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This is a simple question. On OpenVPN's site, I can read:

By default, when an OpenVPN client is active, only network traffic to and from the OpenVPN server site will pass over the VPN. General web browsing, for example, will be accomplished with direct connections that bypass the VPN.

I am not setting up any OpenVPN server. I am just connecting to one. I naively thought that if I connect to an OpenVPN server, all my internet traffic is sent to it. What does the above statement mean? What is actually happening?

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It simply depends on how the OpenVPN server is setup.
Specifically which routes it pushes to the client.

It can be that all your traffic will be sent to it (meaning the OpenVPN client changes your default route).
But it's also very possible that only specific sub-nets are accessed via OpenVPN and other traffic is not.

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  • How can I know which of my internet traffic goes to the OpenVPN server? I am not sure I understand your last sentence.
    – Gradient
    Apr 20, 2015 at 9:16
  • When you are connected you should check your network routes to see which traffic goes directly and which gets sent to the OpenVPN server.
    – faker
    Apr 20, 2015 at 9:19
  • I'm failing to understand. My network routes can discriminate between web traffic, mail traffic, etc?
    – Gradient
    Apr 20, 2015 at 9:27
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    If you are not technical enough to check your configuration, some VPN providers offer specific end-user software (mostly for Windows environments) which will take ensure that, when you switch on VPN, then your system will be automatically configured to route all internet traffic through the VPN tunnel. Apr 20, 2015 at 9:39
  • Could you explain the quote in my question? What kind of traffic is sent by default to the OpenVPN server?
    – Gradient
    Apr 20, 2015 at 10:00

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