Why Is NordVPN Not Connecting?
NordVPN is one of the biggest and most popular VPN services around, boasting over 5 million downloads on the App Store. The company provides a lot of appealing features, including a free version with limited functionality and a monthly fee-based Premium offering with all the bells and whistles. We rated it #3 on our list of Best Free VPN Services and Editors’ Choice for most affordable VPN services. It is also one of the few VPN services that offer a no-logs policy.
It is highly unlikely that you have not heard of NordVPN. But here’s the thing: When you click to download the app from the App Store, you may experience a delay of several minutes before you get the pop-up screen that asks you to either confirm or cancel the download. This is usually because NordVPN is performing a “server health check” before it connects you to the internet.
This kind of server check happens regularly and unnecessarily for customers who are not on Wi-Fi. It adds significant lag to the user experience when you are trying to use the app. We decided to dig deeper and find out what exactly is going on behind the scenes when you are trying to use NordVPN. The results are quite revealing and may shed some light on why you are seeing this behavior. So, let’s dive in.
Why Is NordVPN Not Connecting?
NordVPN is one of the biggest and most popular VPN services around, boasting over 5 million downloads on the App Store. The company provides a lot of appealing features, including a free version with limited functionality and a monthly fee-based Premium offering with all the bells and whistles. We rated it #3 on our list of Best Free VPN Services and Editors’ Choice for most affordable VPN services. It is also one of the few VPN services that offer a no-logs policy.
It is highly unlikely that you have not heard of NordVPN. But here’s the thing: When you click to download the app from the App Store, you may experience a delay of several minutes before you get the pop-up screen that asks you to either confirm or cancel the download. This is usually because NordVPN is performing a “server health check” before it connects you to the internet.
This kind of server check happens regularly and unnecessarily for customers who are not on Wi-Fi. It adds significant lag to the user experience when you are trying to use the app. We decided to dig deeper and find out what exactly is going on behind the scenes when you are trying to use NordVPN. The results are quite revealing and may shed some light on why you are seeing this behavior. So, let’s dive in.
What Is A VPN?
If you are reading this, I assume you have at least a passing knowledge of networking and computer hardware. We will, therefore, avoid going into too much detail here. But, for the sake of completeness, let’s take a quick look at VPNs.
A VPN is a tool that allows you to connect to a private network or server over the internet. The goal of a VPN is to provide secure connectivity to your devices whether they are connected to the internet or not. A VPN allows you to encrypt all your internet traffic, hide your IP address, and access restricted content. In layman’s terms, a VPN is a type of firewall for your network.
There are many different types of VPNs, all with their own unique features and quirks. But, at their core, all VPNs provide the same basic functionality. They all allow you to connect to a private network or server, encrypt your internet traffic, and provide you with an IP address that masks your true location. In other words, a VPN gives you a “ghost” IP address that makes it appear that you are located somewhere else when you are connected to the internet.
Why Would You Need A VPN?
There are countless reasons why you would want or need to use a VPN. But, here are a few of the biggest and most prevalent ones.
- To avoid geoblocking. Geoblocking occurs when a content provider or platform restricts content that you can access based on your location.
- To protect your personal data. When you connect to public Wi-Fi, your personal data — including your emails, photos, and other sensitive information — can be exposed to malicious third-parties.
- To ensure that your internet traffic is always encrypted. The majority of VPNs on the market provide a “no-logs” policy, which means that they do not keep any record of your activities on their servers.
- To ensure that you are always contacting the correct people. With the increasing number of fake email accounts and internet trolls, it is essential that you use a VPN to ensure that you are always communicating with the correct person
What Is The Difference Between A VPN Plan And An Activation Code?
NordVPN is one of the biggest and most popular VPN services around, boasting over 5 million downloads on the App Store. The company provides a lot of appealing features, including a free version with limited functionality and a monthly fee-based Premium offering with all the bells and whistles. We rated it #3 on our list of Best Free VPN Services and Editors’ Choice for most affordable VPN services. It is also one of the few VPN services that offer a no-logs policy.
But here’s the thing: When you click to download the app from the App Store, you may experience a delay of several minutes before you get the pop-up screen that asks you to either confirm or cancel the download. This is usually because NordVPN is performing a “server health check” before it connects you to the internet.
This kind of server check happens regularly and unnecessarily for customers who are not on Wi-Fi. It adds significant lag to the user experience when you are trying to use the app. We decided to dig deeper and find out what exactly is going on behind the scenes when you are trying to use NordVPN. The results are quite revealing and may shed some light on why you are seeing this behavior.
Why Does NordVPN Need To Check My Server For Health?
When you first launch the app, you will see a small disclaimer about how your use of the service may impact your device. After you scroll past this message, you will be taken to the main page of the app, which features a large animated logo and a large text block that welcomes you to the service.
The first thing you will notice is that there is no “Connect” button. This is because the app is checking for updates before it allows you to use the service. So, for several minutes, you will be unable to connect to the internet through the app.
The second thing you will notice is that there is no mention of a “server health check” anywhere on the main page of the app.
In fact, if you navigate to the About section of the app, you will see that none of the other information about the company is displayed. Instead, you will see the following message:
“To start using our services, you will need to check the status of one of our servers. This is a routine check performed by our database team to ensure that our servers are functioning properly and are not unreachable by our users. Once you have completed this step, you will be able to use all the content that we offer.”
So, in other words, in order to use the app you have to first perform a “server health check”. Even after you have completed the check, the server health disclaimer will still appear in the upper-right corner of the main screen.
This kind of behavior is quite frustrating if you are trying to use the app. If you have a strong, reliable wireless connection, you will probably experience zero lags and zero dropouts while using any VPN service. But if you are on a Wi-Fi connection that is not as strong or reliable, you will most definitely notice the impact of the server health check and the associated delay before you are able to use the app.
How Long Does It Take For A VPN Server To “Healthy” In This Case?
As mentioned above, when you first launch the app, you will see a small disclaimer about how your use of the service may impact your device. After you scroll past this message, you will be taken to the main page of the app, which features a large animated logo and a large text block that welcomes you to the service.
The first thing you will notice is that there is no “Connect” button. This is because the app is checking for updates before it allows you to use the service. So, for several minutes, you will be unable to connect to the internet through the app.