What Is Split Tunneling Vpn And How To Enable It?

Split tunneling allows you to route only specific traffic through your VPN while other traffic flows directly to the internet. This can be useful when you want the security of a VPN connection but don’t want to slow down your internet speed or sacrifice access to specific online resources.

If you are wondering what VPN split tunneling is and how to connect to then, you are just in luck, as this article will share the secrets of VPN tunneling, how to use it correctly and configure it, and its pros and cons. Ready to enjoy the benefits of split tunneling? Stay with us to gain valuable knowledge in the field of Internet security.

What is VPN Split Tunneling?

Split tunneling is a feature of many VPN services that allows the user to route some traffic through the VPN while other traffic remains outside the VPN. This can be useful in many scenarios, such as when you want to access a local resource (such as a file server) while accessing resources on the internet.

One common use case for split tunneling is allowing users to access their work email and other work-related resources through the VPN while still accessing personal email and other sites not related to work.

Another everyday use case is for users who want to access region-locked content, such as Netflix US outside the US. By using split tunneling, they can route their traffic through a VPN server in the US while still being able to access other sites not related to Netflix.

Different Types of Split Tunneling in VPN

Split tunneling is a VPN configuration where only some of your traffic is routed through the VPN server. This allows you to keep sensitive data private and secure while accessing other internet resources that are unavailable through the VPN.

There are two main types of Split Tunneling:

• Routes all traffic except for specific destinations through the VPN: In this case, you would specify which websites or IP addresses should not be routed through the VPN. All other traffic would go through the VPN as usual. This is useful if you need to access a website blocked by the VPN or if you want to ensure that the VPN protects all your sensitive data.
• Routes only specific traffic through the VPN: In this case, you would specify which websites or IP addresses should be routed through the VPN. All other traffic would bypass the VPN. This is useful if you want to access a website that is not available through the VPN or if you want to save on bandwidth usage.

Why Should You Use Split Tunneling?

There are a few benefits to using split tunneling in VPN:

• It can improve your internet speeds since only some of your traffic is going through the VPN. This is highly important for users who prefer streaming platforms and streaming their shows.
• It can increase security since you’re not sending all your traffic through the VPN. For example, when working in a banking system, it can route your traffic through a VPN while allowing you to watch YouTube through your Internet provider’s IP address.
• It can allow you to access resources only available on the local network, such as file servers. For example, VPN is beneficial when you want to download files via torrent.
• VPN split tunneling helps get low local prices. You can get lower prices from connecting to China than to the USA.

How Do I Set Up Split Tunneling?

Split tunneling can be helpful if you need to access resources on your local network while connected to a VPN or if you want to use a different internet connection for some applications than you do for others.

Additionally, split tunneling can help improve VPN performance by allowing traffic from specific applications or websites to bypass the encrypted tunnel used by the VPN.

Split tunneling is easy to install; with just a few clicks, it’s up and running. However, you must download a VPN that supports the app and select the desired setting.

We have prepared short instructions for each device to help you understand how this is done.

How Do I Set Up Split Tunneling on Mac?

To install Split tunneling manually on Mac:

• First, open the Network preferences panel.
• Click the “+” button at the bottom of the list of connections and select “VPN” from the interface menu.
• Choose “IPSec” as the VPN type and enter the necessary information for your VPN server.
• Next, click the “Advanced…” button and select the “Options” tab.
• Under the “split tunneling” heading, check the box next to “Send all traffic over VPN connection.” This will cause all traffic from your Mac to be sent through the VPN, regardless of whether split tunneling is enabled.
• Finally, click on the “Connect” button and enter your VPN credentials. Your Mac will now connect to the VPN, and all traffic will be routed through the encrypted tunnel.

The instructions below outline how to use VPN split tunnel on your Mac with the app. This is a faster and more straightforward installation process; however, you will have no control over your data as all responsibility will be shifted to the application. Here is how to install the split tunnel via this means:

1. Open the VPN app and sign in.
2. Click the Settings icon.
3. Under Split Tunneling, select which apps will use the VPN connection and which will not.
4. Click Save.
5. Now, when you connect to the VPN, only the chosen apps that you wish to route through the VPN connection.

How Do I Set Up Split Tunneling on Windows?

Windows comes with a built-in VPN client that you can configure. However, there isn’t a split tunneling feature.

Thus, you will need to use a third-party app if you want to use split tunneling with a Windows VPN. NordVPN has a split tunneling feature that you can use.

Here is how to install split tunneling on Windows:

1. Open the NordVPN app.

2. Go to Settings.

3. Enable the Split Tunneling feature.

Once it’s enabled, you’ll be able to choose which apps will use the VPN connection and which will use your regular internet connection. You can protect your privacy while accessing local resources like printers and file shares.

You can manually split your VPN connection if you don’t want to use a VPN app. To do that, you’ll need to edit the Windows Registry.

Warning!: The Windows Registry is a sensitive part of the operating system. Editing it incorrectly can cause serious problems. Before making any changes, export a backup of the Registry so you can restore it if something goes wrong.

To do it manually, you should:

• Open the Registry Editor; to do this, press ‘Windows+R.’ Next, type ‘Regedit’ and press ‘Enter.’
• In the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters.
• Right-click Parameters, select New, and click DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the new value DisableIPv6.
• Double-click DisableIPv6 and change the value from 0 to 1. When you’re finished, close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.
• That is all there is to it! Now all traffic from your computer will go through the VPN server unless you’ve specified otherwise in your routing table.

How Do I Set Up Split Tunneling on Android?

Android devices have an inherent capability to support split tunneling. This means you can use a VPN app on your Android device to route some of your device traffic through the VPN while other traffic bypasses the VPN. Split tunneling can be helpful if you want to ensure that the VPN protects only specific apps while others are not affected by the VPN.

To set up split tunneling on your Android device, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Download and install a VPN app on your Android device.

2. Open the VPN app and log in with your credentials.

3. Tap on the “Settings” icon in the app.

4. Tap on the “Split Tunneling” option.

5. Select the apps that you want to route through the VPN.

6. Tap the “Connect” button to establish a VPN connection.

Once you have followed these steps, your Android device will start routing traffic for the selected apps through the VPN, while other traffic will bypass the VPN.

If you want to stop using split tunneling, you can disconnect from the VPN, and all traffic will go back to bypassing the VPN. You can also disable split tunneling in the settings of your VPN app if you no longer want to use it.

Not all VPN apps support split tunneling, so you will need to check with your VPN provider to see if this feature is available.

How Do I Set Up Split Tunneling on IOS?

Split tunneling is a great way to keep your internet activity private and secure. A VPN app ensures that only the traffic going through your VPN is encrypted while all other internet traffic remains unencrypted.

To set up split tunneling on iOS:

1. First, open the VPN app and connect to a server. Then, open the Settings app on your IOS device. Scroll down and tap on General.
2. Next, tap on VPN. If you don’t see this option, your VPN app doesn’t support split tunneling.
3. Now, tap on the switch next to “Send All Traffic.” This will enable split tunneling, and all your internet traffic will now go through the VPN.
4. Finally, you can choose which apps you want to route through the VPN. To do this, tap on the app and then toggle the switch next to “VPN.” This will ensure that only traffic from that app is routed through the VPN.

Bottom Line

Split tunneling is a great way to keep your internet activity private and secure. A VPN app ensures that only the traffic going through your VPN is encrypted while all other internet traffic remains unencrypted.

This article has shown you how to split tunnel on IOS, Android, Mac, and PC with a VPN app, so now you can keep some of your traffic private while still having access to local network devices.

However, while using split tunneling, you need to ensure online privacy; this way, you avoid ISP monitoring and data throttling as well as data leakage and so on. This way, your online privacy, security, and anonymity are assured. To ensure this, you should choose the most reliable VPN service.

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