If your device has network connectivity issues, check for VPN and other third-party security software

Third-party security software that monitors or interacts with network connections can potentially block some connections, such as those required to access the internet or communicate with other devices on your network.

Identify network connectivity issues

If VPN (virtual private network) software or other third-party security software has been installed on your device, connectivity issues such as these could be related to that software. As detailed in the linked articles, these issues can also have other causes.

Try these solutions first

Check software and related settings

These changes could affect connectivity from your device. If your device is managed by your organization or configured for access to their apps and services, you might be unable to make changes and should consult them before proceeding.

Check for these types of apps

If you don't know what VPN or other third-party security software you might be using, check your device for these types of apps. They're available from many different vendors and have many different names. Words like Anti, Alarm, Firewall, Mechanic, Malware, Protection, Security, Shield, Spy, Trust, Virus, or VPN might be part of the name.

On iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Apple Vision Pro, look for such apps on the Home Screen. On Mac, look for them in the Applications folder and elsewhere in the Finder. To aid your search, you can use Spotlight on iPhone or iPad, use Spotlight on Mac, or use Spotlight on Apple Vision Pro.

If you find any such apps:

Check for these settings

Whether or not you're using any of those types of apps, changes might have been made elsewhere in your device's settings. To find out, search within settings for these words: VPN, profile, firewall, and filter.

If the setting isn't managed and required by your organization, you can turn it off, change it, or delete it. For example, on iPhone or iPad, you can tap a configuration profile, then tap to confirm that you want to delete it. On Mac, you can select the profile and click the Remove (–) button below it. However, if the software that created the setting is still in use, the setting might return later.

After making changes, restart your device. If the issue continues, reset network settings on your iPhone or iPad or reset network settings on Apple Vision Pro. Then restart and reconnect to your network. On Mac, you can reset network settings by switching to a new network location in Network settings.