Arch Linux

endlesik

Member

Registered: 2021-07-25

Posts: 13

[SOLVED] Network connection became slow after installing NordVPN

Hello world everyone! (sorry for confusing double post, got DB error while posting, reported previous topic already)

Few days ago I've decided to go for VPN - and everything worked like a charm (I've followed official docs https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NordVPN) - and I initially went for a CLI config.
Later on I've decided I much more prefer to go for Network Manager method - which've worked without any issue too.

After restart however, I've noticed I'm unable to use VPN in any way - nor CLI, nor OpenVPN allowed me to connect to VPN.
I've tried reinstalling nordvpn-bin, installing openvpn version, tried to change permissions on its data files (/var/lib/nordvpn/data/.config.ovpn) - nothing helped.

Only after uninstalling everything, removing its data (sudo rm -rf /var/lib/nordvpn), rebooting and reinstall I was able to use VPN again - to that point, my normal connection worked flawlessly.

And suddenly, while using VPN via CLI - I've noticed that everything but youtube worked (host not found, but google and netflix had no issues)
I thought, maybe youtube suddenly detects my VPN somehow and blocks me from reaching their servers, so I've switched VPN off and... my normal network became REALLY slow to connect to anything..

No matter what I do, it takes ages to load any website or web resource (like gifs in IM).
However, speedtests show excellent speeds, decent pings - as they were prior to using VPN. But it takes ages to start the test.

If I go to youtube it takes about a minute to load completely, however if I go for some heavy 4k video - after long loading, it works flawlessly, even if I jump across the video - it works and buffers without any problem..
When I've tried playing Minecraft with my friend - she said there was no lags whatsoever..
When I've checked ping via terminal - it seems to be normal, BUT it takes a long time before it connects to the server.

I thought - aha! So, if my internet speed is still excellent, even the ping, maybe it's a problem with DNS - so I've tried to switch from 1.1.1.1 to 8.8.8.8 etc... without any results...
So I've tried to reach web via other PCs in my home - everything works flawlessy - not an ISP issue.
If I try to connect to my router - it loads instantly.. - not a router config problem (nothing was changed there too)

But what really concerns me is the fact, that when I connect to VPN - it speeds up......

I've tried to find any way of reseting network settings on Arch, with no avail unfortunately..

Please, let me know what else can I do? Which logs could be helpful? Is there any way of renegerating network config completely?

Last edited by endlesik (2021-07-26 12:00:38)

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,203

Re: [SOLVED] Network connection became slow after installing NordVPN

Welcome to the forums.  I deleted your other thread.  Be aware that you can use the report function to request a moderator move a topic, if need be.

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endlesik

Member

Registered: 2021-07-25

Posts: 13

Re: [SOLVED] Network connection became slow after installing NordVPN

Welcome to the forums.  I deleted your other thread.  Be aware that you can use the report function to request a moderator move a topic, if need be.

Thank you! Sorry for confusion, blind old me didn't see it got posted anyway..

seth

Member

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 58,745

Re: [SOLVED] Network connection became slow after installing NordVPN

Since the issue is most likely in the resolver, check

resolvectl status

and - just a hunch - to restart the resolved service when things are slow (assuming you're using resolved, what NM nowadays defaults to)

Edit: also post your /etc/nsswitch.conf

Last edited by seth (2021-07-26 06:11:58)

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endlesik

Member

Registered: 2021-07-25

Posts: 13

Re: [SOLVED] Network connection became slow after installing NordVPN

Since the issue is most likely in the resolver, check

resolvectl status

and - just a hunch - to restart the resolved service when things are slow (assuming you're using resolved, what NM nowadays defaults to)

Edit: also post your /etc/nsswitch.conf

It seems you Sir were right for some reason resolvectl service symlink got removed, which resulted in error:

❯ resolvectl status
Failed to get global data: Unit dbus-org.freedesktop.resolve1.service not found. 

I've reacreated the symlink using

sudo ln -sf /lib/systemd/system/systemd-resolved.service /etc/systemd/system/dbus-org.freedesktop.resolve1.service

Now everything seems to be working flawlessly, even YT started to load on VPN.

And just for completness sake:

❯ cat /etc/nsswitch.conf
# Name Service Switch configuration file.
# See nsswitch.conf(5) for details.

passwd: files systemd
group: files [SUCCESS=merge] systemd
shadow: files

publickey: files

hosts: files mymachines myhostname resolve [!UNAVAIL=return] dns
networks: files

protocols: files
services: files
ethers: files
rpc: files

netgroup: files

I'm not sure whether or not it was the cause, or what I did is actually some botch, but it works nonetheless.
Thank you very much!