Q4OS Forum

dano

Member

Registered: 2025-12-22

Posts: 8

WIFI disabled after installing ProtonVPN

I am also new to Q4OS.
The system was running great until I installed Proton VPN.
The WIFI is now disabled, but the wired connection (enp0s25) is okay.
I tried the Edit connections, but no change.
I tried nmtui, but no change.

I also lost the setups for firefox and thunderbird, but I have reloaded them okay.
I tried to find the ProtonVPN package with Synaptic to remove it, but ProtonVPN  was not found.
The WIFI New connection menu shows 2 Unknown connections (wlp3s0) (enp0s25) and a VPN connection.
The WIFI deactivate menu shows a connection called lo and the system won't respond to enable WIFI.
The notification settings shown a VPN banner notification, a VPN connection attempt failed
and a wireless network disappeared.
The wireless connection (wlp3s0) is disabled.

Thx

inxi -SMCGxn

  Host: q4os-hpelitebook8530p Kernel: 6.1.0-34-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64
    compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0 Desktop: Trinity v: R14.1.1 Distro: Q4OS 5.8.1-n1
    base: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Hewlett-Packard product: HP EliteBook 8530p v: F.12
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Hewlett-Packard model: 30E7 v: KBC Version 90.27
    serial: <superuser required> BIOS: Hewlett-Packard v: 68PDV Ver. F.12
    date: 06/08/2010
CPU:
  Info: dual core model: Intel Core2 Duo P8700 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Penryn
    rev: A cache: L1: 128 KiB L2: 3 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 800 min/max: 800/2534 boost: enabled cores: 1: 800
    2: 800 bogomips: 10108
  Flags: ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 ssse3
Graphics:
  Device-1: AMD RV635/M86 [Mobility Radeon HD 3650] vendor: Hewlett-Packard
    driver: radeon v: kernel arch: TeraScale bus-ID: 01:00.0 temp: 64.0 C
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 driver: X: loaded: radeon
    unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa dri: r600 gpu: radeon
    resolution: 1280x800~60Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 3.3 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: AMD RV635 (DRM 2.50.0 /
    6.1.0-34-amd64 LLVM 15.0.6) direct-render: Yes
Network:
  Device-1: Intel 82567LM Gigabit Network vendor: Hewlett-Packard
    driver: e1000e v: kernel port: 80e0 bus-ID: 00:19.0
  IF: enp0s25 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: 78:e7:d1:af:6b:3b
  Device-2: Intel Ultimate N WiFi Link 5300 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel
    bus-ID: 03:00.0
  IF: wlp3s0 state: down mac: 00:21:6a:be:07:68

dano

Member

Registered: 2025-12-22

Posts: 8

Re: WIFI disabled after installing ProtonVPN

Tip 1 and 2 didn't didn't change anything.

Tip #3 sudo apt install network-manager-applet
get unable to locate package network-manger-applet

I was able to delete Proton VPN through synaptic, but that didn't change anything

Is there another method or location for tip#3 ? I think this is what needs to happen?
thx

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,109

Website

Re: WIFI disabled after installing ProtonVPN

The system was running great until I installed Proton VPN.

How did you install Proton VPN ?

dano

Member

Registered: 2025-12-22

Posts: 8

Re: WIFI disabled after installing ProtonVPN

Through the Install applications menu..

dano

Member

Registered: 2025-12-22

Posts: 8

Re: WIFI disabled after installing ProtonVPN

just thought of another thing that i noticed. After I installed Proton VPN, the sound  stopped working with an error
message on subsequent reboots, but when I uninstalled  Proton VPN, the sound came back.

Last edited by dano (2025-12-23 04:36)

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,109

Website

Re: WIFI disabled after installing ProtonVPN

Through the Install applications menu..

We don't understand where is the "Install applications menu". Please provide step by step instructions.

Rademes

Member

From: Latvia

Registered: 2015-12-13

Posts: 678

Re: WIFI disabled after installing ProtonVPN

Maybe it will be offtop, but I would not suggest to use Proton VPN, because it is slow and expensive. Oh, and Proton support is awful! I had to wait 24 hours three times to receive an answer. Always "We are sorry for the delay, we have too many support requests, blah, blah, blah...".
I have tried many VPN services, and the best of them was Mullvad VPN. It is fast and very secure. https://mullvad.net

Last edited by Rademes (2025-12-23 15:25)

---

Before asking for help please read this topic: https://www.q4os.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3502

dano

Member

Registered: 2025-12-22

Posts: 8

Re: WIFI disabled after installing ProtonVPN

I clicked on Start (bottom left)
then I clicked Install Applications (mid right side)
I then selected Proton VPN
and I clicked on Install application

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,109

Website

Re: WIFI disabled after installing ProtonVPN

Well, first try to uninstall Proton VPN. Run Q4OS software center > double click on Proton VPN app > confirm ok > process the uninstallation > reboot. Now check wifi and sound and post back the result.

dano

Member

Registered: 2025-12-22

Posts: 8

Re: WIFI disabled after installing ProtonVPN

I posted earlier that I was able to uninstall ProtonVPN and the sound came back on but the WIFI is still disabled.

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,109

Website

Re: WIFI disabled after installing ProtonVPN

What is the output of the command:
$ flatpak list --app

dano

Member

Registered: 2025-12-22

Posts: 8

Re: WIFI disabled after installing ProtonVPN

okay,  WIFI is back working again...
I went back over Tip 1 again.
I tried it a few times after uninstalling Proton VPN earlier, but this time it worked..
thx

Last edited by dano (2025-12-24 21:19)