For those who don’t know, split tunneling is a feature that can be found on many VPNs. It’s an option that allows you to choose what traffic will go through the VPN and which won’t. This means you can still browse websites or watch videos without it counting as data usage if they’re not encrypted by the VPN.
Split tunneling first became available for VPN services in 2004 and was created because people wanted to use their computers like normal while still having protection from hackers and other malicious actors online for other internet activities. Split tunneling, while not necessary, is a great example of how a VPN can protect you online and deliver an enjoyable internet experience.
Here is everything you need to know about split tunneling on a VPN as well as reasons why it is a useful feature.
How Does Split Tunneling Work?
Split tunneling is a VPN feature that allows users to decide which internet traffic goes through the encrypted VPN tunnel, and which goes through their regular network.
For example, if you use a VPN to visit your bank and purchase something online but don’t want the rest of the internet traffic on your computer going through the encrypted tunnel, you can choose for your banking app data to solely go through the VPN tunnel.
Why is Split Tunneling Useful?
Split tunneling is useful for people who don’t want their regular network speeds to be affected by traffic going through the VPN. It’s also a great feature if you’re only looking for privacy protection when visiting certain sites or using specific apps online that aren’t secure, but other internet activities are more important and require fast speeds.
This means not everything on your computer will go through an encrypted connection even though it’s all being sent over the same ISP which can reduce speed issues as well as protect from hackers stealing information during normal browsing sessions.
Is Split Tunneling Necessary?
Some VPNs offer split tunneling as a feature, while others don’t. It is not necessary to have but it’s useful for those who want complete privacy protection from hackers and other malicious actors while on some websites, without affecting their regular network speeds or limiting their internet usage in any way.
There are many benefits of having the option to choose exactly which traffic goes through a secure encrypted connection with a VPN service so you can still browse websites freely if that’s all you’re looking for.
Should I Use a VPN That Doesn’t Offer Split Tunneling?
Split tunneling is not a necessity, but it is a great bonus feature. Each user needs to decide whether or not it is something they need.
If a VPN service doesn’t offer split tunneling as an option to choose from, then for some users, it may not be worth purchasing the plan. This is because speed and privacy protection are necessary for this day and age, and split tunneling assists with both.
Not having that feature available will slow down your regular network speeds significantly whenever certain apps or activities are being used online. This can interfere with your device’s performance ability for other things, such as sending emails.
However, some people want total privacy for all of their online activities. If you are one of these internet users, then you won’t get much use out of split tunneling, as you’ll likely want every internet movement, regardless of how small, to be carried out under the protection of VPN encryption.
Hi, I'm Madeleine. I'm a British writer with a global background, currently based in the UK.
I have always been interested in the online world and how it connects people worldwide. My keen interest in the internet led me to ...
Read more about the author