Tunneling in Proton involves splitting data paths for performance.
Tunneling in Proton involves splitting data paths for performance.
I've tested Nord and Surfshark this weekend and both experienced Split Tunneling problems, including leaks. I'm considering using just one browser with split tunneling, but other browsers would unexpectedly connect to the VPN on certain sites. Even when VPN is active, services like Google or Reddit wouldn't function properly on the non-VPN browser. Both support teams mentioned they only implement split tunneling via IP addresses, and many websites require more than just that to reach a specific region. They noted Proton offers a more reliable split tunneling experience, especially for streaming UK TV content.
I've relied on Proton VPN to access BBC iPlayer, Channel 4 and Now TV from Japan over the past few months. Besides the slow speeds—sometimes taking ages, likely due to location—I can easily browse UK websites without issues.