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The promise of a virtual private network (VPN) is simple: secure, uninterrupted privacy online. For NordVPN users, that promise is ideally fulfilled through a well-maintained desktop or mobile application. However, a technical nuisance has recently surfaced, specifically targeting Mac users: spontaneous network drops after waking the device from sleep. While the symptoms have plagued numerous users for months, the root cause and a reliable workaround have only recently started to gain clarity—from power-saving mechanisms to a surprisingly simple configuration tweak involving the Network Service Order.
TL;DR: A growing number of NordVPN users on macOS have been experiencing disruptive network drops after their machine wakes up from sleep. The root cause appears to be conflicting network prioritization and aggressive macOS network stack reset behaviors. The issue can often be mitigated by adjusting the Network Service Order so that the primary internet adapter (like Wi-Fi or Ethernet) is placed higher than NordVPN in the list. This method helps maintain VPN tunnel stability and prevents dropped connections during the system’s wake-up phase.
Understanding the Problem: VPN Tunnel Drops After Sleep
Users on Apple forums, Reddit threads, and NordVPN support channels have all reported a similar type of issue involving the NordVPN macOS app. Here’s the usual pattern:
- The Mac is connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
- NordVPN is active and tunneling data as expected while the system is in use.
- When the computer goes to sleep—either manually or after a timeout—and later resumes, the network stack resumes inconsistently.
- This causes either a full connection drop or results in an orphaned VPN tunnel without actual internet access.
Initially, users assumed the issue was purely on NordVPN’s side, possibly a bug in their macOS client. But even after numerous updates to the application, many still experience the same problem. What made the situation more confusing was that the issue didn’t affect all users uniformly. Clearly, something more fundamental was at play—something potentially deeper than the application layer.
Dissecting the Root Cause
After extensive testing by system administrators and tech-savvy users, one common pattern stood out: VPN tunnels would frequently fail during the network reinitialization stage after waking from sleep. macOS appears to re-prioritize services or forcibly attempt to “clean up” connections that aren’t active quickly enough. If NordVPN’s virtual network adapter (typically known as utun or enX interfaces) is prioritized above the main internet interface, the OS may assume the network is unavailable and either delay or drop the connection entirely.
In essence, macOS believes the VPN tunnel is the internet connection and begins to route traffic that way—before the physical adapter (Wi-Fi, Ethernet) has completed startup. Since the VPN needs an upstream connection to form first, the tunnel fails mid-launch. The result? A deadlock that leaves users disconnected or stuck without DNS resolution.
The problem becomes especially visible in these scenarios:
- Wi-Fi networks with slow DHCP lease negotiations
- Corporate VPNs layered on top of NordVPN
- Systems with multiple active interfaces (e.g., Ethernet and Wi-Fi concurrently)
The Diagnostic Trail
Advanced users inspecting system logs found tell-tale signs. System Console or `log stream` commands showed network daemon errors, route collisions, and stalls within the IPSEC or WireGuard tunnels. In most cases, the VPN service would try to re-initiate the session, but the process failed due to premature routing attempts.
Officially, NordVPN support offered boilerplate solutions: reinstall the app, toggle protocol modes, or switch servers. While sometimes effective in isolated cases, these proved ineffective for users facing the persistent wake-from-sleep disconnection bug.
The Network Service Order Fix
One workaround has gained traction for its high success rate and simplicity: adjusting the Network Service Order in macOS’ System Settings. The idea is to allow native networking services like Wi-Fi or Ethernet to come online—and stabilize—before the VPN adapter kicks in.
Here are the steps to apply the fix:
- Open System Settings (macOS Ventura and later) or System Preferences (on Monterey or earlier).
- Navigate to Network, then click the three-dot icon (…) or gear icon to choose Set Service Order.
- Drag your primary interface (usually Wi-Fi or Ethernet) to the top of the list.
- Place the NordVPN service or any interface that resembles utunX below it.
- Click Apply to save the changes.
This ensures that macOS completes internet handshake operations before attempting to initialize the VPN adapter, helping the tunnel handshake succeed post-sleep.
While the change may seem minor, its effects are often immediate and stable. After adjusting the network hierarchy, users report that wake-from-sleep behavior improves significantly: no more orphaned tunnels, no DNS blackouts, no need to re-toggle the VPN switch manually.
When You Should Use This Fix
This service ordering tweak is particularly effective if any of the following conditions apply to your setup:
- Your Mac regularly sleeps and resumes throughout the day (e.g., laptops).
- You use Wi-Fi in public spaces with recurring network handshakes.
- You’ve noticed that you need to manually restart NordVPN after waking your computer to regain internet access.
If these issues sound familiar, modifying your network service priority is not only harmless—it might be the best interim solution available.
Longer-Term Solutions and Recommendations
While adjusting the Network Service Order solves the problem for many, it highlights a larger issue: the brittle nature of virtual adapters and their interaction with modern OS networking stacks. VPN vendors like NordVPN may need to reassess how their macOS clients handle dormant networking states and introduce better post-wake daemon-handling logic.
In the meantime, users should consider the following best practices:
- Keep your NordVPN app and macOS updated: Protocol improvements and OS patches may eventually resolve the issue more permanently.
- Select servers manually: Auto-connect features sometimes default to problematic locations; selecting known-good servers can help stability.
- Avoid interface conflicts: Disable unused network interfaces (e.g., disable Ethernet if you’re only using Wi-Fi).
A Support Community in Action
Perhaps one of the more uplifting aspects of this issue is how quickly the Mac and VPN communities came together to find workarounds. From Reddit power users to enterprise sysadmins, the collaboration helped isolate a reproducible fix that NordVPN has yet to officially document.
It’s a testament to a broader truth: user persistence and community support often uncover more agile solutions than waiting for delayed vendor patches.
Conclusion
NordVPN’s recurring network drops after wake-from-sleep events have gone from an irksome annoyance to a known issue with a comprehensible cause and a relatively simple fix. By adjusting the Network Service Order in macOS, users can restore stability, keep their privacy intact, and avoid the hassle of frequently re-initializing VPN sessions.
While we await a client-side improvement from NordVPN developers, this fix serves as a powerful example of what careful troubleshooting and community knowledge can achieve. Secure browsing doesn’t have to mean unstable behavior—and it certainly shouldn’t suffer each time your screen dims.