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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 “We couldn't connect you to the VPN. Please check your internet connection and try 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 “Secure my connection” 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. Connect to an obfuscated server by clicking on any country in the list
       
  • 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 NetworkManager

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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