Sharing this because I am not sure it is a tech issue, rather a behavior/setting tweak I should go through.
I am using ExpressVPN as VPN client on my computer. I never had issue with MSFS2020 until recently when I switched to a split tunneling VPN before - only active on a few selected apps such as my web browser, to a full/normal VPN.
Since the switch to full/normal VPN and upon playing MSFS I do not have live traffic nor multiplayer players around me. Live weather seems to work well.
After some testing it seems I can get live traffic / MP players back to normal only if I disable completely the VPN. It does not work anymore even using split tunneling.
Anyone else ever encountered this behavior and/or has ideas of specific applications I should allow via split tunneling as obviously if I have to deactivate the VPN when playing MSFS it kinda defeat the purpose of the VPN?
If your VPN is capable of split tunnelling, then it should be relatively straight forward to have MSFS operate with outside of the VPN completely.
This SHOULD solve your problems - HOWEVER, I suspect you may still have issues because the core problem is likely to be your router. More precisely, the SYN and UDP flood defences on your router’s firewall. Using a VPN in certain ways often causes these defences to get erroneously tripped (they work by measuring/throttling the number of SYN or UDP packets per second, based on their source) and MSFS data traffic seems particularly prone to issues anyway.
I’ll try and replicate this later tonight. Are you connecting to a server in the same country? If you’re routing through another country have you tried changing the server within FS?
Thanks to the two of you. I am using a VPN in the same country, and the MSFS server is consistent.
Before: split tunneling to a few apps, not MSFS: live traffic + MP players
Then: normal VPN: no live traffic + MP players
Switching to split tunneling to exclude MSFS: live traffic + MP players; switching back to normal VPN: still live traffic + MP players
A few days later: normal VPN or split tunneling to exclude MSFS: NO live traffic + MP players. Pausing VPN services: live traffic + MP players.
Really weird
With the IPVanish VPN connected, I get around 40 Mbps.
I always expected some degrade from the VPN
On my end I have to rely on Wifi due to the physical setup here but I have 400 from ISP, 250-300 from Wifi, and 150 with the VPN - more than enough for MSFS it seems.
Why are you using a VPN anyway ??
Why would be probably off topic I guess.
Regardless I cannot find any other *.exe file I could allow in the split tunneling apart from FlightSimulator.exe so I suppose there are other executables called by the game to perform? Any idea of which ones I could then test in the split tunneling process? Thanks a lot.
I have 1 Gbit connection. When going “bareback”, I rarely ever see transfer speeds belore 750Mbits (except content download in MSFS). Typically it’s 850+.
I’ve used many VPNs over the years. TunnelBear, Nord, PIA, as well as others. Rarely have I ever seen speeds over 100 Mbits while using a VPN.
If you want privacy from your ISP and potential hackers, VPN is definitely the way to go. If you’re looking for speed, you’re not going to get it using a VPN.
