I have a syncing issue due to my VPN settings. Can you help?

[Adrien B.1]

Hi ! It's been 2 weeks (I think) that dropbox doesn't sync when any of my VPN server are off.

I don't use any weird VPN client, I just set a regular VPN, in the Win10 settings panel. Adding the VPN server adress, and done : https://image.ibb.co/k2k2Zf/Capture.png

I'm pretty sure it has worked for more than a year : The dropbox sync was OK wherever any VPN was ON or OFF.

The strange thing is... I tried to re-install the dropbox client, and the same thing happen with dropboxinstaller.exe cannot have access to internet if no VPN connexion is active !

Every other internet apps work normally. Firefox, Windows, Steam... Even my Nextcloud desktop client doen't care if a VPN is turned ON or OFF. It just finds its way to the internet.

Anyone has the same issue ?

[Walter]

Hey there @Adrien B.1 - how are you today?

Sorry to hear about this issue - can you try locating the Dropbox icon and menu from the system tray ? Then, try right-clicking on the icon to access the Dropbox desktop application menu and click on the gear icon in the Notifications panel. Select "Preferences" from the Dropbox menu. Select the "Proxies" submenu or tab and from there "No proxy".

Let me know if this helped Adrien! 

[Adrien B.1]

No, unfortunately it didn't help, So far I've tried :

- Deleting every VPN connexion in the Win10 settings panel
- Disabling the Ethernet adapter in devmgmt.msc, leaving only my Wi-Fi connexion.
- Set the Wi-Fi network as "Private network"
- Finally, rebooting the PC.

It's the same on either the dropbox client or the freshly downloaded installer.

I just discovered that It's exactly the same thing on my other computer, a laptop that I don't use that often.
Both are on genuine Win10 Home, FPP (the non-OEM-retail-USB-key version), updated to v1803.

Out of curiosity, I tried to install an official Win10 VirtualBox VM
(from https://developer.microsoft.com/fr-fr/windows/downloads/virtual-machines)
Testing with the exact same VPN connexions, it works normally.

I start to think that the OFF-VPN is not the cause.
The VPN is actually something that bypass the bug when it's set ON.
... And now I have no idea where to look at.
Is there debug mode, logs that could help ?

[Rich]

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@Adrien B.1 wrote:

I start to think that the OFF-VPN is not the cause.
The VPN is actually something that bypass the bug when it's set ON.
... And now I have no idea where to look at.

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Firewal settings.

If the VPN is bypassing the issue, then something on the network (when the VPN is off) is likely blocking access to Dropbox. Check the settings on any firewall or antivirus that you're running. If possible, just disable them and test Dropbox, to determine if that's the cause or not.

[Adrien B.1 · Accepted solution]

Found it !

I tried to cut the firewall and the antivirus : KO
I tried to connect using my phone as a hotspot : OK
I tried to reboot my router : KO
(There is a firewall inside, but it was disabled)

Then... I changed the DNS. I was using the official ones, that came from my internet provider's router.
Turned to 9.9.9.9 and 8.8.8.8, and turn firewall/antivirus back on : OK !!

Seems like it was my internet provider's fault.
Maybe the router manufacturer, I don't know who's in charge of the default DNS settings.

I'm on Red-by-SFR, by the way. That's a major internet provider, here in France.
Hope that is a temporary issue, or a more localized one. SFR has 20% market share here (~6 million people).

Cheers and thanks for your help.

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