- NordVPN has begun a server-by-server upgrade until the end of 2026
- Every machine gets a newer Linux distribution, kernel, and IP address
- App users should notice little beyond the occasional reconnection
NordVPN has kicked off a months-long overhaul of the software running its VPN servers, a rollout that started in July and will continue, one server at a time, until the end of 2026.
Despite the scale, this isn't a feature update. TechRadar's best VPN pick is replacing the foundations beneath its network: every standard VPN server is moving to a newer Linux distribution, picking up an updated kernel, and getting a reworked software stack.
The one change users can actually see is the addressing. Every upgraded server is issued a new IP, which is harmless if you use the NordVPN app, but a headache if you don't.
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A new Linux base for every server
NordVPN frames the work as maintenance rather than a redesign, and is explicit that it won't add features or change how the service behaves. The stated payoff is a more flexible environment for its engineers to automate, maintain, and scale.
Four things are changing: a newer Linux distribution carrying current security fixes, newer kernels, an optimised software stack aimed at server efficiency, and a different IP address on every upgraded machine.
Each server needs a brief reboot to get there, which is less disruptive than it sounds given NordVPN runs a diskless, RAM-only fleet on hardware it owns and colocates in third-party data centres. That architecture has been examined repeatedly in the provider's Deloitte no-logs audits.
What you'll actually notice
Very little, for most people. NordVPN says app users don't need to do anything, and the client will reconnect automatically if the server you're on drops out mid-session. Expect a short interruption while that happens.
Recent releases were built with this in mind. The provider's July Linux release notes describe the app switching you to another server in the same country, city, or group when yours goes offline, with the kill switch standing guard during the handover.
There should be an upside once the dust settles: steadier performance at peak times, more traffic capacity per server, and fewer disruptions down the line.
That builds on April's milestone, when the network passed 100 Tbps of aggregate capacity across 211 locations in 135 countries, with servers deliberately run at roughly a third of their limit to leave headroom.
The exception: manual setups
If you connect manually, using OpenVPN config files on a router, a NAS, or a bare Linux box, your setup will stop working once the server it points at has been upgraded.
The fix is easy but not automatic — download replacement config files from the manual setup area of your Nord Account once the server is back online, then swap out the old ones. NordVPN says the new files carry a "Verified" badge so you can tell which are current.
Monica is a tech journalist with over a decade of experience. She writes about the latest developments in computing, which means anything from computer chips made out of paper to cutting-edge desktop processors.
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