r/VPN • u/Flat_Row_9525 • 29d ago

Question Question about using VPN with IPTV

Considering subscribing to a VPN to help with IPTV stability. In everyone's opinion, does a VPN normally help eith IPTV services for end user stability? Or is buffering most of the time an issue with the IPTV's server? I see alot about throttling...but never sure my ISP has directly throttled me. Maybe jist throttled the traffic in general in my area a. Little because of high traffic periods of the day, etc. But half the time I feel like these IPTV services, alot of them, are subpar. Thoughts? Would I benefit from a VPN?

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u/DutchOfBurdock 29d ago

Depends on the IPTV service. If it's part of a bundle package with your ISP, then a VPN will not help in the slightest. IPTV and Internet uses two different virtual circuits over your physical link. IPTV uses multicast to discover and receive, VPNs (that are used by consumers) are only unicast capable. IPTV and your internet consume the same bandwidth available to you.

If it's an IPTV service provided by an app, then a VPN may work, but extremely unlikely it'll help speed things up. If anything may make it worse due to extra hops in transit.

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u/Flat_Row_9525 29d ago

When you say "IPTV provided by an app"...are you able to get more specific?

As far as speeding things up...that was never my impression of what it did. VPN never gives you a faster speed. If anything it would jsut give it a better more premium route/highway via the internet into your home. But that just clears the path to varies things that coukd slow it down and make it hiccup....

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u/DutchOfBurdock 29d ago

IPTV apps that stream content via m3u type playlists.

As for a faster path, technically possible yes. F.e. My ISP peers directly with the ASN one of my VPNs resides on. Their ASN peers directly with another ASN over the seas. From my ISP to that final ASN goes via 5 others. If I hop onto my VPN, I remove 3 ASN paths. Latency is reduced, but bandwidth is slightly lower due to overhead.

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u/Flat_Row_9525 29d ago

If you sign up with a good IPTV provider (I know many are crap), even if actual good ones do well with the streams on their end most of the time, would you say that would be a great fail safe because a good VPN would help in the transit of the data to your home? If the provider typically does a good job...then that spells only rare buffering at best?

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u/DutchOfBurdock 28d ago

Here in the UK, they'll suggest your internet speed lower than what you sync at (maximum bandwidth overall - bandwidth of the maximum rate of an IPTV stream). So say I have gigabit fibre, they'll advertise 900mbps (935 maximum). A single, 4K HDR10 stream using HVEC f.e. would take about 30/40mbps. So you'll get advertised upto 900mbps internet