshark is a consumer favourite VPN that provides fast speeds at an incredibly low price.

  • Pricing

    • 24 months + 2 months FREE: $2.3/mth
      83% OFF
    • 12 months: $3.99/mth
      70% OFF
    • 1 month: $12.95/mth
  • Available on

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux
  • Unblocks

    • Netflix
    • iPlayer
    • Amazon Prime
    • Hulu
  • Website

Surfshark has only been around a few years, but it has quickly risen to be one of the most consumer-praised services on the market. The VPN has apps for all platforms that are jam-packed with all the most important features you need. These include a kill-switch, which will ensure that you never accidentally leak unencrypted data to your ISP, and OpenVPN encryption, which means no one will be able to tell what you are doing online to throttle your bandwidth.


Surfshark has servers in over 60 countries, and those servers provide lightning-fast speeds for streaming in HD and torrenting. Plus, this VPN unblocks a massive array of international Netflix catalogs – including Netflix US. We love that this VPN lets subscribers install and use the VPN on an unlimited number of devices.


Surfshark is a mind-blowingly good all-rounder, which is excellent considering the low cost. It's a consumer favorite VPN that comes highly recommended, and you can test it risk-free using its 30-day money-back guarantee. 

5. VyprVPN

VyprVPN is a fully audited service that can help you bypass throttling and restrictions.

  • Pricing

    • 12 months: $5/mth
      50% OFF
    • 1 month: $10/mth
  • Available on

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux
  • Unblocks

    • Netflix
    • iPlayer
    • Amazon Prime
    • Hulu

VyprVPN is a provider based in Switzerland that is ideal for gaining added privacy both at home and on public WiFi. Its strong OpenVPN encryption will ensure that Plusnet never knows what you are doing online. This allows you to torrent in privacy and means that Plusnet will not be able to throttle you.


With VyprVPN you get a trustworthy no-logs VPN that has had its entire infrastructure and all of its apps fully audited by an independent third-party security auditor. This means you can trust the service to do the things it claims. We love that this VPN has advanced features on all its apps, which makes it perfect for doing sensitive tasks such as torrenting.


Admittedly, this is the slowest of the VPNs we have recommended – which is why it is further down this list. However, this is truly a great balance of privacy and unblocking capabilities – and this VPN does access services like Netflix and iPlayer.


VyprVPN is a popular service that many consumers come back to time and time again, and is well worth comparing to the other services we have recommended using its 30-day money-back guarantee. 

How does a VPN work for Plusnet users?

A VPN is a digital privacy tool that allows you to conceal your web browsing habits from your ISP and the government. When you use VPN software, your internet traffic is encrypted between your device and the VPN server. This prevents Plusnet from being able to know what you are doing online.

The encrypted tunnel also stops local network administrators in workplaces, public WiFi hotspots and elsewhere from being able to track the websites you visit. This provides digital privacy from invasive businesses, ISPs, and government agencies wanting to know everything about what you do online.

An added benefit of a VPN concealing what you do online is that Plusnet is unable to throttle your bandwidth. It also means that you can pretend to be in a different location to unblock geo restricted content.

See our what is a VPN page for more information about VPNs and how they work.

Below we have included a list of the awesome things you can do with your Plusnet VPN.

What can I do with a Plusnet VPN?

How to set up a VPN for BT Plusnet

Using a VPN to gain online privacy, better connection speeds, or to bypass online restrictions and censorship is very easy. Simply follow the steps below to get your Plusnet VPN up and running:

  1. Select a VPN for Plusnet from this article. We have only recommended VPN services that are known to be very effective on Plusnet.
  2. Click through to the VPN provider’s website and subscribe.
  3. Download the VPN software onto your devices. Our recommendations will permit you to install and use it on various platforms and devices simultaneously.
  4. Connect to a VPN server close to you to enjoy the fastest speeds or in a country of your choice to unblock foreign content.

As soon as you connect to your VPN, Plusnet will no longer be able to track the domains you visit. This will prevent them from knowing that you are downloading content, streaming, or gaming, and will ensure you get the best connection speeds available to you.

Will a Plusnet VPN speed up my internet?

Plusnet has previously admitted to throttling its users to combat congestion and maintain the quality of its service for all of its subscribers. According to the firm, traffic is filtered into three different categories depending on what the customer is doing. This system then distributes the total bandwidth to consumers in such a way that is theoretically better for everyone.

However, the sad reality is that Plusnet is a small ISP with finite network capacity, and its customers are being forced to put up with inferior speeds; particularly if they engage in bandwidth hogging activities such as gaming or streaming in HD. If you believe that you are being throttled by Plusnet, there is an easy way to combat this: A VPN for Plusnet.

With a VPN, you prevent your ISP from knowing which website domains and services you connect to. As a result, Plusnet has no idea whether you are streaming, torrenting, or gaming, and it is impossible for its system to automatically throttle you in the same way it does everybody else. This allows you to get the maximum speeds available to you, by ensuring that you don’t take the brunt of the throttling.

How to speed up your VPN connection

Although a VPN is the only way to combat the throttling implemented on customers by Plusnet, it is important to understand that your VPN can also negatively affect your speeds. The encryption that prevents Plusnet from analyzing your traffic (to throttle you) does slow down your internet slightly. It is also true that routing your traffic via a VPN server causes some minimal latency. The good news is that the benefits of bypassing ISP throttling will far outweigh that minimal impact; as long as you pick a fast VPN.

There are dozens of consumer-facing VPNs on the market and those were not all created equally. Some run on lightning-fast networks of Tier-1 servers, which can handle your data in a flash, meaning the impact on your speeds caused by the VPN is almost negligible. Compare that to the crippling slowness caused by ISP throttling and you understand why a VPN is a reasonable solution.

With that said, there are still ways to ensure that you get your VPN working as quickly as possible with Plusnet. We have included our advice below:

  1. Choose a VPN provider that is known to be fast. Most VPNs are slow and if you want to get the best speeds on Plusnet, stick to one of the recommended services in this article to avoid disappointment. If you download and use a sluggish VPN, you will never get the fast speeds you are hoping for.
  2. Opt for a secure encryption protocol that is also fast. Most VPNs allow you to head into settings and switch encryption protocols (or even to change the strength of the encryption). By fiddling with these settings you can optimize your VPN connection speeds.
  3. Connect to a server that is geographically closer to you. If the VPN server is closer, your data has less distance to travel. This can vastly improve the performance of your VPN.
  4. Try a few servers in the country you require. If a VPN server is extremely popular and heavily congested, it is possible that it will slow down. Try another server to see if your connection speeds improve. Our recommended VPNs have hundreds of servers for this exact reason.

Conclusion

Now that you know how a VPN can speed up your internet and protect you from prying eyes, here is a refresher of the best Plusnet VPNs out there:

  1. ExpressVPN - Super fast connections | Servers in 94 countries | Strong privacy features
  2. TIP

    In our testing we checked that all ExpressVPN plans work for Netflix. The one year plan is the best value: three months free and a 30 day risk-free trial.

  3. CyberGhost VPN - Easy to use | Servers in 90 countries | Great customer care
  4. Private Internet Access - No logs | Highly customizable apps | Servers in 74 countries
  5. Surfshark - A consumer favourite | Low cost | Amazing apps for all platforms
  6. VyprVPN - Fully audited | Zero logs | Advanced privacy features

Written by: Ray Walsh

Digital privacy expert with 5 years experience testing and reviewing VPNs. He's been quoted in The Express, The Times, The Washington Post, The Register, CNET & many more. 

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