Why can't I connect to the internet using QVPN QBelt on iOS or Android?
Applicable Products
- QVPN Service (QBelt)
- QVPN for iOS 1.5.7 and later
- QVPN for Android 1.8.11 or later
Symptom
After establishing QBelt VPN using QVPN for iOS or QVPN for Android, you may experience one or more of the following issues:
- Web pages on the mobile device load slowly or do not load.
- NAS login page keeps loading.
- Mobile apps such as LINE or messaging apps cannot send or receive messages.
- Internet access immediately returns to normal after you disconnect the VPN.
The VPN tunnel is successfully established, but all network traffic (including non-NAS services) is affected.
Root Cause
DNS behavior changes in QVPN for iOS 1.5.7
Starting from QVPN for iOS 1.5.7, the app changes how it obtains DNS settings for QBelt connections.
| Version | DNS behavior |
|---|---|
| QVPN for iOS 1.5.6 and earlier | Uses fixed DNS:
|
| QVPN for iOS 1.5.7 and later | Uses the DNS server configured in the QBelt settings of QVPN Service on the NAS (same behavior as Android). |
If you update QVPN iOS to 1.5.7 or later, and if the DNS field in the NAS QBelt settings is empty or contains an invalid DNS server address, the client cannot resolve domain names. As a result, the VPN connection is established, but internet services do not work.
QVPN for Android
QVPN for Android also uses the DNS server configured in the QBelt settings on the NAS. If the QBelt DNS is not configured or is configured incorrectly, Android clients can experience the same symptoms.
Solution
Configure a valid DNS server for QBelt on the NAS
- Log in to the NAS using a web browser.
- Open QVPN Service.
- On the left panel, select QBelt.
- Locate the DNS Server field and enter a valid DNS server IP address.
| Region | Recommended DNS server |
|---|---|
| Global (general users) | 8.8.8.8 (Google DNS) |
| China | 114.114.114.114 |
- Click Apply or Save to save the settings.
- Disconnect and reconnect the QBelt VPN connection in the QVPN app.
- Verify that web pages and mobile apps can access the internet normally.
- This issue does not affect the VPN tunnel itself. It only affects network usage after the VPN connection is established.
- The DNS behavior change in QVPN for iOS 1.5.7 is by design. This allows administrators to flexibly specify DNS servers.
- We recommend proactively verifying that the QBelt DNS field contains a valid IP address to avoid connectivity issues after users update the QVPN app.
- If your environment already uses a specific DNS server (for example, an internal DNS server), you can enter that IP address instead of
8.8.8.8.
QNAP Technical Support
If the issue persists after configuring the DNS settings as described above, contact QNAP Technical Support and provide the following information:
- NAS model, QTS/QuTS hero version, and QVPN Service version.
- Mobile device model and iOS/Android version.
- QVPN app version.
- NAS Helpdesk remote access, which enables our support engineers to check your configuration.
For further assistance, ask other users and QNAP experts in the community. Go to QNAP Community
