I don’t know if anyone else is having the same experience as me, but ProtonVPN on my iOS and Mac devices has become unusable. It’s been progressivly getting worse.
By that I mean:
- Constant problems connecting to a server: about 50% of the time when I try to connect, it will just loop on “loading connecting info for United Kingdom”.
- The internet connection dropping all the time, meaning my phone disconnects from the internet when I‘m not checking.
- BBC Sounds and some other apps (such as Pocket Casts) are unusable when connected to any ProtonVPN server. I have to disconnect in order to stream a podcast episode.
- Generally just a slow connection whenever I’m connected to UK servers.
- A lot of websites not loading, meaning throughout the day I will have to disconnect and then reconnect my VPN connection in order to get my internet connection working.
I’m just so fed up now. It’s got to the point where I’m considering subscribing to a different VPN provider. I love Proton and I got a good deal with my email subscription, but things are getting to the point where the VPN product is causing more problems than any benefit it might bring.
Strangely I seem to have less problems (but still some) when I connect to European servers such as Spain or Germany.
Anyone else encountering similar problems?
For reference, the devices I’m using are (all up-to date with latest software): iPhone 12 pro, iPad Pro M1, M2 MacBook Air. I’m based in the UK predominantly trying to connect to UK servers.
Hi u/SteamedHamms -- we appreciate your post and are looking into this. It would be most helpful if you could please open up a support ticket here so we can get more information about what’s going on. Thanks again for reporting this!
Some things don’t work well when I’m on VPN, for example loyalty apps like Costa or Nectar so I have to come off VPN to use those. Most of the time it works fine though. If I have trouble connecting I tend to use Ireland servers for lower latency
New proton user, I’m am constantly having issues with UK servers and DNS.
Using multiple machines, windows 11, iPhones, and different base network connections. All show similar results when connected to UK servers - dns failures. Thinking about pulling out.
The wire guard dns server at 10.2.0.1 is flakey. Raw speed is good, but with unreliable DNS the whole solution fails.
Split tunnel, or specifying DNS doesn’t seem to work either.
This is why you also need a proxy. There are lots of ways to detect VPN traffic and many sites are starting to do this. What you want to do is set up a proxy and configure your proxy security to only allow connections from your VPN.
I have a simple transparent squid proxy that I have set up to only allow the IPs from proton VPN servers to connect to it. The server also has username and password requirements. I have the benifit of the VPN protecting my traffic on untrusted networks and as far as the rest of the web is concerned I’m not using a VPN at all since the proxy server is browsing for me. It prevents you from being flagged becaue the IP alone. It also allows pesky constant prove you’re a human prompts to go away.
I switched because of this.
Agree here my proton in the uk connected to the uk server is so trash so slow 
My goodness literary came on this sub to find this post. It has been terrible in the last few weeks. Thought it was only my network.
Ever since they merged streaming versions of the severs with standard it went to shit. I find whatever European servers that are standard and use them.
Now proton are converting them all to streaming. Il may switch to mullvad once that’s not possible.
I have connected to the VPN via UK secure core and just straight UK server and have no problems with the BBC website, Iplayer or BBC sounds apps on Android. All connected fine and stream perfectly ok.
For reference via the secure core VPN connection and our crappy rural broadband i drop from 31 down and 11 up to 24 down and 10 up
Yeah I’m also having issues with uk servers 
I’m having similar problems from Southern California so I have entered a support ticket.
yes, same problem and i just purchased a one year plan.
Streaming or downloading over bbc is almost impossible, as are other sites and services.
Same here.
Will try 1.1.1.1 as my DNS and report back
I’ve had the most ridiculous back and forth with support about USA servers. I think it was like 40 emails and still they kept asking me about things like antivirus…even though it’s an issue with specific servers being slow / not loading anything / not connecting, on multiple devices with different operating systems, and multiple internet connections…
The support rep wouldn’t even let me talk to a supervisor to try and clear things up.
I don’t want to have to cancel, but…
I’m a recent user in the UK trying ProtonVPN from Mullvad.
I noticed the past two days I’ve been dropping connection several times while on my desktop.
Same here ProtonVPN to UK sucks and no I don’t fuck around with tickets. Canceled my ProtonVPN and ProtonEmail not worth the money all this issues.
I have difficulty connecting to many sites in the US, too. However, it has also happened with other VPNs. “They” don’t like privacy.
Where have all the UK servers gone? Nothing is working
