How to fix slow connection issues on Linux – Surfshark Customer Support

In this article, you will learn what might cause slow connection issues on your Linux device when connected to a VPN and how to avoid them.

Remember that a slight decrease in speed (around 30 %) is expected when using a VPN. Feel free to check out this article to read more about how a VPN might affect your connection speed and why.

However, if you have noticed that the connection speed has decreased drastically, you may want to try some of the adjustments below.

Change the current protocol on your Surfshark app.

You have two options when choosing a protocol on Linux - OpenVPN (UDP) and OpenVPN (TCP). Make sure you give both a try. You can choose a protocol before connecting to a server (right after entering the server’s number).
Disable IPv6 on your Linux device

At the moment Surfshark does not support IPv6. That being said, having it enabled might dramatically decrease your connection speed. You can find out how to disable IPv6 on your Linux device by pressing here.
Test the speed of several different locations (servers).

Some locations might provide a better connection speed compared to others. Try at least several different locations, preferably ones that are closer to your physical location.

To see if your speed has increased - visit speedtest.net or any other speed-testing website. Perform a quick test, and you'll see the results.
Try the manual connection via the Network manager.

A manual VPN connection will provide you a basic VPN connection, bypassing all the features that might slow down your connection. Here is a quick tutorial on how to set up a manual connection using the Network manager.
Set custom DNS on your device.

Custom DNS, like Cloudflare's or OpenDNS, might bring you a better speed and overall browsing experience.

Try settings the following DNS addresses on your device.

DNS1: 162.252.172.57
DNS2: 149.154.159.92
Disable interfering apps.

Apps like anti-virus, file-sharing clients, or other VPNs might use the same tools and resources on your computer that Surfshark needs. That can potentially slow down your VPN connection. Disable those apps (at least temporarily) and see if that helps with the connection speed.