---
title: "Mac VPN connected but no internet: causes and fixes · Kilobat Guides"
url: "https://kilobat.app/guides/vpn-connected-no-internet"
description: "When the VPN says connected but nothing loads, check the routes, DNS and the network under the VPN, then reconnect or change one setting at a time."
---

VPN, proxy and filters

# VPN connected but no internet on a Mac

A VPN sends traffic through a tunnel. If the tunnel, its routes or its DNS do not work, the VPN shows Connected but sites do not load.

Applies to: macOS 13 Ventura and later for System Settings. The commands work on all current macOS versions. · Checked: 29 October 2026

## Symptoms

- The VPN shows Connected, but no site loads.
- Sites load by IP address but not by name.
- Company sites work, but public sites do not, or the opposite.
- Everything works again when you disconnect the VPN.

## Likely causes

- **The network under the VPN.** The VPN needs a working Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection. A captive portal or a weak signal stops the tunnel.
- **Routes.** A full-tunnel VPN sends all traffic to the VPN server. If that server cannot reach the internet, nothing loads.
- **DNS.** The VPN can set its own DNS servers. If they do not answer, names do not resolve.
- **An address overlap.** If your local network uses the same address range as the company network, traffic can go to the wrong place.
- **Another VPN or filter.** A second VPN, firewall or content filter can block the tunnel traffic.

## How to check

1. Disconnect the VPN. Make sure that sites load without it.
2. Connect the VPN again. Show the VPN services and their status.

   ```
   scutil --nc list
   ```
3. Show which interface the default route uses now.

   ```
   route -n get default
   ```

   Output The `interface` line shows a `utun` interface when a full-tunnel VPN is on.
4. Show the full routing table.

   ```
   netstat -rn
   ```
5. Show the DNS servers that the VPN added.

   ```
   scutil --dns
   ```
6. Test the name and the address separately. A reply to the address but not the name points to DNS.

   ```
   ping -c 3 1.1.1.1
   ping -c 3 example.com
   ```

## How to fix it

1. Disconnect and connect the VPN again.
2. If you are on public Wi-Fi, disconnect the VPN. Complete the network login page first, then connect the VPN.
3. Quit other VPN, proxy and firewall apps. Then test again.
4. If DNS fails, ask your VPN provider or IT team for the correct DNS settings. Do not change them without their advice.
5. Restart the Mac if the VPN still fails.
6. Remove and add the VPN configuration again. Choose Apple menu > System Settings > Network, or use the VPN app.

## With Kilobat

1. Kilobat's connection check compares the direct path with the VPN path. It also checks a private VPN resolver.

   ```
   kilobat why intranet.example.com
   ```
2. List the physical and VPN interfaces with their counters.

   ```
   kilobat interfaces --json
   ```
3. Find whether the problem is the Wi-Fi, the router, the internet or DNS.

   ```
   kilobat diagnose
   ```
4. These commands are free. See [Find why one site or API won't connect](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/why-cant-it-connect) for the app steps.

## Questions

**Why do sites load by IP address but not by name?**

The tunnel works, but DNS does not. The VPN's DNS servers do not answer, or the Mac sends names to the wrong server.

**Can I run two VPNs at the same time?**

Sometimes, but many VPNs block traffic that does not use their tunnel. Use one VPN at a time if you can.

## Sources

- [Apple Support: Set up a VPN connection on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/mac-help/mchlp2963/mac)
- scutil(8), man page installed with macOS 27.2
- route(8), man page installed with macOS 27.2
- netstat(1), man page installed with macOS 27.2

Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Man pages are the ones installed with macOS; open one with `man <name>` in Terminal.

## Related guides

- [Internal names do not resolve on a VPN](https://kilobat.app/guides/vpn-split-dns-internal-names): macOS can send queries for one domain to one DNS server and other queries to another.
- [Tailscale and another VPN conflict on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/tailscale-vpn-routing-conflicts): Tailscale gives each device an address in 100.64.0.0/10.
- [DNS queries go outside the VPN on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/vpn-dns-leak-mac): With a VPN on, you usually want DNS queries to go to the VPN's servers.
- [Little Snitch, LuLu and other network extensions conflict on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/network-extension-conflicts): Firewalls, VPNs and content filters on macOS use network extensions.
- [Wi-Fi login page does not appear on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/captive-portal-not-appearing): Public networks often hold all traffic until you sign in on a login page.