Is Someone Sneaking a Peek at My Internet? Help Needed!

Have you ever experienced a sudden and drastic drop in your internet speed? If so, you’re not alone. I’m currently facing a perplexing issue with my CenturyLink fiber internet in the Pacific Northwest, installed just nine months ago in my home. Initially, my connection boasted impressive speeds of around 950 Mbps, with upload speeds that hovered around the same figure. However, out of the blue, my download speed plummeted to an alarming 4 Mbps, leaving me frustrated and bewildered.

Despite my ISP’s assurances that everything on their end is functioning perfectly, my internet speed remains erratic. At times, speed tests will show a range from 20 Mbps to 100 Mbps, and then plummet to just 1.5 Mbps! Interestingly, my upload speeds continue to perform exceptionally well, occasionally reaching up to 900 Mbps, while my download speeds lag behind to a trickle.

After reaching out to CenturyLink’s customer support, a technician was dispatched to investigate. The technician conducted multiple diagnostic tests, replaced my modem, upgraded the Optical Network Terminal (ONT), and even installed new Cat 6 cables, yet the same issue persisted. We connected through Ethernet for testing, which unfortunately proved to be even worse when using Wi-Fi.

Throughout this process, the technician repeatedly posed the question, “Are you sure you’re not running a VPN?” To be completely transparent, I barely have a grasp on what a VPN constitutes, and I assured him that I wasn’t using one. After scratching his head in confusion, he left, and subsequent calls to tech support yielded the same responses: “Everything is working fine,” and the recurring inquiry about the potential VPN usage.

To add to my concerns, I’ve noticed something peculiar: whenever I perform a Google search in Chrome, I’m often prompted with a captcha warning about “suspicious activity.” This raises the question: is someone accessing my network without my consent? Is it possible that an unknown party has set up a VPN on my system? Unfortunately, I lack the technical know-how to identify where these issues may be stemming from, or to fully comprehend the situation at hand.

As a quick note, I am using Macs for my internet activities, and in light of the ongoing difficulties, I truly appreciate any insights or recommendations from those more knowledgeable in this area. While I have yet to resolve this issue, I want to thank everyone for their valuable feedback and