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Why does Thunderbird refuse split tunnel ExpressVPN, to operate outside of VPN

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Matthew Kohm
Matthew Kohm
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I am trying to get Thunderbird to be excluded from expressVPN. I know how to set this up, but its not working. I have set up split tunnel under the general menu of the VPN. I designate excluded Apps (doing this on Desktop Windows), and I find the thunderbird.exe APP file and desginate it excluded. HOWEVER, it still comes up through the VPN. I know this because when spectrum (yes I know intrinsically evil) denies my sending an email, it tells me BECAUSE the outgoing IP address is blocked, and its the VPN address. ExpressVPN, when I asked how do I check/verify the excluded tunnel is working, they told me take a browser, exclude it in the split tunnel set up, and then do a "whats my IP" at ExpressVPN. Sure enough the VPN did exclude Chrome. But I can't get Thunderbird to work outside of VPN.

Any suggestions? Maybe I need to try and set up that VPN only works for designated APPS?

Thank you. msk

I am trying to get Thunderbird to be excluded from expressVPN. I know how to set this up, but its not working. I have set up split tunnel under the general menu of the VPN. I designate excluded Apps (doing this on Desktop Windows), and I find the thunderbird.exe APP file and desginate it excluded. HOWEVER, it still comes up through the VPN. I know this because when spectrum (yes I know intrinsically evil) denies my sending an email, it tells me BECAUSE the outgoing IP address is blocked, and its the VPN address. ExpressVPN, when I asked how do I check/verify the excluded tunnel is working, they told me take a browser, exclude it in the split tunnel set up, and then do a "whats my IP" at ExpressVPN. Sure enough the VPN did exclude Chrome. But I can't get Thunderbird to work outside of VPN. Any suggestions? Maybe I need to try and set up that VPN only works for designated APPS? Thank you. msk

All Replies (2)

Matthew Kohm
Matthew Kohm Nkolo motuna
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Didn't work.

Ok, I tried setting up VPN to only work with designated APPS and specifically picked just Chrome, Firefox, edge and Inet explorer. But STILL I can not send an email, and Spectrum SAYS the VPN address (which shouldn't be showing to Thunderbird) is blocked and it is the VPN IP address, not mine which is a much different part of world.

Thanks for any Info or work around, otherwise something is wiggy here.

Matt
Matt
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My experience on this forum with VPN's has not been good. Some have issues with not actually supporting the ports for mail, often only offering web page ports. completely useless for email.

Fundamentally you would need to connect to the relevant location using the same ports as your mail server to actually verify the stuff works. Unfortunately browser manufactures have designed away for letting the user designate ports because the ignorant found themseleves handing over their data

I have spent a little time looking at this product.

They say this tunnel only works with certain versions of software and operating system. All very confusing. They also claim all DNS is routed to their DNS servers. But I see no mention of DNS over HTTPS which is becoming the default in Firefox and Thunderbird and does not use the standard DNS port.

Basically I can not help you with your VPN. I do not use them as I see no real value in them at all other than to bypass geo locking of content. The issue is with your VPN software as Thunderbird does not do any more than use the existing network.