WIFI internet connection only works when VPN is on

[Lilmothiit]

I've got an unusual problem, and I am not sure if it is a hardware or a software problem.

When I try to open up any web page using my laptops WIFI, it fails to connect, and I get a "We can’t connect to the server at [website name here]." But when I turn on my VPN, the Internet works perfectly.

It has never done this before, and I've had the VPN for several months, so I fail to see how it can be an issue with the VPN.

The only thing I can think of it this has only started happening after I installed Bleachbit 2.0 - not sure if that means anything though...

System details are as follows:

System: Host: anon-Aspire-ES1-523 Kernel: 4.13.0-32-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
Desktop: Cinnamon 3.4.6 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
Distro: Linux Mint 18.2 Sonya
Machine: Mobo: Acer model: TRICERA_CZL v: V1.02
Bios: Insyde v: V1.02 date: 09/19/2016
CPU: Quad core AMD A4-7210 APU with AMD Radeon R3 Graphics (-MCP-) cache: 8192 KB
flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm) bmips: 14372
clock speeds: max: 1800 MHz 1: 1000 MHz 2: 1000 MHz 3: 1400 MHz
4: 1000 MHz
Graphics: Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Mullins [Radeon R3 Graphics]
bus-ID: 00:01.0
Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
Resolution: 1366x768@59.97hz
GLX Renderer: AMD MULLINS (DRM 2.50.0 / 4.13.0-32-generic, LLVM 5.0.0)
GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 17.2.4 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] Kabini HDMI/DP Audio
driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:01.1
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.13.0-32-generic
Network: Card-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: 2000 bus-ID: 01:00.0
IF: enp1s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Card-2: Qualcomm Atheros Device 0042
driver: ath10k_pci bus-ID: 02:00.0
IF: wlp2s0 state: up speed: N/A duplex: N/A mac: <filter>
Drives: HDD Total Size: 256.1GB (9.9% used)
ID-1: /dev/sda model: KINGSTON_RBUSC18 size: 256.1GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 228G used: 17G (8%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/dm-1
ID-2: /boot size: 472M used: 131M (30%) fs: ext2 dev: /dev/sda1
ID-3: swap-1 size: 7.47GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/dm-3
RAID: No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 45.9C mobo: N/A gpu: 47.0
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info: Processes: 229 Uptime: 44 min Memory: 1348.9/6932.1MB
Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35

[greerd]

Hi Lilmothhiit,

Installing bleachbit shouldn't cause any problems...so long as you didn't use it for anything. If you did who knows, some people refer to it as a wrecking ball.

The typical reasons for your issue of needing the vpn running to reach web sites are DNS and/or Firewall.
We need more info, from a terminal post the output of:

Code: Select all

nslookup forums.linuxmint.com

and

Code: Select all

ping -c3 192.124.249.8

and

Code: Select all

cat /etc/resolv.conf

Also, what are you using to connect to the vpn server, a vender supplied app, openvpn (cli) or network manager?
If using an app, you you kill it or do a hard reboot?

Also sometimes a reboot will reset thing for you.

[Lilmothiit]

I have used bleachbit, but the settings that I've used are the same as every other time I've used it, so I fail to see what it could have done this time around that is different.

Here is the additional info you requested:

Server: 209.222.18.222
Address: 209.222.18.222#53

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: forums.linuxmint.com
Address: 192.124.249.8

PING 192.124.249.8 (192.124.249. 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 192.124.249.8: icmp_seq=1 ttl=52 time=296 ms
64 bytes from 192.124.249.8: icmp_seq=2 ttl=52 time=214 ms
64 bytes from 192.124.249.8: icmp_seq=3 ttl=52 time=343 ms

--- 192.124.249.8 ping statistics ---
3 packets transmitted, 3 received, 0% packet loss, time 2001ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 214.339/284.788/343.649/53.422 ms

Note: The smiley face is an 8 followed by a ) - I can't get the forum to not change it...

nameserver 209.222.18.222
nameserver 209.222.18.218

Rebooting the computer doesn't do anything.

And I am using Private Internet Access (desktop linux version - not an app)

[greerd]

In my previous post I should of added that the tests were to be done with the vpn not running.

[Lilmothiit]

Either way, I got it working again. Thanks!