Why does BD VPN perform so inconsistently ?

JCerny

I have used BD VPN for a few years now, and I have failed to resolve a problem that may result in me not renewing my subscription in the next few days.

1. Should the internet operate when VPN is not enabled? Quite often I turn on the computer, and eventually a browser window opens (after 1-2 min), and sometimes I am informed that I am safe to browse, and sometimes not. Even if VPN doesn't start, shouldn't I be able to use the internet?
2. VPN is set to automatically turn on at power up. It doesn't always start. I frequently need to open the BD icon and manually turn on VPN - what a hassle!
3. Some pages open when VPN is activated, and some do not. How do I open any site when VPN is activated?
4. Some sites load fine, and then 10 minutes later they fail to load. I see the following: "Secure Connection Failed PR_CONNECT_RESET ERROR. And then if you wait and try again, then the page loads.. And then it stops working again, but page will load when VPN is disabled.
5. When I open a new tab in a browser, it frequently states "…the page will not load - no PR_ERROR". If I click on a link on this page, and wait a while, sometimes the page I wanted opens, sometimes not. Its a minute or two delay. Why does this happen?

You get the idea. I am displeased with BD VPN, and thinking of not renewing it. Can anyone provide guidance on resolving the above issues?

Curiously,

John

Alexandru_BD

Hello,

1. You are correct to assume that the Internet should work even if the VPN is not connected. One explanation for this behavior would be that sometimes, some websites may be blocked by the ISP depending on the country they are in, and obviously with a VPN you can bypass those blocks. Therefore, the location from which you are attempting to connect may also play a role. There are a few troubleshooting steps you can try, have a look at my comment on this thread:

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/354597#Comment_354597

2. There are actually two separate auto-connect settings for this, make sure they are both enabled. Have a look at this thread:

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/103855/win-11-why-doesnt-my-vpn-connect-automatically-i-have-my-settings-for-autoconnect

3. This may have something to do with point 1, but also with any mechanisms employed by the respective websites which may detect and block a VPN connection. Regarding this scenario, I would recommend this article:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/30765/

4. PR_CONNECT_RESET ERROR can have multiple causes. It typically occurs when your browser (often Firefox) tries to establish a secure connection to a website but the connection is unexpectedly reset. Some websites actively block known VPN IP ranges, so the IP may be flagged. Try switching to a different VPN server, ideally in another region or country. Also, the protocol used by the VPN may not work well on all networks. You can switch between protocols in the VPN app settings, to find out which one works best for you.
Now, I'm not excluding DNS issues, so another thing to try would be to clear DNS cache: ipconfig /flushdns on Windows, and use custom DNS servers like Google (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1). Here's a guideline on how to change your DNS server on Windows:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/87643/

Also keep in mind that corrupted profile or extensions (like HTTPS everywhere or ad blockers and anti-trackers) can interfere with connection handling. Try Private Window mode and disable any browser extensions that could prevent the sites from loading.

Last but not least, make sure your browser is up to date and consider switching between browsers to exclude a possible browser issue.

5. Hard to tell, but my best guess is that it may have something to do with some of the possible causes explained above.

Let us know if anything helped.

Regards