I can't get on-line unless I'm using my VPN [RESOLVED WITH WINDOWS 10]

[Hillbilly54]

Strange situation........ but unless I'm using my VPN (Private Internet Access) I can't get on-line. I can access my LAN but nothing else. Once I connect to the VPN everything works fine.



Using Linux Mint 18.1 Serena....

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 inxi -Fxzd
System:    Host: Rondo Kernel: 4.4.0-97-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.2.7 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
           Distro: Linux Mint 18.1 Serena
Machine:   System: Hewlett-Packard product: HP Pro3500 Series
           Mobo: Foxconn model: 2ABF v: 3.20
           Bios: AMI v: 8.17 date: 10/25/2013
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i3-3240 (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 13568
           clock speeds: max: 3400 MHz 1: 1845 MHz 2: 1661 MHz 3: 1699 MHz
           4: 1613 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller
           bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Ivybridge Desktop
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 11.2.0 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.4.0-97-generic
Network:   Card-1: Ralink RT5390R 802.11bgn PCIe Wireless Network Adapter
           driver: rt2800pci v: 2.3.0 bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: wlp3s0 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: e000 bus-ID: 04:00.0
           IF: enp4s0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 6005.1GB (26.0% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: ST1000DM003 size: 1000.2GB
           ID-2: USB /dev/sdb model: Expansion_Desk size: 5001.0GB
           ID-3: USB /dev/sdc model: GoGear_ViBE size: 3.9GB
           Optical: /dev/sr0 model: hp CDDVDW SH-216DB
           rev: HH10 dev-links: cdrom,cdrw,dvd,dvdrw
           Features: speed: 40x multisession: yes
           audio: yes dvd: yes rw: cd-r,cd-rw,dvd-r,dvd-ram state: running
Partition: ID-1: / size: 913G used: 111G (13%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 4.18GB used: 0.04GB (1%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda3
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 29.8C mobo: 27.8C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 197 Uptime: 2 days Memory: 1353.6/3839.2MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35 
ron@Rondo ~ $

[joegum]

I'm also using 18.1, XFCE, with PIA.

In home, I have a shell script pia.sh provided by PIA.

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#!/bin/sh
/home/joegum/.pia_manager/pia_manager/run.sh > /dev/null 2>&1 &

On my desktop, I created a shortcut to that script. (sh pia.sh) Then I created a link on panel. No issues.

This system has had several different distros on it until I changed to Mint. So, there are probably files and folders in home that survived the reinstalls.

If you are having a problem that cannot be resolved here, you might want to contact PIA to ask for assistance. You are paying for PIA. Their help department was very responsive when I needed help several years ago when I was using another distro with TDE.

[wallaroo]

It could be a DNS issue.

I'll assume you are using PIA's connection application.
When you connect to the VPN via the app, it replaces your system DNS settings with their own, and when you disconnect it restores to your default DNS settings.
However if there are no default DNS settings to restore (or they're bad) then when you try to connect to the Internet outside the VPN you'll get connection errors.

Have a look at the file '/etc/resolv.conf', when you're not connected to the VPN it should contain 'nameserver' entries for your default DNS. This could be your ISP DNS addresses, some other DNS service (like Google) or the address of your router, if it is handling DNS.

Look at it again when you are connected to the VPN, it should only contain entries for PIA addresses (something like 'nameserver 209.222.18.222' and 'nameserver 209.222.18.218').

If it is empty when you not connected to the VPN then this could be your problem.

[Hillbilly54]

/etc/resolv.conf?

where do I find this file?

"newbie" remember?

[wallaroo]

Well, oddly enough it's in directory '/etc/'.

On the command line you can view the contents with the command 'cat /etc/resolv.cnf'

or you can use your file manager to navigate to 'File System' and there you'll see directory '/etc/'. Open it and right-click on 'resolve.conf' and open with a text editor to view the contents.

[Hillbilly54]

okay, inside that file is...

nameserver 209.222.18.222
nameserver 209.222.18.218

[Hillbilly54]

and when i'm offline from the VPN it's empty.

[Hillbilly54]

I looked it up on another Linux Mint computer on this network and found...

# Dynamic resolv.conf(5) file for glibc resolver(3) generated by
resolvconf(8)
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND -- YOUR CHANGES WILL BE
OVERWRITTEN
nameserver 127.0.1.1
search PK5001Z


Searching how to edit my file properly leaves me more confused then ever.

[greerd]

I looked it up on another Linux Mint computer on this network and found...

# Dynamic resolv.conf(5) file for glibc resolver(3) generated by
resolvconf(8)
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND -- YOUR CHANGES WILL BE
OVERWRITTEN
nameserver 127.0.1.1
search PK5001Z


Searching how to edit my file properly leaves me more confused then ever.

Hi Hillbilly54,
Yes, it can be confusing and I may not have it straightened out yet in my own head but basically if cat /etc/resolv.conf doesn't display the "DO NOT EDIT..." then you aren't using resolvconf ( not to be mistaken for /etc/resolv.conf) and therefore you can edit /etc/resolv.conf as root without fear of it being overwritten.
If this is your case then you can edit /etc/resolv.conf (as root) and add nameservers to it, in fact you can even add PIA's nameservers to it so it looks the same whether you're connected via PIA or not.

I think that adding nameservers to NetworkManager will trigger resolvconf (which will add the nameservers and the "DO NOT EDIT..." to /etc/resolv.conf), so you might have a choice of editing /etc/resolv.conf or adding the nameservers to NetworkManager.

[wallaroo]

I agree with greerd, it looks like you have a static resolv.conf file which makes it easier to fix.
As suggested the simplest fix is to edit '/etc/resolv.conf' file as root (when you are not connected to the VPN), and I would suggest you add the line 'nameserver 127.0.1.1' to the file and save it.
You may need a reboot after that.

[Hillbilly54]

I can't edit it.

[wallaroo]

Don't forget you need to edit it with root privileges.

The easiest way to do this is on the command line.

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sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf

(the password is the same as your user password)

or

if you want to use the GUI, use the file manager to go to 'File System' then right-click on directory 'etc' and select 'Open as Root', (the password is the same as your user password), this gives you the root privileges. Then right-click on the file 'resolv.conf' and select 'Open with Text Editor'.

[Hillbilly54]

"File manager?" "File system?" "Root?"

It's not a question at this point of forgetting... i'm ignorant. "NEWBIE FORUM!" Were you born knowing this stuff? I wasn't and I don't possess the knowledge to preform the acts you suggest.


"sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf" with my password entered into the terminal brings up alien things that I don't have the slightest knowledge of how to deal with. Nor would I know what to put in there if I DID manage to edit it.

Do they have a crayon font for explaining this stuff? Because you guys lose me every time you respond.

[wallaroo]

"File manager?" "File system?" "Root?"

It's not a question at this point of forgetting... i'm ignorant. "NEWBIE FORUM!" Were you born knowing this stuff? I wasn't and I don't possess the knowledge to preform the acts you suggest.


"sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf" with my password entered into the terminal brings up alien things that I don't have the slightest knowledge of how to deal with. Nor would I know what to put in there if I DID manage to edit it.

Do they have a crayon font for explaining this stuff? Because you guys lose me every time you respond.

Hi Hillbilly54,
This is the 'Linux Mint' forum and the term 'newbie' here refers to someone unfamiliar with Linux and/or Mint.
Your responses seem to suggest that you have never used a computer before.
People here are happy to help you learn and solve issues in a Linux environment. Many (if not most) 'newbies' have come from using Microsoft Windows or Mac systems and terms like 'File Manager' and 'File System' is basic to all operating systems, just the brand-names are different.

Before trying to master Linux you will need to get some more training in general computer use - this is not the place for that.

[lmintnewb2]

For one thing ...

This system has had several different distros on it until I changed to Mint. So, there are probably files and folders in home that survived the reinstalls.

DON'T DO THAT ... everything you see that makes any sense anyway will tell you to NEVER outright share a /home partition between distro's in your case not same situation but same thing, if you got a mixed matched mess of config files from multiple distro all in your ~/ Would start there first as that's going to be a continous issue if it's so.

ie: Create a new user with a fresh /home/username ... move your data over and then proceed to adjust from there. Delete your former user, rename new one etc etc.

Also had you fiddled with any significant files related to Openvpn or whichever you've elected to use ? If so can't see how it'd be a bad idea to investigate that a bit and hopefully uncover anything you misconfigured ?

2 cents.

[Hillbilly54]

i don't know who you are quoting but it's not me.

going back to windows 10 with a smile on my face... there i will at least have a plethora of avenues to remedies i stand a chance of understanding.

[lmintnewb2]

Oops nevermind, was wrong, it was someone below you for some unknowable reason ? My bad. Will plonk them as soon as finished editing this post.

going back to windows 10 with a smile on my face... there i will at least have a plethora of avenues to remedies i stand a chance of understanding.

Good thing ... you're going to need all the help you can get ! Wait !!! Come back !!! You don't want to go crawling to window$ with your tail between legs, it's undignified man.