Split tunneling

Split tunneling lets some apps go through the VPN while others connect to the internet directly. It is also called per-app VPN.

#Does Colitu have it?

No. None of the Colitu apps (Windows, Android, iOS, Linux) currently has a split tunneling or per-app VPN setting. You can't choose app by app which ones use the VPN.

#What is available instead

Colitu already keeps some traffic outside the tunnel on its own:

• Local network: on Windows, iOS and Linux you can still reach devices on your local network, such as printers, a NAS or a smart TV, while the VPN is on.
• Russian sites: in the Windows and Android apps, Russian sites automatically open directly, outside the VPN. This is built in and has no setting. From version 2.5.3 the exception is the Moscow server: while you are connected to it, Russian sites go through the tunnel and see a Moscow address. The Linux app has no such rule: all traffic goes through the VPN.

#A lightweight alternative: system proxy mode

On Windows and Linux, Colitu runs in system proxy mode by default. In this mode only apps that respect the system proxy setting (such as most browsers) go through Colitu. Apps that ignore it connect to the internet directly.

It isn't a full replacement for split tunneling, but in practice it gives you a "browser through the VPN, other programs direct" split:

• You can't choose which apps respect the proxy setting; that depends on each app.
• In proxy mode only the DNS lookups of apps that use the proxy are protected.
• On Linux the system proxy is set automatically on GNOME and KDE.
• If you want all traffic to go through the tunnel, switch to TUN mode.

#Other workarounds

• If an app refuses to work over a VPN (a banking app, for example), turn Colitu off briefly for that task and reconnect afterwards.
• Try another location; some services treat connections from certain countries differently.
• On Windows, stay in proxy mode if you don't want a program to use the VPN, and switch to TUN mode if you do.

#Will split tunneling come?

Per-app VPN is on our list of features users have asked for. We can't give a release date at the moment. You can tell us about your use case through live support; knowing which apps you need it for helps us prioritise.

All platform differences: Features by platform.