Multiple-step data throttling during data transfer

A system comprising:

• a client device;
• and
• a virtual private network (VPN) server
• wherein the client device is configured to
• monitor an amount of data exchange with the VPN server via a bonded connection comprising a first channel and a second channel used to simultaneously transfer data between the client device and the VPN server;
• compare the amount of data exchanged to a first data usage threshold and a second data usage threshold that is larger than the first data usage threshold;
• partially limit a data rate of subsequent transfers of data between the client device and the VPN server on the bonded connection by a predetermined percentage less than the data rate when the first data usage threshold is reached;
• responsive to the partial limit of the data rate of the subsequent transfers of data on the bonded connection, increase a data rate of the second channel and reduce the data rate of the first channel based on the predetermined percentage less than the data rate;
• and
• further partially limit the data rate of further subsequent transfers of data between the client device and the VPN server on the first channel by further reducing the data rate of the first channel by another predetermined percentage less than the data rate in addition to the predetermined percentage less than the data rate when the second data usage threshold is reached and simultaneously exchanging data on the bonded connection between the client device and the VPN server during the further subsequent transfers of data.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform:

• monitoring an amount of data exchanged between a client device and a virtual private network (VPN) server via a bonded connection comprising a first channel and a second channel-used to simultaneously transfer data between the client device and the VPN server;
• comparing the amount of data exchanged to a first data usage threshold and a second data usage threshold that is larger than the first data usage threshold;
• partially limiting a data rate of subsequent transfers of data between the client device and the VPN server on the bonded connection by a predetermined percentage less than the data rate when the first data usage threshold is reached;
• responsive to the partial limiting of the data rate of the subsequent transfers of data on the bonded connection, increasing a data rate of the second channel and reducing the data rate-of the first channel based on the predetermined percentage less than the data rate;
• and
• further partially limiting the data rate of further subsequent transfers of data between the client device and the VPN server on the first channel by further reducing the data rate of the first channel by another predetermined percentage less than the data rate in addition to the predetermined percentage less than the data rate when the second data usage threshold is reached and simultaneously exchanging data on the bonded connection between the client device and the VPN server during the further subsequent transfers of data.