Restart Or Change Device
Works with: Desktop and mobile devicesDifficulty:EasyRisk:NoneTime: 5 minutes or more
When in doubt, always make sure you try the easiest fix of all: turn your device off and on again. It might be overheating or has too many processes running at once.
You should also make sure that your VPN actually works with your device. If you need a new VPN, ExpressVPN has dedicated apps for all popular devices and operating systems, and its easy-to-use installer takes less than 5 minutes to download and set up the service. You can even set it up on game consoles and smart TVs.
- Fast global network of 3000+ servers in 94+ countries
- Military-grade encryption, kill switch, and leak protection secure your data
- Allows 5 simultaneous device connections
- Customer support available 24/7 via live chat and email
- 30-day money-back guarantee
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for fast and reliable connections. Its high-speed infrastructure has more than 3000 servers in 94+ countries. This makes it ideal for browsing, streaming, torrenting, and online gaming.
I tested ExpressVPNs servers in multiple countries and my speeds were consistently fast. On average, my speeds slowed down by only 18% even when connected to servers on the opposite side of the world a virtually unnoticeable drop in speed.
My team and I even found ExpressVPNs servers could access Netflix US, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, DAZN, Sling TV, YouTube TV and other location-restricted streaming platforms.
Why Is A VPN Not Connecting
Check whether your internet connection is alright
First of all, check your internet connection. Try loading up a few pages without a VPN connection and see whether they are still working. If you have NordVPN, don’t worry too much if your internet connection is shoddy. As soon as the NordVPN app recognizes a flaw in the VPN connection, the built-in kill switch will cut the link to the internet.
If its not, try the following:
Weve also got tips on how to increase your Wi-Fi bandwidth.
Check your credentials
If you run VPN software on your router, make sure you have the right credentials entered for it as they are separate from your VPN account. If they are incorrect, you wont be able to connect to a VPN server.
If you use NordVPN, you can easily check them via the user control panel, which can be accessed from our webpage. Choose NordVPN under Dashboard on the left. Then scroll down to Advanced configuration and see your username and password in the Service credentials section. Make sure you check to see if the website you downloaded the VPN from is legitimate, too. Have a look at this checklist to check the authenticity of a site.
Difficulty Establishing A Tunnel
If everything seems to be working well, but you can’t seem to establish a tunnel between the client and the server, there are two main possibilities of what could be causing the problem. The first possibility is that one or more of the routers involved is performing IP packet filtering. IP packet filtering could prevent IP tunnel traffic. I recommend checking the client, the server, and any machines in between for IP packet filters. You can do this by clicking the Advanced button on each machine’s TCP/IP Properties sheet, selecting the Options tab from the Advanced TCP/IP Settings Properties sheet, selecting TCP/IP Filtering, and clicking the Properties button.
The other possibility is that a proxy server is standing between the client and the VPN server. A proxy server performs NAT translation on all traffic flowing between the client and the Internet. This means that packets appear to be coming from the proxy server rather than from the client itself. In some cases, this interaction could prevent a tunnel from being established, especially if the VPN server is expecting the client to have a specific IP address. You must also keep in mind that a lot of older or low-end proxy servers don’t support the L2TP, IPSec, or PPTP protocols that are often used for VPN connections.
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How To Fix No Internet Access When Connected To VPN
There are several measures by which you can solve the issue:
Try these methods one by one to solve your Internet connection problem.
1] Check for underlying connection
The first step is to determine whether the problem is with the VPN connection or the Internet connection. To do this, follow these steps:
- Disconnect from your VPN > Now try to access the Internet.
- Your Internet connection might not be working correctly if you cannot access the Internet. To fix it, you might have to reboot your computer and check its settings.
Now see if your Internet connection is back.
2] Set DNS address manually
A Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol assigns an IP address to each computer when it joins a public network, such as Wi-Fi. A VPN block Internet connection is likely to occur if there is a problem with DHCP.
You can add a DNS IP address manually to your computer to resolve this issue. To do so, follow these steps for Windows 11 and Windows 10.
In Windows 11:
In Windows 10
- Double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4 .
- Select the radio button, Use the following DNS server addresses, and set
Preferred DNS server to 8.8.8.8 Alternate DNS server to 8.8.4.4
5] Install the latest update
Device Sleep Mode Settings

Some mobile devices automatically put certain applications to sleep when they havent been used in a while to help conserve battery strength and improve device performance. If you havent used the Internet on your device for more than a few minutes, the VPN service may be put into standby until you use it again.
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Reinstall The VPN Client
Works with: Desktop and mobile devicesDifficulty:EasyRisk:LowTime: Within 5 minutes
Errors can sometimes occur during installation and affect your VPNs ability to operate. When this happens, completely uninstall the VPN software and reinstall it directly from the VPNs official website.
A reliable service like ExpressVPN has regular software updates to ensure smooth operation. Plus the installer is quick and easy to use it took me less than 5 minutes to and it was ready to connect straight away.
Check On The Authentication Process
Once you’ve established that there is a valid TCP/IP connection between the VPN client and server, and that name resolution is working correctly, the next thing to check is the authentication process. As you may know, there are a lot of different authentication methods available to a VPN connection. Both the VPN client and the VPN server must have at least one authentication method in common.
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Update Network Drivers Manually
Works with: Desktop devicesRisk:LowTime: 3 minutes
On occasion, your VPNs TAP adapter has issues that prevent it from creating a stable server connection. The TAP adapter is a specific network driver that allows the VPN to connect to its servers. If its not working properly or needs updating, it can interfere with your VPN connection. Heres how you can update your TAP driver:
Connect To The Server That’s Running Routing And Remote Access
On the client computer, connect to the Internet, and then establish a VPN connection to the server that is running Routing and Remote Access.
Note
You cannot connect to resources on the remote network because you have disabled the Use Default Gateway on Remote Network setting in the VPN TCP/IP configuration.
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Resolution For Sonicos 65
This release includes significant user interface changes and many new features that are different from the SonicOS 6.2 and earlier firmware. The below resolution is for customers using SonicOS 6.5 firmware.
- For Split Tunnel, the Allow Connections to is set to Split Tunnel and the Set Default Route as this Gateway is unchecked.
- For Tunnel All, the Allow Connections to is set to This Gateway Only and the Set Default Route as this Gateway is checked.NOTE: If Tunnel all is configured and the default route checkbox is not checked, the traffic will make it to the firewall from the host computer, but the firewall will drop it.
- Another factor that comes into play for Tunnel All mode is the VPN Access option for users. This can be seen under Users | Local Users. Select the specific user and click on the configure option.
- Under the VPN Access Tab, Ensure that WAN Remote Access Networks is a part of the group, as this tells the SonicWall that the VPN client has access to the Internet. If this is not added, the traffic will be dropped by the firewall as Packet dropped: Policy Drop.
Why Internet Is Not Working When VPN Is Connected
DNS configuration issues are often one of the reasons why you cant browse the internet while connected to the VPN. When you connect to a VPN server and place your DNS settings into the wrong configuration, you may experience problems connecting to the internet. A manual DNS change will solve this problem.
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Solution : Reset Internet Adapter
Step 1: Open Command Prompt with Admin privileges. For this, press Win + X keys, then select Command Prompt option from the menu that opens.
Step 2: Now, type the following commands in the Command Prompt window and press Enter after entering each of these lines:
ipconfig /release
netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log
netsh int ipv6 reset reset.log
After running these commands successfully in CMD, go ahead and check if the issue persists.
Disable The VPN As The Default Gateway

Stay with me here, the setting is deep down in the options. In the Windows Control Panel, go to the Network Connections settings, right click on your VPN, and select Properties:
In the VPN Properties, select Internet Protocol Version 4, then click on the Properties button.
Once in Version 4 properties, click on the Advanced button.
Finally, uncheck the Use default gateway on remote network checkbox. Then click OK, and work your way back up.
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Set Up A VPN Directly On Your Device:
Setting up a VPN directly on your device offers a better and more speedy connection than your router. All premium VPNs are compatible with the most significant devices that a user can connect to. You can set up ExpressVPN on your Samsung Smart TV, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, etc.
ExpressVPN setup guides for other devices:
Can You Still Get Hacked With A VPN
Due to your VPN, you will never be hacked if you are using a premium service. However, you are not entirely protected. While the connection is protected by military-grade encryption, it doesnt apply to people. People are usually the target of hacking attacks.
- Malicious connections and snooping
- Malicious or compromised websites that collect personal information
- Information collected by governments and ISPs
You wont be protected from these things by a VPN:
- Malware introduced natively to the USB port
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Check For Incorrect Date And Time Settings
Connect On A Different Network
Works with: Desktop and mobile devicesDifficulty:EasyRisk:LowTime: Under 5 minutes
More often than not, issues with your VPN are down to your internet connection. Take your smartphone or laptop to a friends house or connect to public WiFi and try your VPN there.
You can also test your standard internet speeds without the VPN to see if its performing at the expected level. If you find that your connection is dropping or unstable, you know its your internet and not the VPN. In this case, you may need to look into contacting or even changing your ISP.
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Check If Your New Dns Settings Are Working
If you have done this and want to check if it is working, then that can be done easily. Visit DNSLeakTest.com and do the test. If you use the Google DNS you will get a screen giving you something like this.
Hope your VPN connection will be working now and that this information has helped you! If you have comments or questions, feel free to write a comment and I will do my best to help!
Still looking for a VPN service? Read about different services in our IP Guide.
VPN Connected But Not Working/no Internet Access
- Having no Internet access to establish a VPN connection simply means that you cannot use it.
- Using a VPN is critical to protect your online privacy, but it’s worthless if you have no connectivity.
- Most often restarting the VPN or your router seems to work wonders on connectivity issues.
- Check out our guide and learn how you can fix your VPN connectivity issues in no time.
Is your VPN connected but not working? VPN issues usually fall into different categories, either the connection attempt is rejected when it should be accepted or accepted when it should be rejected.
There are also times when you cannot reach locations beyond the server or even establish a tunnel.
One of the most common reasons why the VPN is connected but not working is a DNS configuration issue.
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It may also occur if you configure the VPN connection to use the default gateway on the remote network.
This setting overrides the default gateway settings that you specify in your TCP/IP settings. Check out our solutions on how to resolve the issue.
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Why Is Nordvpn Not Connecting
Hi,I have a problem when I connect to a VPN, my adapter says “No internet” connection, but when I disconnect the internet comes back.This only happens on two laptops which I just updated to feature version 20H2 Windows 10, so I am certain its an OS bug.We are using Meraki VPN using the Windows built in client Info log from event viewer is: “The user dialed a connection named
Remove Old VPN Software
![[SOLVED] I lose my internet connection when connecting to VPN](https://www.vpnproclub.com/wp-content/uploads/solved-i-lose-my-internet-connection-when-connecting-to-vpn-windows.png)
Works with: Desktop and mobile devicesDifficulty:EasyRisk:NoneTime: 3 minutes or less
If youve tested a few different VPNs, you could still have other VPN software still on your device. Multiple VPN clients can cause issues when you want to connect, especially if some are configured to auto-connect if you change networks or when your device boots up. This could completely stop your chosen VPN from connecting as the conflicting VPNs wont allow more than 1 encrypted connection.
To fix this issue, simple remove any old VPN software from your device. Make sure you go through the uninstallation process .
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Loss Of Internet Connection When Connect To VPN Client Cisco
I have installed a VPN cisco client 5.0.07.0290 on my laptop window 10/64 bits when I attempt to connect to my remote access VPN I lose the internet connection, even I can’t ping my LAN gateway .in addition I see that the VPN status is connected and the VPN adapter get an IP address in the appropriate pool address, but with no access to either internet or remote access.
is there anybody who can help me to resolve this issue?
as soon as you connect to VPN to your Corporate, it’s full cone VPN access, so everything goes via VPN connections, depends on the company policy. some organizations offer split tunnel and some not, so talk to your security admin to assists you here.
Cisco VPN Drops My Internet Connectivity
I have Cisco VPN anyconnect installed on my personal laptop to work remotely.
My laptop originally had Windows 8 and the VPN worked fine. When I uploaded Windows 10, when I connect to access VPN my internet disconnects. I brought my laptop to my office and tried connecting there and it worked fine. One of the help desk techs took the laptop home and installed new drivers and he claims it worked for him. I brought my laptop home and tried to connect again to VPN and it still drops my internet.
Any help out there would be appreciated.
Pete
When connected what output comes of “ipconfig /all” and “route print” in cmd?
Try the checkbox in anyconnect client “preference – allow local “lan”….”
//Cristian
When connected what output comes of “ipconfig /all” and “route print” in cmd?
Try the checkbox in anyconnect client “preference – allow local “lan”….”
//Cristian
Thank you Cristian, While I’m not all that versed at this sort of stuff, I will try this tonight. Regards, Peter
Hi Peterspo
I’m having same issue did it resolve your problem finally? Thank you for respond in advance
Hi Christian
This solution, I enable / check below option in Cisco AnyConnect VPN preference but internet goes down every time.
– “Allow LAN Access when using VPN”
Error on Command Prompt – “Transmit failed. General failure”
I tired one more thing
Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections
Opened AnyConnect properties and uncheck – Internet Protocol V6
cmd: > ipconfig/flushDNS
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