Downloading on Xbox App for PC, and console's only working when connected to a VPN.

Question

So I've been having this problem for about a month now. For the first 3 weeks of having Virgin fibre (via the Hub5x), I had no issues with downloading anything, and the speeds were great. However after one night, when the internet went down, I went to reset the hub to check to see if that fixed any issue. It reconnected, but since then I have had the issue described in the title.

Typically what happens is a download will start, it will download for a few seconds and then I'll get an error notification, or a message that the download was stopped (or in the PlayStation's case, stuck on 'calculating'). Strangely, even when not connected to VPN, I can still download via Steam, and Epic Games Launcher on PC. I haven't tried absolutely every app, so I can't say for sure how many do or don't work. When I do connect to a VPN (currently using ProtonVPN), I can all of a sudden start downloading again without issue.

I also tend to find that certain games drop connection when not using a VPN, but I'm unsure if that's related.

I have tried so many different fixes, ranging from the basics to some more complex stuff, but I can't for the life of me figure it out. If anyone has any idea what might be causing certain downloads to be blocked/cancelled and throwing up error codes, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Roger_Gooner · Answer

Dump the VM Connect app unless you need it. I do fine without it.

Client62 · Answer

Make absolutely certain that Parental Controls are disabled in the VM Online Account, this is a DNS filter that block access by returning a VM internal IP.

If you know the names of the download servers that are being contacted do some nslookup tests on a computer to make sure the correct IPs are being returned and not an internal VM IP that would block access.

The VM Connect app may have a option Smart Security, if present & if enabled, this is a another DNS redirector on the VM Hub that has been at the root of some really quite obtuse failures & has just timed out on attempting encrypted DNS lookups.

PhilMcR · Answer

Thank you for the reply.Parental Controls are/were disabled (I enabled then disabled them just to make sure).I'm not entirely sure how I would go about finding the names of the download servers that either Xbox or PlayStation use, so any advice there would be incredibly helpful on how to do so.As far as I can tell, the VM Connect app has no option for Smart Security.

PhilMcR · Answer

I'd never used it before today. I downloaded it in attempt to find the Smart Security settings, which I was unable to do. I can't imagine I'll continue using it as it just seems like a more basic version of using the router settings via desktop.

Client62 · Answer

Do uninstall the VM Connect app, sadly it is the only way to check for the existence of Smart Security settings which appears to have been a VM trial that some have seen but most do not.

We have a rule in our house that the VM Connect app is not permitted because it makes changes to the settings of the Hub even when closed and always modifies or deletes our preferred Main Wi-Fi / Guest WI-Fi / Reserved IP settings. It is a rotten to the core app.

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Downloading on Xbox App for PC, and console's only working when connected to a VPN.

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