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Use a full tunnel when the VPN must inspect, filter, or centrally log all internet traffic. Use a split tunnel when only private networks need protection and local internet access is intentional. In both designs, treat DNS and IPv6 as independent leak paths, and rotate peer keys or certificates when risk changes rather than relying only on a protocol’s automatic session-key renewal.
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Write down the policy before changing settings. The policy should identify which traffic must use the VPN, which traffic may remain local, which resolver handles DNS, how IPv6 is treated, and who can revoke a device’s credentials. This prevents a reconnect exception or a forgotten DNS rule from silently changing the design.
| Control | Required decision | What failure should do |
|---|---|---|
| Kill switch | Which physical interfaces may reach the VPN endpoint, and which interface may carry forwarded traffic? | Block ordinary egress until the tunnel and expected routes return. |
| Routing | Full tunnel or selected private networks, domains, or applications? | Send traffic only along the documented path; do not fall back unexpectedly. |
| DNS | All queries through the VPN, selected internal domains through it, or a fail-closed resolver policy? | Prevent fallback to an uncontrolled resolver. |
| IPv6 | Will IPv6 use the tunnel, or will it be disabled deliberately? | Apply the same restrictions to IPv6 as to IPv4. |
| Credentials | How are peer keys or client certificates issued, replaced, and revoked? | Remove access immediately after loss, departure, or suspected compromise. |
Keep the VPN server’s administrative path separate from the forwarding policy. If management traffic is allowed as an exception, document its source addresses and ports and test that the exception cannot become a general internet route.
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Build a real kill switch, not just a client toggle
A kill switch is a fail-closed firewall and routing policy. It permits the VPN transport connection to the configured endpoint, then permits forwarded or host traffic only through the tunnel interface. When the interface disappears, a route changes, or a health check fails, ordinary egress is denied.
OpenVPN’s 2.7 manual says that “for full protection, extra route/firewall rules must be in place.” It also notes that
--persist-tuncan retain interface and route settings while pause, resume, and reconnect states still require additional firewall protection.Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Rules the firewall must enforce
- Allow the VPN transport protocol and destination address or hostname needed to establish the tunnel on the chosen physical interface. Allow the corresponding return traffic.
- Allow traffic through the VPN interface after it is established. If the server is forwarding client traffic, permit forwarding only from the tunnel interface to the intended egress interface.
- Deny other outbound traffic on physical interfaces by default. Add narrowly scoped exceptions for local administration only when they are part of the documented design.
- Apply equivalent rules to IPv6. If the VPN does not carry IPv6, disable IPv6 deliberately or block IPv6 egress; an IPv4-only policy does not protect it.
- Decide how DNS is handled in the policy. A resolver exception that remains reachable outside the tunnel can defeat an otherwise effective kill switch.
Implementation sequence
- Inventory the path. Record the tunnel interface name, the physical interfaces that may initiate the connection, the VPN endpoint address and transport, expected tunnel routes, and the resolver addresses that should be reachable.
- Permit tunnel establishment. Add the narrow endpoint rule first. Do not permit the entire internet merely because the client needs to reconnect.
- Permit tunnel traffic. Add rules for traffic entering and leaving the VPN interface and, on a gateway, for forwarding from the client-side interface to that tunnel.
- Set the default deny. Block host output and forwarding on ordinary interfaces whenever the tunnel is absent or its expected route is missing.
- Handle IPv6 explicitly. Either route IPv6 through the VPN with equivalent filtering or disable and block it consistently on every client and gateway involved.
- Attach health conditions. Treat a missing interface, missing route, failed tunnel health check, or server outage as a blocked state. Do not let a reconnecting client temporarily regain unrestricted egress.
- Persist the policy. Load the rules before applications start at boot and preserve them across sleep, Wi-Fi changes, interface renaming, and VPN client restarts.
- Test transitions. Verify startup with no tunnel, normal connection, manual disconnect, Wi-Fi-to-Ethernet change, sleep and resume, server outage, and client reconnect. Check both data traffic and DNS during every transition.
The desired result is not merely that the client reports “connected.” The desired result is that an application cannot reach an external address when the tunnel is unavailable, while the VPN process itself can still reach its configured endpoint to recover.
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Choose full tunneling when all traffic must be controlled
Full tunneling installs a VPN default route so all client IP traffic uses the VPN server. OpenVPN’s routing guide describes this behavior as follows: “Pushing the redirect-gateway option to clients will cause all IP network traffic originating on client machines to pass through the OpenVPN server.” Equivalent default-route policies are used by other clients.
What the server must provide
- Internet forwarding: The server must route the client’s traffic onward, either with network address translation or through a routed internet gateway.
- Return-path handling: Replies from the internet must return through the server and the tunnel; asymmetric routing breaks connections.
- DNS service: Push or otherwise configure a resolver reachable through the tunnel. If the resolver is not reachable, clients may appear connected while name lookups fail.
- Capacity and policy: All client internet traffic consumes the server’s bandwidth and is subject to its firewall, logging, and filtering decisions.
Full-tunnel verification
- Connect a client and inspect its routing table. The default route should point to the VPN path, with only the documented tunnel-establishment exception outside it.
- Confirm that both IPv4 and IPv6 destinations follow the intended path. If IPv6 is not supported, verify that it is blocked rather than silently using the local network.
- Resolve a normal public name and an internal name. Both should use the resolver policy you documented.
- Disconnect the tunnel and repeat the tests. Internet traffic and DNS should fail closed, apart from the narrowly permitted VPN endpoint connection.
- Restore the tunnel and confirm that existing applications recover without creating a second, unfiltered route.
Full tunneling is the appropriate default when an organization needs central inspection, filtering, or logging of internet traffic. It is less suitable when users need unrestricted local breakout, when the server cannot provide reliable NAT or routing, or when the additional bandwidth and operational load are unacceptable.
Use split tunneling for deliberate local breakout
Split tunneling sends only selected traffic through the VPN. The selection can be private subnets, specific domains, or supported applications. Local internet traffic remains on the local connection by design, not because the VPN failed.
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OpenVPN Access Server documents the redirect-private behavior for private routes and supports per-user or per-group overrides. WireGuard clients commonly express the same intent with explicit routes or AllowedIPs. The exact interface differs by client, so keep a written list of every included and excluded network.
Define the split boundary
- List every private subnet that must be reachable through the VPN, including management, identity, file, and monitoring networks if they are in scope.
- List networks that must remain local, such as a home printer or a local video-call service. Make exclusions explicit instead of relying on whatever route happens to win.
- Decide whether selection is by destination network, domain, or application. Domain- and application-based policies require client support and can behave differently during startup or when an application uses its own resolver.
- Document whether management traffic to the VPN server itself is inside or outside the tunnel. A management exception should not accidentally become a default route.
Deploy and test a split policy
- Install only the private routes or equivalent route selectors required by the policy.
- Configure the matching DNS rules before users depend on internal names.
- Test an internal address, a public address that should remain local, and a local-network address that is intentionally excluded.
- Repeat the tests after reconnect, sleep and resume, and a change between networks. Route precedence can change when interfaces are recreated.
- Review the list whenever a subnet, domain, or application changes. An undocumented exclusion is an unreviewed bypass.
Split tunneling reduces unnecessary load and preserves local internet performance, but it creates more policy edges than a full tunnel. It is secure only when the excluded paths, DNS behavior, and IPv6 behavior are known and intentional.
Treat DNS as a separate leak surface
Routing IP packets through a VPN does not automatically route name lookups through it. A client can use a local resolver while application traffic uses the tunnel, revealing the names it requests or failing to resolve internal domains.
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| DNS policy | How it works | Best fit | Required checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| All DNS through VPN | Send every query to a controlled resolver reachable through the tunnel. | Full tunnels and environments requiring central policy or logging. | Confirm the resolver route, block fallback resolvers, and test A and AAAA lookups. |
| Selected internal domains | Send internal search domains to the VPN resolver while public names use the local resolver. | Split tunnels where only private names need protection. | Verify search-domain matching, suffix behavior, and that public queries do not leak internal names. |
| Fail-closed DNS | Allow resolution only while the approved tunnel path and resolver are available. | High-confidentiality clients that must not resolve outside policy. | Disconnect the tunnel and ensure lookups fail rather than falling back. |
OpenVPN’s iOS documentation describes both split-tunnel DNS approaches: route all DNS to pushed servers or route only selected search domains. Use the equivalent option in each client platform and avoid assuming that one platform’s behavior applies to another.
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DNS validation checklist
- Check A and AAAA lookups, not only a web page. IPv6 name resolution can expose a path that an IPv4-only test misses.
- Check the resolver address actually contacted by the client, including after reconnect and network changes.
- Test search domains and short names for internal services. A failed suffix match can send a name to a public resolver.
- Look for fallback resolvers supplied by the operating system, browser, or application. Disable or constrain them when the policy requires fail-closed behavior.
- Repeat tests with the tunnel down. In a fail-closed design, DNS should stop rather than silently switch to the local network.
Rotate peer keys and certificates based on risk
WireGuard automatically establishes new, short-lived session keys during handshakes. The WireGuard protocol documentation states: “This handshake occurs every few minutes, in order to provide rotating keys for perfect forward secrecy.” That protects sessions, but it does not replace rotation of the long-lived peer identity key configured on the server.
WireGuard replacement procedure
- Identify the reason. A lost device, suspected compromise, staff departure, role change, or a planned maintenance event should trigger replacement. Use a schedule that reflects device risk and the time you can tolerate an exposed key; there is no universal safe interval established here.
- Create a new keypair on the device or in an approved protected system. Keep the private key off chat, tickets, email, and shell history.
- Replace the server peer entry. Remove the old public key before or at the same time as activating the replacement. Preserve only the new public key and the minimum allowed routes.
- Deliver the new private key through a protected channel. Do not copy it through an untrusted intermediary.
- Verify the new handshake and routes. Confirm that the replacement device reaches only the networks assigned to it.
- Confirm revocation. Test that the old device or a copy of its old configuration can no longer establish a session.
For an immediate compromise, revoke first and restore service later. Do not leave both old and new peer keys active merely to make a migration convenient unless the overlap is explicitly controlled and time-limited.
OpenVPN certificate lifecycle
OpenVPN deployments use certificate infrastructure rather than WireGuard-style peer public keys. Issue a replacement client certificate through the certificate authority process, revoke the old certificate when a device is lost or access changes, and distribute the replacement configuration through a protected channel. Keep the certificate authority’s private key offline or on a separate protected system; it should not reside on the VPN server that handles daily connections.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsCertificate rotation and revocation are operational controls, not substitutes for firewall policy. A revoked identity should still be unable to reach services because network permissions are scoped independently.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Compare WireGuard and OpenVPN by operational fit
| Decision axis | WireGuard | OpenVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Cryptography | Uses a constrained modern suite: ChaCha20-Poly1305, Curve25519, BLAKE2s, SipHash24, and HKDF. | More configurable; administrators must choose and maintain strong cipher, authentication, and key-exchange settings. |
| Identity lifecycle | Replace peer keypairs and remove old public keys from the server. | Issue, replace, and revoke client certificates through the CA process. |
| Configuration surface | Smaller and easier to audit, with routes commonly expressed through explicit selectors such as AllowedIPs. |
Broader feature set and integration options, but more settings to harden and document. |
| Kill-switch behavior | Still depends on host or gateway firewall rules; the protocol alone does not fail closed for every application. | Still depends on host or gateway firewall rules. --persist-tun can help retain interface state but does not replace them. |
| DNS and IPv6 | Must be supplied by the client and firewall policy. | Can push DNS and routes, but each client platform still needs validation. |
| Operational choice | Good when a simple, fixed cryptographic design and peer-key workflow fit the team. | Good when existing certificate infrastructure, broad client support, or configurable routing is more important. |
Choose based on client-platform compatibility, certificate or key-management capability, firewall and DNS tooling, reconnect behavior, and the staff available to maintain the system. A protocol with fewer options is not automatically safer if its keys are unmanaged or its firewall is permissive.
Harden an OpenVPN deployment
When using OpenVPN, include the following hardening decisions in the configuration review:
- Use
tls-authto protect the control channel against unwanted handshake traffic. - Select strong AES settings and stronger Diffie–Hellman parameters appropriate to the deployment.
- Use UDP where it is suitable for the network and latency requirements; document any reason to choose another transport.
- Drop privileges after startup so the long-running process has only the permissions it needs.
- Keep the certificate authority private key off the VPN server, preferably offline or on a separately protected system.
- Combine
--persist-tunwith the external route and firewall rules required for fail-closed behavior.
These settings reduce exposure, but they do not decide whether clients use full or split routing. That decision belongs in the route and DNS policy described above.
Use a deployment runbook
- Inventory assets and threats. List client operating systems, gateways, private networks, internet egress points, resolver locations, and events that require immediate revocation.
- Choose the route model. Select full tunnel for central inspection or split tunnel for intentional local breakout. Record every exception.
- Implement the firewall before enabling users. Establish the endpoint allowance, tunnel-only forwarding, default deny, DNS rules, and IPv6 treatment.
- Configure server services. For a full tunnel, provide NAT or a routed internet gateway and a tunnel-reachable resolver. For a split tunnel, publish only the private routes and resolver domains required.
- Enroll identities. Issue a unique WireGuard peer key or OpenVPN certificate per device or user. Never share one credential among devices that may need independent revocation.
- Run transition tests. Exercise boot, disconnect, reconnect, sleep, network changes, endpoint outage, and server restart. Record the expected and observed path for data and DNS.
- Document recovery. Keep a tested procedure for replacing a key, revoking a certificate, restoring the firewall, and reaching the server when the normal tunnel is unavailable.
- Review after changes. Re-test after operating-system, VPN-client, firewall, resolver, or routing updates. A client update can change interface names, route precedence, or DNS fallback behavior.
Troubleshoot by symptom
| Symptom | Likely policy error | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| No internet immediately after connecting a full tunnel | The server is not forwarding or NATing client traffic, or the return route is missing. | Check server forwarding, egress routing, NAT or the routed gateway, and return paths. |
| Internal services work but public names do not | The split policy lacks a public DNS path, or the full-tunnel resolver is unreachable. | Apply the selected DNS policy and verify resolver reachability through the intended interface. |
| Public sites work but internal names do not | Internal search domains or resolver routes are missing. | Route the selected domains and their resolver through the VPN and test suffix matching. |
| Traffic continues during disconnect | The client toggle changed state but the firewall default deny is absent or incomplete. | Block physical-interface egress and forwarding until the tunnel and expected routes return. |
| IPv4 is protected but IPv6 is visible locally | Only IPv4 rules were installed. | Route IPv6 through the tunnel with equivalent rules or disable and block IPv6 deliberately. |
| A lost device still connects | The old WireGuard public key or OpenVPN certificate remains active. | Remove or revoke the old identity first, then issue a replacement through the protected process. |
| Connections fail after Wi-Fi changes or resume | Interface-specific rules or routes were not reapplied. | Persist the policy across interface events and retest every transition. |
Choose settings by threat model
| Situation | Recommended baseline | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Managed laptop on untrusted networks | Full tunnel, all DNS through the VPN, IPv6 covered, firewall kill switch. | Minimizes accidental local breakout and centralizes inspection. |
| Remote worker needing local printers and private company services | Split tunnel for company subnets, selected internal DNS domains, explicit local exclusions, and a kill switch for protected paths. | Preserves local access while keeping company traffic on the VPN. |
| Administrator connecting to sensitive management networks | Split tunnel limited to management subnets, fail-closed DNS, strict per-device identities, and immediate revocation capability. | Limits blast radius and prevents unrelated internet traffic from entering the management path. |
| Gateway serving several clients | Central firewall enforcement, tunnel-only forwarding, server NAT or routed egress for full tunnel, and per-peer route limits for split tunnel. | Clients cannot bypass a policy enforced at the gateway. |
There is no single universal key-rotation interval or kill-switch implementation that fits every operating system. Adapt the rules to the client versions, firewall platform, server topology, and threat model, then validate the actual packet and DNS paths rather than trusting a status indicator.
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