Could someone help answer the following questions (and please explain like I’m 5)?
I have NordVPN in my system tray and also the browser extension in Chrome. I read somewhere that split tunneling at a domain level only works with the browser extension. Here are my questions:
Do I need to be connected to a VPN server in both the system tray and the browser extension for my whole laptop to be VPN protected?
With the browser extension, is only the browser connected to the VPN, or does it apply system-wide?
If I connect only from the system tray, does split tunneling in the browser still work?
If both the browser extension and system tray are connected, could there be any glitches or slowdowns?
Why is watching OTT so unpredictable? Sometimes split tunneling in the browser works for streaming, and other times it doesn’t. I can’t figure out what makes it work.
@Greer
OTT (Over The Top) usually refers to streaming services. ISPs love using this term to refer to traffic passing through their infrastructure, sometimes attempting to charge both customers and the streaming service providers.
@Greer
I’m still a bit confused. If my system tray app is connected to the VPN, do I also need to connect through the extension to enable split tunneling for specific domains? Or will the browser automatically apply split tunneling from the extension once I’m connected via the app?
Also, does turning on split tunneling in the extension mean the system tray app is no longer connected, even though it says ‘connected’ when you hover over it?
Is this supposed to be this confusing, or is it just me?
@Campbell
If you’re using the NordVPN app in your system tray, you don’t need the browser extension. Running both could cause conflicts. With the system tray app and split tunneling enabled, the apps you’ve excluded will bypass the VPN.
If you want to exclude specific websites instead of apps, that’s when you’d use the browser extension.
Campbell said: @Hale
Thanks for clearing that up! So if I want to exclude both some apps and certain domains, there’s no way to do that all at once?
Is this how all VPNs work?
You’d have to exclude the entire browser in the system tray app and use the extension to exclude specific domains. Other VPNs may handle it differently, but many have similar limitations when trying to manage apps and domains together.
@Campbell
In Scenario 2, you can use split tunneling in the browser for websites. In Scenario 3, split tunneling works for apps selected in the system tray app settings.
You can use system-wide VPN with Scenario 3. It’s best to pick one approach—either the browser extension or the system tray app, depending on what you want to exclude. If it’s apps, go with the system tray app. If it’s domains, use the browser extension.
The desktop app and the browser extension work independently with NordVPN. The desktop app covers the entire system (unless you enable split tunneling), while the extension only covers your browser. You can use either, depending on what you want to exclude.
If you use both, your browser will go through the VPN twice—once through the extension and once through the desktop app—slowing things down. If you want to avoid this, exclude your browser from the desktop app and only use the extension for domain exclusions.
@Spencer
Thanks for the explanation! However, when I have both the system tray app (with the browser excluded) and the extension running (with specific domains excluded), streaming services like Netflix don’t work. They don’t even give a region error—they just don’t load.
Also, when my laptop wakes from sleep, I often have to disable and re-enable Nord in both the browser and app for my internet to work.
Why do they work separately, and do other VPNs function the same way?
@Campbell
You might want to test whether split tunneling is working by checking your IP on a website that shows it. Split tunneling can fail sometimes.
As for resuming from sleep, it’s common to have to reconnect the VPN. The two apps work independently because they are separate programs, which gives you more flexibility. Some VPNs integrate the two, but with Nord, they don’t, and that’s often a good thing for flexibility.
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