Now, when the VPN market is increasing, users are confused to select a VPN that is most secure, efficient, and offers advanced features.
One of those features is split tunneling.
“Split tunneling is the option that allows you to set the apps or devices which you want to encrypt with VPN. All the other data/traffic goes unencrypted to the internet.”
What is Split Tunneling and its Types?
As mentioned before, split tunneling is a really efficient feature for those who want to remain safe on certain apps/devices while being able to enjoy some local content.
There are many reasons why a VPN user wants a VPN to encrypt some applications/devices. However, without a split tunneling VPN, this is a big hassle.
Connecting the VPN for some time and then disconnecting it again for some other work is really annoying.
When you connect to a VPN, it routes your traffic through the VPN server. That means split tunneling is not enabled by default. If you enable the split tunneling feature, it will let you select the apps or websites, or devices you want to encrypt while the remaining data will be handled by your ISP.
There are two main types of split tunneling;
Inverse Split tunneling
This type of tunneling means that all your traffic will route through the VPN tunnel. It allows a user to select the websites or apps they want to exclude from the encryption route.
IP-based Routing
IP-based routing is referred to the customization of the routing table by the network administrators as a process of split tunneling. An alternative criterion including the size of data packets and other matrices is used to change the routing table.
How to Enable Split tunneling?
In most VPNs, you could follow this general guide to enable the split tunneling feature. Also, remember to disconnect VPN before enabling the split tunneling feature.
- Open the VPN application on your device and go to the settings menu.
- Then find the split tunneling feature (mostly in a general tab or in preferences if you are using Mac) and enable it.
- Then enter the apps you want to exclude from VPN encryption. In some VPNs, like SurfShark VPN and ExpressVPN, you have two options. Either select apps that will use the VPN path or select apps which will be excluded from the VPN path.
