VPN and Gmail Problems
Running Windows 11, Thunderbird version 91.6.2(64 bit), NordVPN Prior to installing NordVPN all the gmail accounts worked fine. Since installing the vpn I get an email message from Google, for each of my gmail accounts, saying my account has been locked or blocked due to suspicious activity. The messages goes on to say someone tried to sign into my email account, using my password, from Phoenix, AZ (I live in Texas) with the date, time, etc. Since I won't give Google my cell phone number, I had to set up something like a recovery email address, other than gmail, for each gmail accounts. Every time I open the vpn I get these messages in 6 different email accounts and I have to disconnect the vpn and then open the messages in each account and click on "Yes it was me". I'm not sure what the time frame is but if I don't respond "Yes it was me" within the time frame I have to change the passwords on all my Gmail accounts. As a side note I have other mail accounts with @verizon.net and I never have this problem with the @verizon.net accounts. What I have been doing is closing Thunderbird before I open the vpn, but it's a pain, and I'm hoping there is a better solution. I'm attaching a screen shot of my Gmail account setting in hopes it's just a setting that needs to be tweaked.
Ausgewählte Lösung
Thank you for your help sfhowes. I think you have pointed me in the right direction with the split tunneling and I'm going to contact Nord to look into that further.
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Gmail accounts normally use OAuth2 authentication for the incoming and outgoing, but even so, it's not going to work with a VPN unless the VPN has 'split tunneling' options. Also, you appear to be using a protonmail smtp instead of the one from gmail, which adds a further layer of complication, unless you have the ProtonBridge component. You can't be surprised that gmail blocks connections from sources that mask their location.
I very recently switched to Protonmail as my provider and yes I have the ProtonBridge. >>When the problem 1st started, probably a year ago, I was using AOL as my service provider and had the same problem. >>I don't send any emails with the gmail accounts. My wife and I use them primarily for incoming mail like news letters, notification, weekly sales, junk mail, etc. Things that we are interested in but don't want cluttering up the primary email address. >>I just switch the gmail account authentication to OAuth2 and now it is telling me the authentication failed to connect to gmail and a pop up opens asking me create one account for all of Google. >> I checked and split tunneling is available with NordVPN but I'm not familiar with it so I will have to do some reading on that. >>As far as the setting go I don't think I have ever changed any of the setting for the gmail accounts since I got gmail up until today. As I recall it was pretty much an automated setup. All I had to do was provide some personal information and a login and password. I did notice Protonmail made some changes to the outgoing mail settings so it could have made changes to some other settings that I didn't recognize. >>What I don't understand it why it works flawlessly with @verizon.net but won't work with gmail.com. I guess verizon.net (AOL) is not as picky about where you sign in from as long and you have the correct login and password. Thanks for responding so quickly and let me know if you don't think it's fixable and I will just keep doing as I have done for the past year.
I think you'll get better advice from Nord and Proton on how to use their products with TB and gmail, as gmail accounts work properly in TB without VPNs and 3rd-party encryption. To me, it sounds like what you're doing is like performing a juggling act on a high wire.
Ausgewählte Lösung
Thank you for your help sfhowes. I think you have pointed me in the right direction with the split tunneling and I'm going to contact Nord to look into that further.