Split tunneling is a feature that allows you to choose which applications go through the VPN and which ones don’t. This article will explain how to split tunnel on Windows, and what it means for your security and speed.
Most people think about using a VPN for applications TorGuard in order to increase their privacy and anonymity while surfing the Internet. However, there are many other benefits of using a VPN such as increased speeds, access to blocked sites/services, or even improved performance from certain video games (such as League of Legends).
One downside of using a VPN might be decreased connection stability due to the added encryption layers required by this service. That’s where split tunneling comes in! Here is how you split tunnel on a Windows VPN.
What is Split Tunneling and How Does it Work?
Split tunneling is a feature that comes on many VPNs and enables users to decide which website and application traffic goes through the VPN tunnel, and which goes through your regular network provider. This way you can access geo-restricted content, while simultaneously maintaining connection speeds and security.
So, if you want to torrent or stream in private and under the protection of an encrypted VPN tunnel, then you can send all of this data via the VPN tunnel. With split tunneling, the rest of your internet traffic will go through your regular network connection meaning it is not protected by encryption. For many people, this is a great advantage and offers a lot of customization.
A Guide to Setting Up Split Tunneling on Windows VPN
Here we will explore how to activate split tunneling on Windows, and therefore how to use it.
Open the VPN client – once you have installed your VPN software (and you’re connected), click on the system tray menu and select ‘settings’. Locate ‘split tunneling’ or a similar option in this window. You should see an option for which applications go through the encrypted network connection while others do not.
Now here you can enable split tunneling for specific applications such as Skype, Hulu, and others by adding these to be accessed outside of the VPN tunnel.
Once you have added the applications and websites that you want to access outside of the tunnel, you can click save. For some VPN clients, you may need to close and reopen the client for the changes to take place.
What Are Some Benefits of Split Tunneling?
The most significant benefit of split tunneling is the increased speed and stability of your connection. This way you don’t have to use up all available network bandwidth for encrypting data, which can lead to increased upload/download speeds when using torrents or streaming services.
Another advantage is that if you are interested in maintaining your anonymity while still having access to blocked sites (such as Netflix), then split tunneling allows you to do just this without compromising on security too much – it’s a great solution!
A final advantage is that by allowing traffic through unencrypted networks, users with strict employers who block certain applications will be able to bypass these restrictions using their VPN client software.
I’m Madeleine, and I'm a writer that specializes in cybersecurity, tech products, and all things related to the internet.
I have a keen interest in VPNs and believe that everyone deserves internet freedom and security. I wr...
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