How Does Split Tunnelling Work In VPNs?

Most people will think of private browsing, staying anonymous online and accessing restricted content with the mention of VPNs. Yes, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are usually used for that. But what most don’t know is that modern ones come with a clever feature called split tunnelling.

It may sound like something right out of a spy movie but it’s actually quite handy to have. So what is it, when do you use it and why should you even bother to use it? Let’s get into it.

 

 

What Is Split Tunnelling?

 

When you use a VPN, the data going from your device to the website that you visit goes through an encrypted tunnel. This means that it can’t be intercepted by hackers or third parties so you know that your information is protected from prying eyes.

This includes everything from videos that you stream and files that you download to your e-mails and online banking information.

With split tunnelling, simply put, you can decide which traffic goes through your VPN. The rest? It will go through your regular Internet connection that’s not encrypted.

The reason for using this feature is because while VPNs are great for privacy, they’re not always convenient for general, day-to-day use. You would definitely use it for things like transacting online because that requires additional security. But for low-risk activities like checking the weather or watching a video on YouTube, it’s not necessary.

 

Why Should You Use The Split Tunnelling Feature?

 

Routing everything that you do online through a VPN will slow things down which will likely cause some frustration. But with split tunnelling, you can almost prioritise what needs to be secured and what online activity can run through your regular network. It just helps to keep things moving quickly.

Some websites and apps, particularly streaming platforms, tend to not work properly when using a foreign VPN server. When you split the traffic, it’s easier to use these platforms while still keeping your other online browsing private.

It’s also helpful if you work remotely and use your company’s VPN. If you want to do your own browsing that doesn’t go through their network, you can just split it and keep your browsing separate.

 

 

How Does It Actually Work?

 

Now that you know what split tunnelling is and why it’s good to use, let’s get into how it works. Essentially, it creates routing rules either in your device directly or on your VPN app. This will dictate to your device which data needs to go through the encrypted tunnel and which won’t.

There are three types of split tunnelling that you could use.

App-Based: Here, you can choose which apps will use the VPN connections or bypass it. You might want platforms like Outlook and Zoom to use it but YouTube or Netflix to go through your regular connection.

URL-Based/Website-Based: Depending on which VPN you use, you could select certain websites to include or exclude on your bypass list.

Inverse Split Tunnelling: Instead of choosing which traffic bypasses the VPN, you do the opposite and select the ones that will. Whatever you don’t choose will go through the normal network.

 

How To Set It Up On Your VPN App

 

Keep in mind that every VPN app will look a bit different so if you’re unsure, contact the provider to guide you through it.

In most cases, you’ll open up the app and look for the Split Tunnelling or Bypass settings. You can then choose the apps or websites to either go through the VPN or around it then click save.

After you have done that, you can connect to the VPN and check that it works as you set it.

 

Is Split Tunnelling Safe To Use?

 

In theory, yes it is safe to use but it depends on how you use it. What it will do is protect the information that needs the security and avoid slow traffic while still giving you access to your local services.

Of course, there are some risks as well. If you don’t configure the settings properly, you could end up sending your private data through the regular network which means it could potentially be accessed by anyone. Similarly, any traffic that you choose to stay outside of your VPN tunnel is not encrypted so it could still technically be tracked.

Remember, the whole point of VPNs is to hide your IP address to keep you anonymous online. But when you have traffic that isn’t using the VPN, your actual IP address could be exposed. It’s not to say that anything bad will happen but you just won’t be 100% anonymous so if that’s what you want, split tunnelling may not be the best option for you.

However, if you want to have more control over your privacy and speed, it’s definitely a feature worth using.