A free VPN like Avira Phantom VPN for Windows may slow down your internet connection due to your traffic being rerouted through a secure tunnel, the encryption process, and the protocol. However, this reduction in speed shouldn’t negatively impact what you do online. In addition, connection times may vary depending on your distance from the server you connect to (meaning the country in which the server is located). And if other apps or programs on your device need internet access, this can also impact the speed of your VPN connection.