1.1.1.1 WARP VPN by Cloudflare

About this release

This client does two related things. It replaces the name resolution the system would otherwise do in the clear with an encrypted resolver, and it wraps the rest of the traffic in a tunnel so the local network, whether that is a hotel, an airport or an office, sees an encrypted stream rather than a list of the sites being visited. Both are a single switch in the interface.

It is not built around choosing an exit country, which is what separates it from the subscription services. The tunnel terminates at the nearest point of presence, so latency generally goes down rather than up, and on some connections throughput actually improves because the route out is better than the one the local provider would have chosen. The point is privacy from the network you are sitting on, not appearing to be somewhere else.

Modes matter. Resolver only encrypts name lookups and leaves everything else alone, which is the lightest option and enough on a trusted network. Full tunnel mode covers all traffic. Split tunnelling then carves out the applications or address ranges that should bypass the tunnel, which is how printers, local file shares and corporate resources keep working while everything else is wrapped.

Operationally it is quiet. The client sits in the tray, reconnects on its own when a laptop wakes or moves between networks, and can be set to connect automatically on any network that is not on a trusted list. A family filtering profile that blocks malware and adult content at the resolver level is available as a preference rather than a separate product.

What it does

Encrypted name resolution

Lookups stop travelling in the clear across whatever network you are on.

Full traffic tunnel

The local network sees an encrypted stream instead of a browsing history.

Nearest exit routing

The tunnel terminates close by, so latency usually falls rather than rises.

Split tunnelling

Exclude applications or address ranges so printers and local shares keep working.

Automatic reconnection

Survives sleep and network changes without being told to reconnect.

Filtering profiles

Optional resolver level blocking of malicious and adult domains.

Changed in this version

• Faster reconnection after waking from sleep.
• Split tunnelling gains rules by application as well as by address range.
• Lower battery use on laptops during idle periods.
• Improved behaviour on captive portal networks in hotels and airports.
• Connection diagnostics panel reworked with clearer failure reasons.

System requirements

Install order

1. Unpack the archive.
2. Run the installer and allow the network adapter component when prompted.
3. Choose resolver only or full tunnel mode on first run.
4. Add local printers and file shares to the split tunnel exclusion list.

Worth knowing before you start

File details