VPN Connected but No Internet
The app says connected and nothing loads. Here is what to check, from the quickest to undo.
🔎 Check your VPN is working⚠️ Confirm it before you change anything
With no connection there is nothing to test yet. Change one thing at a time and check whether a page loads after each - two changes made together tell you nothing about which one mattered. Once pages load, run the VPN check to see that the tunnel is carrying your traffic, not just that you are online.
What this actually is
When a VPN is connected and pages will not open, the tunnel is up as far as the app knows, but traffic is not getting through it - or never reaches it. It is a connection problem, not a privacy one: nothing is leaking. Most of the causes below are a single setting, either in the VPN app or on the network you are using, and the steps below are written for each platform where they differ. Every one comes from the help pages of the platforms or of VPN providers, and a provider's advice is named as theirs.
The app says connected, yet pages time out or will not open. Something between your device and the VPN server, or inside the tunnel, is not passing traffic. It is a connection problem rather than a leak, and the causes are listed from the quickest to check and to undo.
How it shows up
- The VPN app shows connected, but pages time out or say the site cannot be reached.
- Everything works with the VPN off and stops when it connects.
- It happens on hotel, airport or café Wi-Fi, or on mobile data, but not at home.
- Some apps work and others do not, or pages say the server's address could not be found.
Causes, in the order to check them
Work down the list in order. The first is the quickest to check and to undo, and the later ones only apply once it has been ruled out - which stops you disabling things you never needed to touch.
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1 A Wi-Fi sign-in page is waiting behind the VPN
Hotel, airport and café networks often pass no traffic until you complete their sign-in page, and a VPN that is on, connects automatically, or has a kill switch can stop that page from appearing - NordVPN's help describes exactly this.
On Android- Turn off the VPN app's auto-connect and its kill switch, and disconnect.
- Tap the sign-in notification. If none appears: Settings → Network & internet → Internet → touch and hold the network → Forget, turn Wi-Fi off and on, rejoin, and tap the notification.
- Sign in, check that a site loads, then connect the VPN and turn the kill switch and auto-connect back on.
Any platform- Turn off the VPN app's auto-connect and its kill switch, and disconnect.
- Open a plain http:// address such as http://example.com to bring up the sign-in page, or forget the network and join it again.
- Sign in, check that a site loads, then connect the VPN and turn the kill switch and auto-connect back on.
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2 The kill switch is blocking while the tunnel cannot connect
A kill switch blocks everything outside the tunnel by design, so while the tunnel is not up, the device is offline. Proton and Mullvad say so of their own apps; Android shows a notification that stays until the VPN reconnects.
On Android- Settings → Network & internet → VPN → the settings (gear) next to your VPN: with Always-on VPN and Block connections without VPN on, nothing goes out until the VPN connects.
- Reconnect, or switch the two off to confirm this is the cause - then turn them back on.
Any platform- Look at the app's status: if it is still connecting, or says it is blocking, the block is the kill switch doing its job.
- Connect to another server, or turn the kill switch off briefly to confirm this is the cause - then turn it back on.
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3 The network blocks the VPN's protocol or port
Some public Wi-Fi and mobile networks block UDP, which WireGuard always uses. Mullvad, IVPN, Proton and NordVPN all give the same first step: try another protocol.
- Switch protocol in the VPN app's settings and reconnect.
- Where the app offers it, connect over TCP - on port 443, the port HTTPS uses - or use Mullvad's UDP-over-TCP.
- For networks that block VPNs on purpose, some apps have an obfuscated mode: Proton's Stealth, NordVPN's obfuscated servers, Mullvad's WireGuard obfuscation.
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4 Names do not resolve inside the tunnel
The tunnel is up but lookups fail, so pages report that the server's address could not be found. A custom DNS server or a DNS filter in the VPN app, or an encrypted DNS setting that cannot reach its server, does this.
On Android- In the VPN app, turn off any custom DNS option and any DNS-based blocking (threat protection, ad or malware blocking) to test - NordVPN and IPVanish both advise this.
- Settings → Network & internet → Private DNS: a provider hostname that cannot be reached marks the whole network as having no internet (Google). Set it to Off - on a Samsung Galaxy, Settings → Connections → More connection settings → Private DNS - and reconnect.
On iOS- In the VPN app, turn off any custom DNS option and any DNS-based blocking (threat protection, ad or malware blocking) to test - NordVPN and IPVanish both advise this.
- Settings → General → VPN & Device Management: Apple says that when a network blocks the server an encrypted DNS app or profile uses, connections in apps fail. Turn it off and reconnect.
On Windows- In the VPN app, turn off any custom DNS option and any DNS-based blocking (threat protection, ad or malware blocking) to test - NordVPN and IPVanish both advise this.
- In the browser, turn off secure DNS with a custom provider: Chrome does not fall back to unencrypted DNS when that provider cannot be reached.
- Run "ipconfig /flushdns" in Command Prompt, then reconnect.
On macOS- In the VPN app, turn off any custom DNS option and any DNS-based blocking (threat protection, ad or malware blocking) to test - NordVPN and IPVanish both advise this.
- In the browser, turn off secure DNS with a custom provider: Chrome does not fall back to unencrypted DNS when that provider cannot be reached.
- Proton gives "sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder" in Terminal to clear the DNS cache on macOS 11 to 15. Then reconnect.
Any platform- In the VPN app, turn off any custom DNS option and any DNS-based blocking (threat protection, ad or malware blocking) to test - NordVPN and IPVanish both advise this.
- In the browser, turn off secure DNS with a custom provider: Chrome does not fall back to unencrypted DNS when that provider cannot be reached.
- Reconnect and try again.
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5 The date or time on the device is wrong
With a wrong clock, certificates look invalid and the connections that check them fail - Proton says so of its VPN, and Apple and Google list the clock for connection problems.
On Windows- Settings → Time & language → Date & time → Set time automatically: On. Then reconnect.
On macOS- System Settings → General → Date & Time → set the date, time and time zone automatically. Then reconnect.
On iOS- Settings → General → Date & Time → turn on setting the time automatically. Then reconnect.
On Android- Settings → System → Date & time → Set time automatically. Then reconnect.
Any platform- Set the date, time and time zone to update automatically, then reconnect.
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6 A firewall or antivirus is blocking the VPN
Security software can block a VPN's connection or interfere with its DNS. Proton, NordVPN, IVPN and Mullvad all name it.
On Windows- Pause the antivirus or third-party firewall briefly and reconnect, to test.
- If that was it, add the VPN app to the antivirus's exclusions, or allow it through Windows Firewall: Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → Allow an app through firewall → Change settings → tick the VPN app.
Any platform- Pause any security app's firewall or web protection briefly and reconnect, to test.
- If that was it, add the VPN app to its exclusions rather than leaving the protection off.
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7 The tunnel's packets are too large for this network (MTU)
When the tunnel's packet size is larger than the network passes, the VPN connects but websites do not load - VyprVPN's help describes this. Mullvad says an MTU of 1280 may be necessary on some mobile networks.
- If the VPN app has an MTU setting, set it to 1280 and reconnect (Mullvad: VPN settings → MTU, on desktop and Android). VyprVPN's Mac and Android apps have Optimize MTU instead.
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8 The network only has IPv6
Proton says its apps open the VPN connection over IPv4, and Mullvad's app connects over IPv4 unless told otherwise. On a network with IPv6 only, that first step can fail.
- If the app lets you choose which IP version it connects over (Mullvad: Device IP version), choose IPv6 and reconnect.
- Otherwise try another network - Wi-Fi instead of mobile data, or the reverse - to confirm.
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9 Last resort: reset the network settings
This removes saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords, and on a phone the VPN settings as well. Apple and Microsoft both put it last; try it only after the rest.
On iOS- Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset Network Settings. VPN settings installed by a profile stay; the rest of the network settings go.
On Android- Pixel: Settings → System → Reset options → Reset Bluetooth & Wi-Fi. Samsung Galaxy: Settings → General management → Reset → Reset Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings.
On Windows- Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings → Network reset → Reset now. Microsoft notes you may have to reinstall the VPN app afterwards.
On macOS- Apple's way is a new network location: System Settings → Network → the More button → Locations → Edit Locations → + → Done. The old location stays, to switch back.
Any platform- Reset your device's network settings from its system settings, then set up the VPN again.
🔁 Check whether it worked
Run it again after each change rather than at the end. Two steps applied together tell you nothing about which one mattered - and one of them may have been unnecessary.
🔎 Check your VPN is workingThe VPN is connected, but nothing loads - FAQ
The questions that follow from it.
Why does my internet stop working when I turn on the VPN?
Because something between your device and the VPN server, or inside the tunnel, is not passing traffic. The causes this guide covers are a Wi-Fi network that wants you to sign in first, a kill switch with no tunnel to send traffic into, a network that blocks the VPN's protocol, DNS that cannot be resolved inside the tunnel, a wrong clock, security software, packet size and IPv6-only networks. They are listed above in the order to check them - quickest to undo first.
Is it safe to turn off the kill switch to get online?
For a minute, to sign in to a hotel or airport network, it is what NordVPN's own help tells you to do. The kill switch is what stops your traffic leaving outside the tunnel when the tunnel drops, so turn it back on as soon as you are signed in and the VPN is connected again - then run the leak test to see that it held.
Why does hotel or airport Wi-Fi not work with my VPN?
Those networks often pass no traffic until you complete their sign-in page, and a VPN that connects automatically, or blocks traffic outside the tunnel, stops that page from loading. Disconnect, turn off auto-connect and the kill switch, sign in - on a phone through the sign-in notification, on a computer by opening a plain http:// address - then connect again.
Does a VPN work on a network that only has IPv6?
It depends on the app. Proton says its apps open the VPN connection over IPv4, and Mullvad's app connects over IPv4 unless you change it, so on a network with IPv6 only that first step can fail. Mullvad lets you choose IPv6 under Device IP version. If your app has no such setting, try another network to confirm that this is the cause.
🧰 Test it yourself
The tests run in your browser. Where one needs to know whose network an address is on, our server looks it up and keeps no address. Nothing is stored unless you choose to share the result.
📚 Read next
The longer version: what this test is looking for, and what to do with the answer.