Speed looks doubled with a VPN or virtual machines

If the readout seems too high, a VPN or virtual adapter may be counted twice. Select the right adapters to get a true reading.

You watch a download at 20 MB/s, but NetSpeedDisplay shows far more. A VPN or virtual machine adapter is the usual cause.

Why it happens

A VPN carries your data inside a virtual adapter, then sends it encrypted over your real adapter. Counting both shows nearly double the traffic. Virtual machine software adds more adapters that can do the same.

The fix

Right-click the display and open Select Network Connections.
Choose Auto Select, which counts physical adapters by default.
Or untick virtual adapters by hand and keep your Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter ticked.

Check the result

Start a download of known speed and compare. If the numbers now match what your downloader shows, you are done.

The opposite problem

If the display now reads zero with a VPN on, the traffic may be on the VPN adapter. Select that adapter instead. See zero or incorrect speed readings.

Units

Also confirm you are comparing the same units, since a factor of eight looks like a bug. See Mbps to MB/s.

More background: monitoring network speed with a VPN and VPN adapters explained.

Network adapter selection

Let NetSpeedDisplay count physical adapters automatically, or pick the Wi-Fi, Ethernet or VPN adapters to measure.

Monitoring network speed when you use a VPN

A VPN adds a virtual adapter and changes what a speed meter sees. Learn how to read your speed correctly and avoid double counting.

Published 2026-10-17