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LithoUser

Member

Registered: 2016-11-17

Posts: 162

[SOLVED] Mullvad VPN slow on one specific website

Hello,

I use Mullvad as my VPN provider. It has worked pretty well for several years now.

However, for a few months, my downloads are blocked at 100 KB/s every time I download a file on 1fichier.com. The speed is good (around 3 or 4 MB/s) on all other download sites; it only happens when I download from 1fichier.com.

I use Firefox as my browser, if that matters. I usually connect to the VPN using OpenVPN and a config file downloaded from the mullvad website; however, I've followed the Mullvad wiki page, so I've tried to connect with and without NetworkManager, and I've also tried WireGuard. So the problem doesn't come from NetworkManager, or OpenVPN, or WireGuard by themselves... So where could it come from?

I have to add that I have tested to download many different files in different places (with different networks), including my vacation place (very far from my home). The result is the same: I am always blocked at exactly 100 KB/s.

Could someone help me diagnose the source of this problem? Thank you very much!

Last edited by LithoUser (2023-05-08 05:37:30)

threefour

Member

Registered: 2022-07-25

Posts: 21

Re: [SOLVED] Mullvad VPN slow on one specific website

I think the most simple answer is that the website rate-limits certain blocks of IP addresses that they've identified as "potentially bots" or general unwanted traffic.

Mullvad's IPs are easily identifiable as data-center IPs.

Last edited by threefour (2023-05-02 17:16:39)

LithoUser

Member

Registered: 2016-11-17

Posts: 162

Re: [SOLVED] Mullvad VPN slow on one specific website

However, I've contacted the Mullvad support, and they say all is fine on their side with 1Fichier; they can download at max speed using the same servers as the ones I use (and I've tried many ones)... and so they say the reason is on my side, and they can't help.

Furthermore, it lasts for about 6 months now, so I've had a lot of different IP addresses since then.

Couldn't there be another explanation?

seth

Member

From: Don't DM me only for attention

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 74,307

Re: [SOLVED] Mullvad VPN slow on one specific website

Is the speed ok w/o mullvad and is it bad w/ mullvad on a different system?

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LithoUser

Member

Registered: 2016-11-17

Posts: 162

Re: [SOLVED] Mullvad VPN slow on one specific website

Yes, the speed is OK without Mullvad (50x faster!)

Not sure about the 2nd one, as I don't have any other system. However, the speedtest of 1fichier gives the following result (my VPN is always connected, so it is connected during this test):

1 - 62.67 Mbit/s
2 - 98.68 Mbit/s
3 - 32.33 Mbit/s
4 - 115.44 Mbit/s
5 - 83.75 Mbit/s
6 - 94.14 Mbit/s
7 - 68.25 Mbit/s
8 - 110.08 Mbit/s
9 - 71.19 Mbit/s
10 - 83.22 Mbit/s
11 - 52.96 Mbit/s
12 - 95.55 Mbit/s
13 - 80.93 Mbit/s
14 - 92.97 Mbit/s
15 - 88.31 Mbit/s
16 - 118.72 Mbit/s
End of test !

This is weird. So it seems that the problem is only when I download a file...

Edit: I do have 2 computers (one PC and one laptop) but they share the same configurations, and I have the same problem downloading on 1Fichier using both.

Last edited by LithoUser (2023-05-04 07:16:01)

LithoUser

Member

Registered: 2016-11-17

Posts: 162

Re: [SOLVED] Mullvad VPN slow on one specific website

OK since I didn't have another PC, I've created a live USB of Linux Mint, booted from it, imported the Mullvad config file into NetworkManager, and tried to download a file on 1Fichier. The result is the same: the download speed was limited to 100 KB/s.

I've also tried to download using jDownloader, in case Firefox would cause an issue, but I had the same result, so it's not due to Firefox either.

Is there something else I could try to find the cause of the problem?

Last edited by LithoUser (2023-05-07 05:53:51)

seth

Member

From: Don't DM me only for attention

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 74,307

Re: [SOLVED] Mullvad VPN slow on one specific website

It very much sounds like a quota from 1fichier - afaiu this is a sharehoster that allows everyone to download slowly, but you need an account for full speed?
The latter might internally be tied to the IP, but this is not reflected in their speedtest - which is probably also the only thing the mullvad check (absent an account)

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LithoUser

Member

Registered: 2016-11-17

Posts: 162

Re: [SOLVED] Mullvad VPN slow on one specific website

Thanks a lot for your answer!

If it is indeed quotas, doesn't it seem strange that Mullvad's technical support tells me that they have no problem downloading at full speed on 1Fichier using the same servers as me?

seth

Member

From: Don't DM me only for attention

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 74,307

Re: [SOLVED] Mullvad VPN slow on one specific website

1.

2.
They might just have tested the speedtest, not an actual download (again: you need an account for unlimited downloads, do you?)

I'd rather talk to 1ficher

Last edited by seth (2023-05-07 08:29:32)

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How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

LithoUser

Member

Registered: 2016-11-17

Posts: 162

Re: [SOLVED] Mullvad VPN slow on one specific website

You're right. Thanks for your advice!