Why do websites load slowly through a VPN even though speed tests show normal numbers?

DELAYS ARE CAUSED BY SLOW DNS SERVERS OR AN OVERLOADED ISP GATEWAY.

A speed test measures the download speed of a continuous file, whereas opening a webpage requires hundreds of small requests for address resolution. If the tunnel's DNS server responds with a delay, the browser hangs for a long time at the node lookup stage.

The Difference Between Bandwidth and Latency

Data download speeds can reach high values, but before loading images and scripts, the browser must translate the domain name into a numerical IP address. When using a remote DNS server, each request travels thousands of extra miles, creating a noticeable webpage freezing effect before loading begins.

How to Speed Up Website Response Times

set fast public DNS addresses in your client settings (e.g., from Cloudflare or Google)
enable the DoH (DNS over HTTPS) protocol for instant and encrypted domain resolution
switch your connection protocol from resource-heavy OpenVPN to optimized WireGuard
test the connection to a server physically located closer to your city