Split tunneling is a VPN feature that lets you choose which of your internet connections go through the encrypted VPN tunnel and which connect directly to the internet. Your data is divided into two streams, one of which the VPN tunnel transmits sensitive traffic in order to protect it, and the other is sent openly. It is possible to keep personal data safe, and at the same time maintain not as vital as streaming or video games within a local area and fast. Split tunneling enables you to choose what is redirected by the VPN and what is not. Likewise, other firms observe that split tunneling allows you to decide which applications and processes can or cannot have their computer traffic directed to the VPN. Collectively, these explain the same concept: you divide your relationship to ensure that some traffic is encrypted by the VPN and the rest is not.

Split tunneling is especially useful when you want both privacy and performance. For example, you might use your VPN for banking or work email, while letting YouTube or Netflix stream directly without extra encryption. This way, you still keep crucial data safe but enjoy higher speeds for your everyday activities. Essentially, split tunneling creates two simultaneous routes, one secure and one direct, giving you greater control over how your traffic flows.

How split tunneling works

Practically, in the case of split tunneling, your VPN client will direct some of your apps or destinations over the secure tunnel and not all. As an example, you can have your VPN set such that only the traffic of your browser is encrypted, and your email application and printers on the local network can use the regular internet connection. This is achieved by the VPN software that installs routing rules on your device, any traffic that fits your VPN rules is sent into the encrypted tunnel, and all the rest is passed through it.

Technically, split tunneling implies that part of your data is split outside of the VPN. According to Auvik, part of your data encourages an encrypted VPN connection and other apps and data can access the Internet directly. This two-path configuration frequently spares bandwidth as well as enhances speed since only chosen traffic is concealed. It also enables access to local network resources which may be blocked by a complete VPN.

In effect, split tunneling gives you flexibility. You tailor which websites or apps go through VPN encryption and which do not. For example, a business traveler could route work-related traffic through the VPN to reach company servers, while keeping a local web browser on their hotel’s network for personal browsing. Split tunneling lets some apps use the VPN and others connect normally, protecting the traffic you choose, without losing access to local network devices. This ensures you remain connected to your home devices (printers, NAS drives, etc.) while staying protected for sensitive tasks.

Benefits of split tunneling

Split tunneling offers several practical advantages. Key benefits include:

  • Improved speed and bandwidth: By only encrypting important traffic, you free up bandwidth and reduce VPN overhead. Unencrypted data like video streams or large downloads doesn’t go through the VPN, so you get faster connections for those tasks. Split tunneling saves bandwidth because performance is improved by routing unencrypted traffic over a public network. In short, heavy data uses your normal internet path, preserving full speed, while sensitive data uses the slower VPN route. Here we will point out that encrypting everything takes time, so split tunneling lets you protect sensitive data without giving up a high-speed connection.

  • Access to local network resources: Normally, a VPN might block access to devices on your local network, like printers, smart TVs, or file servers. Split tunneling bypasses the VPN for those local connections. For example, you can print to a home printer or access a local NAS while still browsing the internet securely. Few experts mention that split tunneling lets you connect to LAN devices that would otherwise be inaccessible over the VPN. This is a big convenience for home or office networks.

  • Combined local & remote access: Split tunneling also allows domestic and international internet services to be used simultaneously. Imagine that you are on vacation in a foreign country and you want to access a local television streaming site back home. Split tunneling means that your streaming application may take your home IP (or local services) and the other applications may be VPN. The IP of your home can be used when you are away, e.g. when streaming country content, routing all internal LAN traffic over the VPN. In addition, it is possible to watch foreign films over the web services of local IP addresses. In short, you get the best of both worlds, protected remote access and simultaneous local browsing. You can also read our detailed guide on how to bypass geo-blocking to learn how split tunneling helps you access region-locked content safely.

  • Reduced load on the VPN server: Because not all traffic is tunneled, the VPN server handles less data. This can reduce server congestion and improve performance for users. While this is a more technical benefit, in practice it means split tunneling can relieve pressure on the VPN itself, letting the network run more smoothly.

In summary, split tunneling can significantly boost performance and convenience. You enjoy the privacy of a VPN where it counts, like banking or corporate networks, and the speed of a direct connection where it doesn’t (like streaming or gaming).

Drawbacks and security considerations

Split tunneling is powerful, but it comes with trade-offs. Since some traffic bypasses the VPN, that traffic is not encrypted or protected. Here are the main risks:

  • Exposure of unprotected data: Any traffic sent outside the VPN tunnel is visible to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or anyone monitoring the local network. For example, many VPN warns that if you set up split tunneling to exclude certain traffic, that traffic could be seen by your ISP or a third party. This means sensitive information like passwords or personal data should not be allowed through the unprotected path.
  • Security risk on local network: Devices on your local network or apps you exclude could act as attack vectors. If one of those devices is infected, it might compromise your computer even though you have a VPN for other traffic. Our guide warns that if malware is on your device, it could use the unsecured tunnel to exfiltrate data. Also, cautions that leaving part of your data unencrypted exposes sensitive data and gives attackers a way in.
  • Bypassing security controls: In corporate settings, split tunneling may allow traffic to evade firewalls, content filters, or antivirus checks that your IT department enforces on VPN traffic. Our Experts note that without split tunneling, you might not be able to enforce business security policies on every connection. With split tunnels, some traffic escapes those corporate security checks.
  • Complexity and misconfiguration: Split tunneling adds complexity to your network setup. Misconfiguring which apps use the VPN could accidentally leak data. It also requires careful rule management: you must manually decide which apps or destinations are safe to exclude. This administrative overhead can be a drawback for non-technical users.

Because of these risks, split tunneling should be used carefully. It’s best for situations where the convenience outweighs the risk, and where non-sensitive traffic is clearly identified. Always ensure that truly sensitive activities banking, private communications, and confidential work are kept on the VPN path. As EonVPN advises, use only VPN-protected connections when handling sensitive data.

When to use split tunneling

Split tunneling is not needed and not recommended for every situation. Here are some guidelines:

  • You need high speed for certain tasks. For example, gaming, video streaming, or large downloads can benefit from bypassing the VPN. We note that split tunneling is great when activities like gaming require blazing internet speeds.
  • You want to access local network devices while on VPN. For instance, printing to a network printer, accessing a home media server, or using IoT devices are easier with split tunneling.
  • You need to access location-specific content simultaneously. For example, a traveler might want to use a local banking app that blocks foreign VPN IPs at the same time as browsing foreign news sites. Split tunneling makes this possible.

When to avoid split tunneling:

  • You are on a public or untrusted network (e.g. airport Wi-Fi) and handling sensitive information. In those cases, it’s safer to send all traffic through the VPN. Palo Alto Networks points out that on public networks it’s often better to use full tunneling to ensure everything is protected.
  • You have strict security or compliance requirements e.g. corporate policies, government work. In case your company requires that every data must be checked/scrutinized using business firewalls or DLPs, split tunneling may go against such criteria as allowing certain traffic to sneak around the VPN gateway.
  • You are working on very secret business such as banking, proprietary research etc. In case of maximum privacy, then a complete VPN tunnel is more secure. As mentioned in our guide, split tunneling may expose some traffic to third parties, and it is therefore a technique that might not be ideal in doing highly confidential work.

In summary, use split tunneling when you trust the network for non-critical traffic and want extra performance, but always default to full tunneling for anything highly sensitive. It’s a trade-off: more convenience and speed versus complete privacy.

Split tunnel vs full tunnel

VPNs generally route traffic in two ways:

Full tunnel (All-Traffic VPN):

All of your internet traffic is routed through the VPN. In a full-tunnel configuration, your device’s data travels through the encrypted tunnel to the VPN server, then out to the internet. This is the most common setup for consumer VPN apps. As we explained, a full-tunnel VPN directs all your internet traffic through a VPN tunnel. The advantage of this is uniform security: every byte is encrypted and subject to VPN protection. Also note that full tunneling ensures all data is subject to corporate security policies because nothing bypasses the VPN.

Pros of full tunnel: It provides maximum privacy and simplifies security management. Because everything is tunneled, it’s easy to apply a single security policy (e.g. corporate firewall, monitoring) to all traffic. No traffic is accidentally exposed.

Cons of full tunnel: It can slow down your connection since even simple tasks use the VPN. It also increases the load on the VPN server and can cause network bottlenecks if many users or heavy data are involved. Above, we point out that tunneling every bit of traffic means extra encryption overhead. In practice, full tunneling may make high-bandwidth activities (streaming, gaming) noticeably slower.

Split tunnel:

Only a portion of your traffic goes through the VPN, the rest uses the normal internet. Essentially, your internet traffic is split into two paths. Some applications or destinations (e.g. your work server, financial sites) are sent through the VPN, while others (e.g. streaming services, local websites) go directly.

Pros of split tunnel: It boosts speed and flexibility. With less data going through the VPN, your connection to non-sensitive services can be much faster. This can improve bandwidth-hungry tasks like video calls or downloads. It also lets you access local network devices and services without turning the VPN on and off.

Cons of split tunnel: Any traffic not using the VPN is unencrypted and unprotected. This can expose that portion of data to surveillance or attacks. If a hacker is on your network, they could intercept the unprotected traffic. Also, it complicates security: you must carefully configure which apps are safe to exclude.

When to use each:

Full tunneling is ideal when privacy is paramount: on public Wi-Fi, or when dealing with confidential information. Split tunneling is better when you need both VPN protection for some traffic and quick access to local or high-bandwidth resources.

Here is a quick comparison:

Traffic routing:

  • Full Tunnel: All traffic → VPN → Internet.
  • Split Tunnel: Traffic split: some → VPN, some → Internet directly.

Privacy/security:

  • Full Tunnel: Everything is encrypted. Strong privacy for all activities.
  • Split Tunnel: Only chosen traffic is encrypted. Sensitive data is protected, but other traffic is exposed to local networks and ISPs.

Performance:

  • Full Tunnel: Potentially slower, since encryption covers all data.
  • Split Tunnel: Faster for non-VPN traffic, reduces load on VPN servers.

Use cases:

  • Full Tunnel: Best for public Wi-Fi, sensitive business or personal work, or when all traffic needs monitoring.
  • Split Tunnel: Best for mixed use, secure some apps (like email) while keeping others (like streaming or local apps) fast.

Choosing between split and full tunneling depends on your priorities. If security and privacy are most important, a full-tunnel VPN is safest. If you need speed, local access, or flexible usage, split tunneling can be the better choice.

Conclusion

Split tunneling is an effective VPN service that is a compromise between security and convenience. It allows the VPN user to be able to encrypt only the necessary traffic and leave the rest of the traffic to pass without any hindrance. This can significantly enhance speed, save bandwidth, and provide access to the local devices as long as this is done with care. Split tunneling, conversely, puts holes in your protection: any outgoing traffic that is excluded is not encrypted and may be compromised.

Practically, split tunneling is a tool to be applied in particular situations. Apply it in cases where you have trust in your network that it can handle certain traffic and do it with the highest performance. When it is very sensitive, banking or a confidential job, or even using the internet in a public area, then use a full VPN tunnel. According to several sources, you need to only use split tunneling when it makes sense to you and you are always aware of the security trade-offs.