What Is a VPN?
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a separate server — often used to protect data on public networks or to access a company's internal resources remotely.
Downtown Works and VPNs
Downtown Works does not provide, maintain, or support VPN services. You're welcome to use one on our network, but managing and troubleshooting it is the responsibility of you or your organization's IT team — our support team cannot troubleshoot VPN-specific issues.
Why a VPN Can Slow Down Your Connection
A VPN reroutes your traffic through an intermediate server, which can add distance, security-check overhead, and potential bottlenecks at the VPN provider's own infrastructure — all independent of our network's performance.
Example: If your company's VPN server is in Beijing but you're working from our San Diego location trying to reach a server in New York, your data now travels San Diego → Beijing → New York and back, instead of a direct path. That added distance alone will show up as latency.
Before Contacting Support About a VPN Issue
Run a speed test both with and without your VPN active, using downtown.works/speedtest or a site like speedtest.net. If performance is significantly worse with the VPN on, the VPN (or its provider) is the likely cause — contact your IT team or VPN provider rather than Downtown Works support.
Our network supports all major VPN applications at the connection level, but performance ultimately depends on your VPN provider's configuration and infrastructure.
If you have a Company Managed Device, we are unable to assist with your connection as this needs to be handled directly with your IT department.
Need Help?
For non-VPN-related network issues, contact our support team. For VPN configuration or performance issues, contact your organization's IT team or VPN provider.