# Web page timeout tries to connect via a VPN

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-page-timeout-tries-to-connect-via-a-vpn/446976>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 26, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-page-timeout-tries-to-connect-via-a-vpn/446976 "2008-04-26T17:27:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-page-timeout-tries-to-connect-via-a-vpn/446976/1 "2008-04-26T17:27:24Z")

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Windows XP  
Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14

My PC is connected to a router which is connected to my cable modem. I previously configured a VPN connection that I only use to connect to my place of work.

Occasionally, when a web page is taking a long time to load, it seems either my browser or Windows then decides to try the VPN, and the VPN dialog pops up.

I suppose there must be some place where something is configured to go down the list of connections on my PC when a connection attempt is taking to long. Anybody know where this is? I’ve failed to find it.

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**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-page-timeout-tries-to-connect-via-a-vpn/446976/2 "2008-04-26T17:38:57Z")

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Have you tried Control Panel \> Internet Options \> Connections

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-page-timeout-tries-to-connect-via-a-vpn/446976/3 "2008-04-26T19:26:25Z")

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[QUOTE=Szlater]  
Have you tried Control Panel \> Internet Options \> Connections  
[/QUOTE]  
Yeah, it’s there, but if I remove it, it’s completely removed from my system. I need the VPN connection for when I to connect to work, I just don’t want it popping up whenever a web page is slow to load.

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**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-page-timeout-tries-to-connect-via-a-vpn/446976/4 "2008-04-26T20:09:15Z")

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[QUOTE=Revtim]  
Yeah, it’s there, but if I remove it, it’s completely removed from my system. I need the VPN connection for when I to connect to work, I just don’t want it popping up whenever a web page is slow to load.  
[/QUOTE]

Does setting it to “never dial a connection” (in internet options \> connections) stop the problem? That way the VPN will still be there, but your computer won’t automagically attempt to connect to it when you don’t want it to.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-page-timeout-tries-to-connect-via-a-vpn/446976/5 "2008-04-26T21:16:31Z")

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That might be it, thanks!