Best way to auto-start Nordvpn at startup

Hi! If you’re a nordvpn user, please share!

How you make it automatically connect to the closest server when you start manjaro?

On plasma, I made a simple script nordvpn_startup.sh, which is added to KDE’s “Autostart” scripts in system settings. It has the following:

#!/bin/bash
nordvpn set autoconnect on
nordvpn set killswitch on
sleep 10s
nordvpn c

It used to work fine some time ago, but now whenever I start the system, it won’t connect, and find myself having to manually open the terminal and typing nordvpn c every time I start my computer, which is annoying. Is there a way I can call that command whenever my computer connects to a wifi network?

btw, I use nordvpn-bin, from AUR https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/nordvpn-bin, and recently downgraded to 3.7.4 due to the issue with 3.8.5 where it only connects to costa rica.

I have no problems with v3.8.5

You don have to set the options every time - the options is once set - they don’t change.

I have tested my setup

systemctl enable --now nordvpnd
nordvpn set autoconnect enabled
nordvpn set protocol tcp

When I login I am on VPN immediately - no need for nordvpn c

I use this gui for nordvpn

It has an auto connect feature and works really well. It adds the server location to network manager and auto connects to it to

@linux-aarhus I’m not the only one experiencing the issue that 3.8.5 connects only to costa rica. Others have commented the same in the link I shared to the AUR package. I also just tried the next version, and still behaved the same way."

I used to rely on the autoconnect enabled feature, but it only works sometimes. I was constantly having to mannually check if my vpn was connected or not, because it would simply ignore the autoconnect feature about 50% of the time.

I am now using the network manager instead of the CLI. I imported a ovpn configuration (downloadable from nordvpn website) into the NM, and then you can choose to autoconnect to this vpn whenever I connect to my WLAN. It autoconnects 100% of the time without manual intervention, and it provides me with a visual indicator (A “lock” symbol within the “wifi” symbol) that stays displayed for as long as the connection is active. In contrast, the CLI only provides notifications whenever it connects or disconnects, but you can’t simply monitor the current status unless you type nordvpn status in the terminal.

So I’m happier now.

@sawdoctor I haven’t tried that. How’s the experience so far? I simply got annoyed at how the CLI doesn’t really autoconnect most of the time, and sometimes it asks me for my login credentials again. It’s incredibly annoying.

NordVPN is a paid service - so I suggest you raise the issue with their customer service.

Even with the new version 3.8.6 I have no issues with auto connect. It will connect to the closest server.

It may be something configuration related.

My only issue with NordVPN is the DNS which is not reverted when you disconnect. This gives me issues connecting to my internal network.

The gui I’m using works pretty flawlessly, autoconnects on boot and can choose any location I want from the gui

Yup and it does not affect your local web development too awesome!