What is VPN split tunneling, and how does it work? (2024)

FAQs

What is VPN split tunneling, and how does it work? ›

Split tunneling is a VPN feature that divides your internet traffic and sends some of it through an encrypted virtual private network (VPN) tunnel, but routes the rest through a separate tunnel on the open network. Typically, split tunneling will let you choose which apps to secure and which can connect normally.

How does VPN split tunneling work? The split tunnel VPN works by dividing your internet connection between two connections. The public network/open server and the private network. By doing so, split-tunnel enables you to leverage VPN to encrypt confidential data while still having direct access to the internet.

VPN split tunneling lets you route some of your device or app traffic through the encrypted VPN tunnel while other devices or apps access the internet directly.

A site-to-site virtual private network (VPN) is a connection between two or more networks, such as a corporate network and a branch office network. Many organizations use site-to-site VPNs to leverage an internet connection for private traffic as an alternative to using private MPLS circuits.

A split tunnel discards local traffic and only routes IPsec traffic through the VPN tunnel. A split tunnel keeps local traffic on your network but routes IPsec traffic through the VPN tunnel.

Here, split tunneling is determined based on destination IP addresses or IP ranges. For example, if you're working remotely, you might route traffic going to your company's IP range through the VPN but let other traffic go directly to the internet.

How do I set it up in OpenVPN Access Server? In the Admin Web UI, you can start split tunneling with a simple click of a toggle button. Under Configuration > VPN Settings > Routing, switch “Should client Internet traffic be routed through the VPN?” to No.

Split tunneling can help give you the fastest internet speed if you're streaming high-bandwidth content. One is it can help maintain fast internet speeds. Using a VPN can slow your internet speed down a little since it takes time to encrypt your traffic.

Inverse split tunneling is best for people that want nearly all of their traffic encrypted. The above two options leave your traffic unencrypted unless you specifically add it to their encryption lists. Inverse split tunneling does the opposite by encrypting everything on your system by default.

VPNs can be detected through simple mechanisms like comparing the actual browser timezone with the target server's exit node or by using databases that store information about whether a given IP address belongs to the VPN.

Can you have 2 VPN connections? ›

Some popular VPN clients that support multi-hop VPNs include NordVPN, ProtonVPN, and Surfshark. Once you have installed the VPN client, you can configure it to connect to multiple VPN servers in sequence.

Go to VPN -> SSL-VPN Portal -> Create New.

Map the User groups to correct the SSL VPN Portal according to the needs. In this case, the 'SSL-VPN_User_Ena' group has been mapped to 'full-access' to enable the split tunnel then mapped the 'SSL-VPN_User_Dis' group to 'full-access_Split_Disable' to disable the split tunnel.

VPN split tunneling divides your network traffic into two separate connections. Part of your online traffic goes through a VPN server's encrypted tunnel, keeping it protected. The rest of your traffic can access the internet directly without going through the VPN tunnel.

Split tunneling for Windows, Android, and routers

Route via VPN — allows you to choose certain websites or apps that should be routed through the VPN server while all others remain unaffected. In other words, it's the exact opposite of Bypass VPN.

A site-to-site VPN simulates a direct connection between the two networks, enabling them to use private IP addresses for internal traffic. Access Control: Every organization has systems and resources that are designed to only be accessible to internal users.

Split tunneling is an option that allows you to have a specific part of your internet connection to be rerouted outside of the VPN. You may find it useful for situations where a VPN connection may be unnecessary, for instance, when dealing with a trusted application.

Protections to mitigate the risk of split tunneling should include first and foremost a valid BAA, which requires the third parties to verify the remote workstations are protected. For internal employees and contractors, the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) should be signed and must outline the acceptable use of equipment.

Split tunneling can be prevented by disabling configuration settings that allow such capability in remote devices and by preventing those configuration settings from being configurable by users.