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I can’t connect to the VPN on Linux

Problem

You can’t connect to a VPN server on NordVPN’s Linux app.

 

Common symptoms

  • You receive error messages such as “The VPN connection has failed. Please check your internet connection and try connecting to the VPN again. If the issue persists, contact our customer support.”
  • You see that the NordVPN status never changes from "Connecting".

 

Troubleshooting steps

NOTE: Make sure to check your connection after each step.

  • If you used the “Quick Connect” button to connect to the VPN, try manually selecting and connecting to several specific countries instead.
  • Change the VPN protocol:

    1. Open the NordVPN app.
    2. Click “Settings” on the left side of the app.
    3. Click “VPN connection.”
    4. Try connecting with all available protocols. 

  • Connect to an obfuscated server:
    NOTE: Obfuscation is only available with the OpenVPN protocol.

    1. Open the NordVPN app.
    2. Click “Settings” in the left-side column.
    3. Click “Security and privacy.”
    4. Enable “Obfuscation.”
    5. Click the “VPN” tab in the upper-right corner.
    6. Click “Specialty servers.” 
    7. Connect to an obfuscated server.

  • Disable IPv6.
  • Clean all firewall and DNS rules from your device by entering these commands into the terminal one by one:

    sudo iptables -F INPUT
    sudo iptables -F OUTPUT
    sudo iptables -P INPUT ACCEPT
    sudo iptables -P OUTPUT ACCEPT
    sudo iptables -F -t mangle
    sudo systemctl restart Network Manager

 

Additional tips

  • Restart your device.
  • Check if the issue persists on a different device.
  • Make sure that your internet connection is active.
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