When I Connect to VPN, I Lose Internet - How to Fix It [Windows 11]

Fix your VPN setup and try our recommendation for a stable connection

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If you wonder what can you do if when you connect to the VPN you lose your Internet connection, you’re in the right place!

We found applicable fixes for all known causes of this bug/error.

Why does my Internet disconnect when I connect to VPN?

The main reasons why you lose Internet when connecting to VPN include:

  • Faulty DNS settings, incompatible with your VPN client
  • Outdated or corrupt VPN software
  • Connecting to a server that has problems or is down
  • Security software like firewall or antivirus blocking VPN

In the following guide, we will show you what you can do to fix these issues. So if when you connect to VPN you lose Internet in Windows 11 or in Windows 10, make sure to try the upcoming solutions.

What can I do if the Internet disconnects when connected to a VPN?

1. Check your Internet

First, let’s see if there are any issues that are caused by your network, and not your VPN. โ—Disconnect from your VPN and follow the steps below:

1.1. Check Network and Internet status

  1. Go to Start and then select Settings.
  2. Open Network and Internet.network and internet
  3. You’ll see the Network status up in the main menu. If it’s says “Connected, secured”, your connection is fine. But if it says “Not connected” or “No internet”, there is an issue and you should troubleshoot it:windows 11 network status

1.2. Run the network troubleshooter

  1. Open the Start menu and select Settings.
  2. Click on System in the left sidebar.system settings in windows 11
  3. Select Troubleshoot from the list of options.troubleshoot settings windows
  4. Click on Other troubleshooters.other troubleshooters
  5. Find and click the Run button next to Network and Internet to start the troubleshooter.network and internet troubleshooter

If you’re still having issues, run a speed test and finally contact your ISP. But if your internet looks like it’s up and running, only ruined by VPN, keep reading:

2. Connect to a different server location

Select a different VPN server location and connect to it.ย ย If you can access the Internet now, , there may be a temporary issue with the server location you originally selected.

3. Change your VPN protocol

Open your VPNโ€™s options or settings and select the Protocol from the list and pick a different one.

VPN protocols are the methods by which your device connects to a VPN server.ย  Some protocols are blocked in different countries or by certain Internet Service Providers.

This may be the reason why when you connect to the VPN you lose your Internet connection. For optimal performance, choose the protocols below in the following order:

  • OpenVPN TCP
  • L2TP
  • PPTP

4. Reinstall your VPN

You can uninstall the app, find the latest version install it, and connect again.

  1. Right-click Start and select Apps and Featuresvpn no internet
  2. Find your VPN from the list of programs and select Uninstallwhen i connect to vpn i lose internet
  3. Type control panel in the taskbar and open Control Panel
  4. Go to Network and Internet
  5. Open the Network and Sharing Center
  6. Under Network Connections, right-click on the WAN Mini port labeled with your VPN’s name
  7. Select Delete.
Note icon NOTE
On some machines, after you uninstall your VPN, it will automatically be removed from the Network Connections. So in case you don’t find yours in the Network Connections list, you’re all good.

5. Check for incorrect date and time settings

  1. Double-clickย theย Date and Time displayย on the taskbar
  2. Clickย Change date and time settings
  3. In theย Date and Time tab, clickย Change date and timeโ€ฆ.
    change date and time When VPN connects, Internet is disconnected
  4. In theย Date and Time Settings dialog box, update your time to the current date and time, then clickย OK
  5. If you need to change the time zone, clickย Change time zoneโ€ฆย , select your current time zone in the drop-down list, then clickย OK
  6. Restart your VPN andย connect to a server location
  7. If you cannot connect to a server location after restarting your VPN,ย re-install the VPN. You do not need to uninstall the app first, justย run the installation programย again

6. Install the latest version of your VPN

  1. Right-click Start and select Run
  2. Type regeditย and press Enter
    regedit run window When VPN connects, Internet is disconnected
  3. You will now see the User Account Control dialog box. Clickย Yes
  4. In the Registry Editor, underย Computer, double-click onย HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
  5. Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, double-click onย SOFTWAREย and thenย [your]VPN
  6. If you cannot find [your]VPN directly beneath SOFTWARE, goย toย SOFTWAREย >ย Classes>ย [your]VPN
  7. Right-click on [your]VPN and then clickย Delete. After deletion, you should no longer seeย your VPN underย Wow6432Node

If you can’t edit your Windows 10’s registry, read this handy guide and find the quickest solutions to the issue.

If you see that the VPN is still listed as an available VPN connection after uninstalling:

  1. Type Control Panel in the taskbar to open Control Panel
  2. Go to Network and Internet and click on Network and Sharing Center
  3. On your Network Connections window, right-click on theย WAN Miniportย labeledย [your]VPN
  4. Clickย Delete

7. Change your DNS server configuration

7.1. Open Network Connections settings

  1. Right-click Start and select Run
  2. Type ncpa.cpl and click OK
  3. In Network connections window, find your usual connection, either LAN or Wireless network connection.
  4. Right click the connection and select Properties

7.2. Set the DNS server addresses

  1. Double click Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) or just Internet Protocol
  2. Select Use the following DNS server addresses
  3. Type these Google DNS server addresses: Preferred DNS server 8.8.8.8 andย Alternate DNS server 8.8.4.4

    internet protocol version 4 window When VPN connects, Internet is disconnected

  4. If Google DNS is blocked, try the following:ย  Neustar DNS Advantage (154.70.1 and 156.154.71.1) enter and press OK; Level3 DNS (4.2.2.1ย andย 4.2.2.2) enter and press OK. Once youโ€™re done, set your VPNโ€™s DNS settings, and flush old DNS entries as described in the next solution.

DNS server is not responding in Windows 10? Take a look at this guide and fix the issue in no time.

8. Adjust your proxy settings

If youโ€™re having trouble connecting to the Internet, itโ€™s possible that it has been set to use a proxy server. This could interfere with your VPN.

To disable proxy in Internet Explorer:

  1. From theย Toolsย or gearย menu, selectย Internet options.
  2. In theย Connections tab, clickย LAN settings.

    lan settings Internet properties When VPN connects, Internet is disconnected
  3. Uncheck all of the displayed options exceptย automatically detect settings.
  4. Clickย OK
  5. Close your browser and then open it again.

9. Change your VPN

If your VPN still kills your internet, even after trying to troubleshoot, switch to a better one.

Opt for a premium option – with VPNs, you get what you pay for. If you don’t invest in a quality service, you risk poor connections, data issues, or no connection at all.

Considering this, we recommend ExpressVPN. Our tests revealed it’s one of the best options for Windows 11: speed, performance, lots of servers in 100+ countries, and great customer support.

expressvpn user interface

ExpressVPN

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Why do I lose internet when I disconnect from VPN?

It’s either a configuration problem or your connection is very slow. Make sure your settings match your Wi-Fi and VPN setup.

Also, if you are concerned about privacy, use a VPN with a killswitch option.This feature will block all traffic data even if you disconnect.

This means that the risk of getting any type of data leaked or stolen is very small even when you don’t use a VPN connection.

Wrapping up

These have been our suggestions on what you can do when connecting to VPN disconnects the Internet. Let us know which one works best for you.

If you have any more questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments below.

More about the topics: internet connection errors, VPN

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