You can find below a list of some of the most common local factors that many users have on their devices that are known to interfere with the PIA VPN. 

• Antivirus Programs: Antivirus protection software may sometimes interfere with the processes our VPN application requires to run correctly. (How to Add Antivirus Exclusions to your Antivirus Software) 

• Other VPNs or proxies: Once a VPN has established a tunnel, it can cause a conflict when another tunnel attempts to establish itself  

• DNS based Ad-blocking apps/extensions: Since PIA’s MACE uses DNS based blocking as well, this can cause a DNS resolution issue 

• Region-based blocks (i.e. China, Egypt, UAE, etc.):  Where Can I Use The PIA Service? 

• Default Gateway using a 10.x.x.x subnet: OpenVPN utilizes 10.x.x.x for local IP routes thus causing a conflict between the default gateway and the VPN 

• Network-based blocks (i.e. University, Workplace, Hotel, Mall, etc.): It is quite common for Universities, Workplaces, etc. to block VPN ports/connections for the security of other users of that network. 

• Restricted Ports: I have trouble connecting or the connection drops frequently: Changing Ports 

• IPv6 only networks: Our app only uses IPv4 connections and blocks IPv6 to prevent leaks, thus the VPN cannot connect with IPv6 

• User Profile does not have Admin privileges: Many of the features of the PIA app require admin privileges to work (i.e. launch on startup) which can cause the VPN to not work properly 

If you are experiencing any of the issues above and have questions or require assistance, please feel free to contact our support team via the Contact Us tab above.