Problem
If you are located in a country that actively restricts internet or VPN traffic, you may experience difficulty connecting to NordVPN servers.
NOTE: We have different steps to follow if you are connecting from China.
Common symptoms
- The app gets stuck on "Connecting" status.
- You receive "Timed out" or "Server unreachable" error notifications.
- Once the connection to the servers is established, you experience a no internet connection issue.
Troubleshooting
NOTE: Check if the issue is resolved after each step.
- Switch to the NordWhisper protocol.
- Open the NordVPN app.
- Tap or click your Profile icon.
- Go to "Settings".
- Select "Protocol".
- Choose "NordWhisper".
- Use Obfuscated servers.
- On the main screen, open "All locations".
- Select "Obfuscated".
- Connect to one of these servers, which are designed to bypass network firewalls.
NOTE: If you do not see the obfuscated servers, make sure your protocol is set to Auto or NordWhisper. Obfuscated servers are not visible with other protocol selections.
- Switch to OpenVPN (TCP).
- Go to "Settings".
- Select "Protocol".
- Choose "OpenVPN (TCP)", which is more resilient against blocks than UDP.
- Perform a network reset on your device.
- Follow the network reset steps for your specific operating system.
- Restart your device after the reset.
- Try a manual IKEv2. This method can bypass blocks that affect the main application, since it runs outside the standard app connection process.
Set up a manual connection using the configuration guide for your platform:
Additional tips
- Check if the issue persists on a different device connected to the same network.
- Check if the issue persists when you switch to a different network entirely.
- Keep your NordVPN app updated, since server and protocol support improves with newer versions.