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Open Settings → Protocol to change the VPN protocol Proton VPN uses. Your selection is saved when you navigate back; a reconnect is required for it to take effect on an active connection.
If a profile overrides the global protocol setting, a banner at the top of Settings shows which profile is active. The protocol shown in the row reflects the profile’s setting, not your global preference.

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Available protocols

Smart protocol automatically selects the best available protocol for your current network. It tries each protocol in order of performance and falls back to options that work on restricted networks.Best for: most users who want reliable connectivity without manual configuration.Smart is the default selection and is marked Recommended in the protocol list.

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NAT type

The NAT type setting controls how Proton VPN handles Network Address Translation. You can find it in Settings → Advanced → NAT type.
Switching to Moderate NAT reduces the anonymity benefit of NAT because remote peers can correlate connections by source port. Only change this setting if Strict NAT is causing connectivity problems.
Moderate NAT requires a paid Proton VPN plan. A reconnect is required after changing the NAT type.

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LAN connections

The Allow LAN connections toggle is in Settings → Advanced. When enabled, traffic to private IP ranges (such as 192.168.x.x and 10.x.x.x) bypasses the VPN tunnel, letting you reach printers, NAS devices, smart home hubs, and other local devices while the VPN is connected. When LAN connections are enabled, an additional Allow direct connections checkbox becomes available. When checked, the app allows devices on your local network to initiate connections back to your device — useful if you are running a local server.
Enabling LAN connections exposes your device to other hosts on the local network. On untrusted networks such as public Wi-Fi, leave this setting disabled.
LAN connections require a paid Proton VPN plan. A reconnect is required after toggling this setting.

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How protocol choice affects performance

If you are unsure which protocol to use, leave the setting on Smart and Proton VPN will handle the selection for you.