Can VPN shut down Internet connection?

Movi

Hello,

I am experiencing recurring issues with Bitdefender VPN.

Once installed on a PC, the internet connection randomly drops. It sometimes restores if I reactivate the VPN connection.

The kill switch is NOT enabled. The operating system is Windows 10 with a clean, up-to-date installation as of 15/12/2024. The VPN was previously installed.

The issue is specific to internet access, as the local network functions correctly (access to NAS, printers, other PCs). The problem seems related to DNS release (as also noted by Windows troubleshooting). When the DNS is "blocked," the PC cannot connect to the internet. Restarting the PC or reconfiguring the network settings intermittently resolves the issue, causing disruptions and delays.

There are no specific firewall rules blocking the PCs; they are all under the same policy.

We have numerous PCs on the same network, all with Bitdefender VPN installed.

The problem occurs randomly and sporadically on only some PCs. After the latest Bitdefender VPN update, the issue seemed mitigated but has reoccurred only on two workstations (Windows 11 and Windows 10). The problem is now less frequent and affects fewer PCs.

On the affected PC with a clean Windows 10 installation, the issue occurred during normal use for two consecutive days. Yesterday, the problem was resolved by re-entering the preferred DNS on the physical network adapter (this is like reboot the network card, when apply).

Today, with the VPN disconnected and the network icon showing no internet (world icon), clicking "Connect" from the Bitdefender VPN app restored the internet connection.

As I write this message, everything has been functioning correctly for the past 2 hours.

I suspect the VPN may conflict with DNS settings. Reconnecting the VPN or restarting the service/network adapter, intermittently restores internet access. Local network access is always functional.

Could this issue be related to the "Wireguard virtual adapter" or the "Bitdefender TAP Adapter," causing compatibility problems? The connection drops randomly and unpredictably.

I want to use the Bitdefender VPN, and am willing to perform any tests you recommend to identify the issue.

We use VPN, from: Bitdefender Premium Security and Bitdefender Premium VPN.

Thank you for support.

chr.h.geisler_gmail.com

When I installed bitdfender VPN and antivirus on my Iphone, I could not access the internet. When I deleted Bitdefender, it worked again

Chris

R3mus

I've been having the exact same problem, ever since December last year, every time the VPN is disconnected. I automatically loose connection to internet.

Sometimes, the troubleshooter can fix it. But most of the time I am forced to reboot the computer.

I've tried all the fixes provided by Bitdefender. Uninstalling and reinstalling the VPN. Change my DNS, release/renew my IP via ipconfig. Etc….

Sometimes I can go for hours without being bothered, other times it lasts only 5 minutes before being disconnected. But it never fails that the VPN ends up disconnecting, and my internet access is blocked every time.

Once, some-kind of add suddenly popped in my VPN console, asking me to go premium. But I am already subscribed to Bitdefender premium security.

This is pretty annoying, since I am paying a premium for a service that I cannot use. I had to stop using the VPN after a while, since once disconnected, I no longer can use internet. I must reboot my computer when it happens, and that is just too inconvenient.

Is anyone else having this problem ? Has this behavior been acknowledged by Bitdefender ?

Zoki69

I have exactly the same problem as mentioned above.

Movi

Hi, thank you for responding.

I do not yet have a direct solution to the problem, but I confirm that it occurs sporadically.

It has not occurred for a few days and we are working well.

Alexandru_BD

Hi @R3mus,

I think there's a good chance the behavior you are describing has to do with a bug that was discovered just recently, but was already fixed by the VPN teams. So, the first step here would be to ensure you are running the latest VPN version available, as this includes the fix. To everyone encountering similar connectivity issues, let me know what version is displayed in the app for you, update if necessary and test again. If the issue persists, I think Support assistance may be required moving forward.

fyi on Windows, the latest Bitdefender VPN build is 27.2.2.2.

Regards