VPN Drops Randomly

I have recently been having some serious issues with my VPN and would like to know if anyone else is having the same issue. I have Surfshark and it will randomly disconnect me. Sometimes it will disconnect for only a couple minutes then reconnect and othertimes it will disconnect and I have to repeatedly try to reconnect it until it connects. Frustrating to say the least. I tried a different VPN over the last 2 weeks and tit does not disconnect on its own. Anone else experiencing this with Surfshark? If so, is there a fix?

That would be frustrating. Have you tried to uninstall/reinstall Surfshark? Also, does this happen on all your devices. Can you describe what devices you have and which ones that it happens on?

I have a Buzztv box and an Nvidia Shield Pro, happens on both of them. I log in, connect to server, and within a couple minutes of beginning a stream it will disconnect. Sometimes it will reconnect and other times I need to manually reconnect it. It seems to have started doing this after the most recent update. Is there some kind of setting that I can change to see if it remedies the problem?

You are going to have to use process of elimination. Turn all settings off, Cleanweb, killswitch, etc, and test it with different protocols. Mark down what happens with each test and what settings were on or off. I still think it may be worth uninstalling/reinstalling the app and see if that can stabilize it.

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I will definitely try uninstall/reinstall and see what results I get. I will say I love surfshark and will stay with them, but as a back up I got Nord to try it and just see if it was maybe my devices or ISP. I have found that the Nord stays connected, but I am not familiar with how good/secure/private Nord actually is. I did this primarily as a test. I just thought it strange that it only started after the last update. I will try all referenced fixes and see what works. I greatly appreciate your response and all that you guys do for us.

Here is the SS Discord page invite.

I also highly recommend trying the “Wireguard” only protocol setting instead of “Automatic”. Automatic gives me nothing but trouble.

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Thanks, I will change that setting and see if it helps.

Sorry to hear about your issues. Understandably frustrating, but in many cases with new software updates, some bugs are fixed and improvements are implemented. Unfortunately, with new changes, collateral damage is not uncommon with other areas.

I recall a similar bug with shark occurring about a year or less ago and a subsequent update fixed most of the instability. If you search, you’ll find several reddit threads (and likely discord posts) on the issue topic.

Since you did mention that the problem surfaces for you after a recent update, it would suggest that changes surrounding the new update could likely be the root problem.

In the meantime, you can always start with core troubleshooting, as @AMD237 suggested. You can also review the troubleshooting tutorial provided by shark below. Since the problem is happening across multiple devices, you can presume it’s a possible app bug not playing well. Both the shield and buzz box likely is running on OS11. Sometimes new updates that are pitched for a new OS compatibility (like Android TV OS12) can backpedal stability on previous OS versions.

https://support.surfshark.com/hc/en-us/articles/360009860539-How-to-fix-unstable-connection-issues-on-Android-#:~:text=Disable%20potentially%20interfering%20apps.&text=This%20can%20sometimes%20interfere%20with,the%20connection%20gets%20any%20better.

I personally have not witnessed stability issues with my Shield and Shark. I will pay some attention now to see what version of shark is installed and see if I’m running the current software release.

Could you kindly post what shark app software version you have installed?

*Update - I’m running 2.8.6.4.

If you are connected via wifi, you may also want to try using a hard line and seeing if stability changes as part of your troubleshooitng.

Good luck -

look into surfshark settings>>> vpn settings >>> advanced settings >>>and make sure rotating IP is turned off.

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