ExpressVPN does not start automatically

[Metallo]

Hi there,

I am on Linux Mint 18.2 Xfce 32bit and I have set up my VPN connections using the Network Manager.
I can select any city I have set-up and it works fine.
Now, I want VPN to start automatically once I turn my PC on, so I went to Network Connections > Edit Wired connection used > General tab > checked Automatically connect to VPN when using this connection > select vpn to use > saved.

The problem is that when I reboot, the connection is always on 'not connected'.
I have to click 'wired connection' to connect and then the VPN starts.
How do I resolve this?

I asked ExpressVPN, which is my VPN provider and they came back with a silly answer:

We currently don't have a feature to automatically connect your Linux computer to the VPN once it's started. You need to manually connect to the VPN once your computer starts.

I cannot believe this is the case but anyways, anybody has experienced this before?
I found another thread and if I well remember the issue could be resolved by delaying the VPN start up?
How can I try this?

Thank you!
Alessandro

[phd21]

Hi "Metallo",

All you have to do is click the Network Manager, edit your Internet connection to your Local ISP (Internet Service Provider), click the General Configuration Tab, check the box for "Automatically Connect to VPN when using this connection" and pick an installed VPN server, click Apply, Ok; the next time you logout or restart, you should automatically be connected to that VPN server after it connects to your Local ISP.


Hope this helps ....

NetworkManager_AutoConnect_to_VPN2.jpg

[Metallo]

Hi there,

That is exactly what I did, but rebooting the system, you are disconnected and when I click connect to wired connection it goes to the preset VPN, so the issue is not the configuration but it looks as if it tries to connect to VPN before it actually connects to to the Internet.

How can I delay this?

Alex

[phd21]

Hi "Metallo",

You should not have to click anything to connect to your default wired or wireless connection, that should be done automatically???

[Metallo]

I know, that's why I cannot explain this.
The wired connection logo appears red as it does when it is disconnected.

Alex

[phd21]

Hi "Metallo" (Alex),

The problem is not the VPN server connection, that will auto-connect as I said before after connecting to your actual Internet connection, if you used the method I showed before.

Your problem is that you should not have to click to connect to your default Internet Service provider, unless something else is not working properly.

Did you recently change how you connect to the internet, like from a Wireless to Wired, replace Ethernet adapters, etc...? You may have to tell your system to use the specific "wired" connection as your default. I do not know how that is done in Xfce 32-bit. But, it may be in the Network Manager in the same place as specifying the VPN you want, General Configuration Tab, for this "wired" connection to your local Internet service provider, check the box to "Automatically connect to this network when it is available" click apply. You can also review other network connections to "uncheck" those that no longer are appropriate from trying to connect automatically, or even remove them. Can you provide a screenshot of your Network Manager connections?

Hope this helps ...

[Metallo]

Hi,

I have re-installed 18.2 from scratch few days ago, everything is clean, I only use wired connection, I do not even have a wireless adapter on this PC.

Everything I did is the few simple steps you have confirmed yourself, if I uncheck the "Automatically connect to this network when it is available" box, the PC reboots perfectly fine, but when I check it again it goes offline every time I reboot the PC.

It is a mystery to me too.

Alex

[phd21]

Hi "Metallo",

It would help to know more about your system setup. If you run "inxi -Fxzd" and "lsusb" from the console terminal prompt, highlight the results, copy and paste them back here, that should provide enough information.

I need to see screenshots of the available connections in your Network Manager, and the General Configuration tab of your wired connection.

Screenshots of pop-up windows or pop-up menus, or mouse over popups may not work without using a screenshot delay timer. You may have to hit print screen, when that comes up, look for the "delay" option and change that to like 7 seconds to give yourself time to get to whatever you want a screenshot of, then tell it to take another screenshot, go to where you want the screenshot of, it will count down and take a screenshot, save it somewhere and upload that.

Hope this helps ...

[Metallo]

HI there,

It looks like I cannot add more than three images, do not know why... but the forth would simply show that once I click on Wired LAN it connects to Montreal.
I am still prone to think the VPN needs to be delayed so that the connection to the Internet establishes first.

Nework Connections.png

Wired connection disabled.png

Wired connection disabled Expanded2.png

Code: Select all

htpc@htpc-desktop ~ $ inxi -Fxzd
System:    Host: htpc-desktop Kernel: 4.8.0-53-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3 (Gtk 2.24.28) Distro: Linux Mint 18.2 Sonya
Machine:   Mobo: ASRock model: A75M-HVS
           Bios: American Megatrends v: P1.20 date: 06/15/2011
CPU:       Triple core AMD A6-3500 APU with Radeon HD Graphics (-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4a svm) bmips: 12578
           clock speeds: max: 2100 MHz 1: 1200 MHz 2: 1200 MHz 3: 1400 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] BeaverCreek [Radeon HD 6530D]
           bus-ID: 00:01.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on AMD SUMO (DRM 2.46.0 / 4.8.0-53-generic, LLVM 3.8.0)
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 12.0.6 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] FCH Azalia Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:14.2
           Card-2 Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] BeaverCreek HDMI Audio [Radeon HD 6500D and 6400G-6600G series]
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:01.1
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.8.0-53-generic
Network:   Card: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: e000 bus-ID: 01:00.0
           IF: enp1s0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 1000.2GB (1.0% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: ST1000DM003 size: 1000.2GB
           Optical: No optical drives detected.
Partition: ID-1: / size: 914G used: 5.5G (1%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 4.00GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda5
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 27.4C mobo: N/A gpu: 20.0
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 181 Uptime: 29 min Memory: 827.1/5692.5MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35 
htpc@htpc-desktop ~ $ 

Code: Select all

htpc@htpc-desktop ~ $ lsusb
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 003: ID 045e:0745 Microsoft Corp. Nano Transceiver v1.0 for Bluetooth
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 046d:c530 Logitech, Inc. 
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 17ef:602b Lenovo 
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 17d0:0115 Sanford L.P. 
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 009 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
htpc@htpc-desktop ~ $ 

[phd21]

Hi "Metallo",

Well that is some progress, you can connect to a VPN.

Try unchecking the box for "All users may connect to this network" in the General Configuration Tab, logout and or restart.

This forum is limited to 3 images being uploaded directly per post or reply. However, you can use an image hosting website and copy image links using the "rimg" forum toolbar button to post as many as you want or need.

Are you using an external MS Nano USB Bluetooth adapter? If so, is it working, because it looks like it is only Bluetooth ver1.0 which usually does not work in Linux Mint, or at least mine did not. You might try removing that and see if that makes any difference as well. FYI: There are excellent low-cost "plug-in play" Bluetooth adapters on Amazon.com and Ebay that work great with Linux. I just got one with Bluetooth v4 (CSR 4.0) that works very well, appx $7us.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IY ... UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/MIATONE-Wireless ... VP3F2754T7


Hope this helps ...

[Metallo]

Hi,

Unchecking the box for "All users may connect to this network" in the General Configuration Tab does not resolve the issue.

I never had an issue to connect to VPN once I click Wired LAN or by simply selecting any of the servers.

Regarding the bluetooth, I am using a USB Hub to plug in my Logitech Remote Control which works very well, never an issue.

Do you know how I can delay the VPN to start?

Alex

[catweazel]

viewtopic.php?t=241222#p1288375

See if that works for you.

[phd21]

Hi "Metallo",

A word of caution regarding USB hubs, Passive USB hubs that do not have their own power supply will not work well in Linux or worse, they will work intermittently, so any device attached to them will not work well or worse will work intermittently.

You might also benefit by updating to a newer Linux Kernel...

Good luck ...

[catweazel]

Hi "Metallo",

A word of caution regarding USB hubs, Passive USB hubs that do not have their own power supply will not work well in Linux or worse, they will work intermittently, so any device attached to them will not work well or worse will work intermittently.

You might also benefit by updating to a newer Linux Kernel...

Why all the fear-mongering? The OP said he's perfectly happy with his setup. He's reported absolutely no issue that requires any of those things.

[greerd]

Hi Metallo,

I had the very same problem as you're describing here, I downloaded the .ovpn files I wanted and loaded them into my network-manager. When I first did this, my network wouldn't start at boot and I had to click the network on (or off - on, I don't recall exactly), it sounds like the very same issue you're having.
Fortunately (for me) it started to work without any explicit changes and I'm trying to recall what I could of done to make this happen.
I can think of a couple of things to try.

1. I noticed in the expressvpn howto, you use a FQDN for the VPN General Gateway, I use an ip address (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:port) Can you get the ip address of the servers? Should circumvent DNS issues?

2. Even though my router is set up for dhcp, I can reserve/assign dhcp addresses to specific mac addresses, so my linux box network is setup for a static IP that is reserved for it in the router. This allows for direct /etc/resolv.conf editing without worrying about the network managers DNS servers addresses, in case it is a timing thing.

3. I setup ufw as a 'Network Lock'. If the VPN drops, my network is blocked. Have you tried rebooting with the firewall disabled just to test if the servers being blocked?

4. My Mint is up-to-date.

[Sciamano]

I am having the same issue.
Laptop with ethernet connection, it has been working correctly for months.
Today I added a VPN configuration, set the ethernet connection to automatically connect to this VPN.
Now the wired connection will be disabled at startup, and I have to enable it manually.
If I uncheck the option to automatically connect to the VPN, the wired connection will be enabled at startup.