What’s actually slowing this PC down?
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Yes—Microsoft acknowledged investigating reports that some Windows 11 VPN connections became dramatically slower after spring 2023 updates. The reports focused mainly on the built-in L2TP/IPsec client after preview update KB5025305 (April 25, 2023) and security update KB5026372 (May 9, 2023). Microsoft did not publish an average speed-loss figure, affected-device count, or controlled test result, so reports of speeds below 1 Mbps remain individual user accounts rather than an official Windows statistic.
What happened in 2023
In May 2023, users reported severe throughput reductions on Windows 11 VPN connections installed or updated around two cumulative releases:
| Update | Date | Reported symptom | Evidence limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| KB5025305 | April 25, 2023 | Slow VPN throughput, especially with built-in L2TP/IPsec connections | User reports; no Microsoft benchmark published |
| KB5026372 | May 9, 2023 | Similar reports of major speed reductions | User reports; no population-wide measurement published |
A Microsoft spokesperson told BleepingComputer, “Microsoft is aware of the issue and is looking into it.” That is an acknowledgement of the investigation—not confirmation that every Windows 11 computer, VPN protocol, or network was affected.
Was Windows 11 throttling every VPN?
No. The documented reports were concentrated on L2TP/IPsec, particularly connections using Windows’ built-in VPN client. The available evidence does not establish a universal slowdown across IKEv2, OpenVPN, vendor-specific clients, or all Windows 11 editions. A report titled “Windows 11’s last update is slowing down our VPN connection to less than 1Mbps” describes one community experience; it is not an official Microsoft measurement.
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How to identify whether your problem matches the 2023 regression
- Record the Windows release. Open Settings > System > About and note the edition and version.
- Check update history. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Update history and look for KB5025305, KB5026372, or another update installed immediately before the slowdown.
- Identify the VPN implementation. Note whether the connection is L2TP/IPsec, IKEv2, OpenVPN, or a vendor-specific protocol, and whether it uses Windows’ built-in client or a separate application.
- Measure inside and outside the tunnel. Compare the same transfer or speed test with the VPN disconnected and connected, using the same server and network. A slowdown only inside the tunnel points toward the VPN path; a slowdown everywhere may have another cause.
- Check more than download speed. Record upload speed, latency, packet loss, and whether file transfers or interactive applications are affected. Keep the test time and VPN server location with the results.
Rollback and update decisions
Removing an update can reduce exposure to a regression, but it also removes security fixes and is not a confirmed cure for every VPN problem. Before changing a production machine, check your organization’s rollback policy, create or verify a recovery path, and consult the release notes for your exact Windows version. Enterprise administrators should test the update and VPN combination on a representative device rather than rolling back an entire fleet based on one speed test.
If you uninstall a recent quality update for troubleshooting, document the KB number, reboot, and repeat the same inside/outside measurements. Reinstall the update or apply a later approved release according to your security policy once testing is complete.
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Do later Windows 11 VPN issues describe the same bug?
Not necessarily. Microsoft’s later release documentation describes different symptoms and environments:
| Documented release | Issue | What it does—and does not—show |
|---|---|---|
| KB5070311 (December 2025) | WSL mirrored networking could produce “No route to host” failures with some third-party VPNs, including Cisco Secure Client and OpenVPN. | A connection-failure issue linked to WSL networking, not evidence of the 2023 L2TP/IPsec throughput regression. |
| KB5074109 (January 2026) | Microsoft documented a fix for that WSL/third-party VPN problem. | Resolution of the later routing issue, not a published speed benchmark for 2023. |
| KB5124006 preview (September 2026) | Improves recovery from potential VPN process-related background issues that can cause processes to stop responding on Windows 11 26H1. | A resiliency improvement; it does not prove the original slowdown was present on 26H1 or that it affected throughput. |
What can actually fix a slow VPN?
- Confirm the scope first. If only one protocol or client is slow, test an approved alternative such as IKEv2, OpenVPN, or your provider’s supported client. Compatibility, authentication, and enterprise policy may prevent switching.
- Compare clients carefully. A vendor client and Windows’ built-in client can use different protocols, drivers, routes, and encryption settings. A faster result with one does not identify the root cause by itself.
- Check VPN and network logs. Look for reconnects, packet loss, authentication retries, MTU or fragmentation warnings, and server-side congestion.
- Test another VPN endpoint. A distant or overloaded gateway can reduce speed independently of Windows updates.
- Coordinate enterprise changes. For business connections, involve the VPN administrator before changing protocol, split-tunnel, routing, or security settings.
There is no documented evidence that changing a particular router, network adapter, or consumer VPN subscription universally fixes the 2023 Windows issue. Treat such changes as controlled troubleshooting, not established remedies.
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How to report a suspected update-related regression
- Windows edition, version, and build
- Installed KB numbers and installation dates
- VPN protocol and client name/version
- Whether the symptom is slow throughput, inability to connect, routing failure, or a frozen process
- Inside/outside speed, latency, and packet-loss measurements
- Relevant Windows, VPN-client, and gateway logs
This information helps separate the 2023 L2TP/IPsec speed reports from later WSL routing and VPN-process problems, which require different fixes.
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