evernote unable to connect when connected to VPN?

[monkeygrip 3]

i have been using surf shark VPN for years and have had no issues with evernote.

about a week ago i went to connect another app and the evernote authentication popup was blank and never loaded correctly. i then went to login into the web app, same thing, entered username and pass, it went to a white window and sat there. i then logged out of the desktop app and tried to log back in and still the same white window.

first i made sure all my content blocker extensions were disabled but still same behavior. also logging in from my phone was no issue.

i uninstalled evernote and the clipper and reinstalled to no avail.

then i tried turning off my VPN and BAM, no issues across the board.

this is something new that i've never seen. no apps have had any problems with surf shark all this time.

[PinkElephant 8,829]

It is a fact that the authentication process uses a different access route than the data flow. The details are not really communicated, AFAIK. I just saw a little while ago that when I used TripMode to control the data flow. The data flow was stopped, but the app still believed it was online.

Probably the best way to find out what is happening is to contact support.

[monkeygrip 3]

something happened in the background servers that's causing this i think. and the change must have changed within the last month i'm imagining. 

also i haven't had to turn VPN off for any other sites during authentication. 

i'm gonna contact support like you said. this is a repeatable with consistent behavior. 

[gazumped 12,072]

Hmmn.  I also routinely run a VPN (NordVPN) on several devices but haven't seen any difference in performance with or without the extra layer...

[monkeygrip 3]

i got evernote support to solve it here.

somewhere along the way my default vpn server got changed. i tried a couple of different servers and it started working again. i have a hard time accepting this as it feels like a workaround instead of true solution. reason being, i'm pretty computer literate but if i imagine a regular user trying to fix it on their own is doubtful. oh well.

now to start a crusade over the 50 note limit BS. i think i am jumping ship over it.

[PinkElephant 8,829]

My default VPN server just sits on my home network. That is probably where computer literate people use to have one. 

My external VPN provider works nicely with EN, no issue there neither. But since people on a crusade are not interested in facts, this is where it stops.

 

[brews 0]

I'm having the same issue.  I'm on a windows PC using privatevpn connected to various US based servers.  Evernote just cycles through login and comes up with security issues.  If I logout of VPN, I get connected.  Doesn't make sense that I have to break VPN to connect from outside the country, or from unsafe public routers.

[PinkElephant 8,829]

EN works for me, from home, from mobile networks or when using a VPN.

But maybe your VPN network has been used by others for playing games on EN, or hacking into users accounts. A VPN exit node carries a unique Internet address in form of an IPv4 (in some cases a IPv6) address. All users that exit from that server to the internet share the same IP.

If such a Server has been use by bad guys before, it may be that EN flagged this IP or IP range as malicious. And then it will block access from such a server, because there is no way for EN to separate between white hat and black hat traffic coming from that exit node.

The only simple solution is to try to switch between exit nodes (some VPN providers offer this selection - my VPN service has 13 exit options for the US, for example), or try to use a different VPN service. 

I do something else as well, but you need some knowledge to make it work: I run my own VPN server on my home network (actually 2 of them, with 2 different VPN protocols). I can dial into them from elsewhere, protecting my traffic, for example to my NAS file server. But they allow me as well to build a private connection to the internet. Here the exit node will be my home IP, so for EN it will come from the familiar IP address typical for my traffic, even when I am not at home.

[gooseNzoose 0]

It looks like it’s a common issue with various services. I think it’s because many IPs VPNs use has been used for malicious purposes, and that’s why they might be banned.
Therefore, many services and websites don’t allow VPNs because they consider them dangerous and fear attacks.
It’s one of the reasons I use not only VPNs but also some backup services like this Indian proxy https://soax.com/india-vpn-proxy-chrome-extension. It’s reliable and stable and is great for repetitive tasks like data collection or ad verification. Take a look at it. It can be a good alternative to a VPN.

[gazumped 12,072]

20 hours ago, gooseNzoose said:

It looks like it’s a common issue with various services. I think it’s because many IPs VPNs use has been used for malicious purposes, and that’s why they might be banned.

It's a fine distinction,  but the only 2-3 times I had an issue with a VPN connection (not with Evernote) was to do with IP I was connecting through.  Reconnecting to and through a different server fixed the connection.

[PiersButler 0]

Yes, but also no, I suppose. EverNote and my at&t proxy server have not caused any problems for me, although SugarSync and my VPN seem to have caused some problems in the past. One of the data center IPs that your VPN service is using is probably being blocked by Evernote. You might be able to connect when you connect to a different data center or when alternative IPs are utilized. This is not unique to Evernote. The practice of blacklisting data center IPs that work with VPN services seems to be rather widespread. Verify and, if necessary, adjust EverNote so that it doesn't use the VPN.

[dlouisa 0]

I just got the Private Internet Access VPN so I could feel safe using the internet on public Wi-Fi, but I can't access my Evernote now, which I use for work. I'd like to be able to take my laptop somewhere and work outside of my home if I feel like it. I'm wondering if NordVPN would be better since it's a company associated with people just using VPNs to protect themselves. On the PIA site, it advertises enabling users to stream movies in other countries and such. I gather from other people's notes, that Evernote might have blocked some of the IPs as malicious. 

[PinkElephant 8,829]

I have no problem at all using EN with my TunnelBear VPN active.

To switch IP nodes you can connect to a different server (maybe by choosing another exit node, or a different country. If some bad actors used the same VPN service for an attack, it may be some IPs got burned.

EN is not blocking the use of VPNs, I often use my VPN options while traveling.