Lvcha VPN autostart with no internet is usually a race: Kill Switch decides the tunnel is down and cuts every packet; 20–90 seconds later the NIC and client catch up and the web “magically” returns. Disable Kill Switch for one cold boot. Then turn off Windows Fast Startup or delay connect until the physical NIC has a lease. A faster pop will not fix the first minute of a boot.
Day-to-day Kill Switch behaviour: the KS article. Android killing the process after lock is a battery story, not this boot timeline—see the install permissions. Overlay builds from the download page, not “startup optimizer” junk.
Write a 90-second timeline before you touch settings
Cold start. On Windows, Shut down then power on—Restart is a different Fast Startup path. Clock from the desktop: tray icon, Connecting, browser, stable shield. A bad line: desktop at 0 s, browser dead at 3 s, Lvcha icon at 8 s, Connected at 40 s, web returns. That is the switch winning the race.
A good line: limited connectivity, DHCP or 802.1X finishes, Lvcha connects, Kill Switch arms after Connected. Office boots add 802.1X seconds—office LAN. A timeline is something another human can debug.
| Timeline | Read as | Change |
|---|---|---|
| No internet before the icon exists | KS or a leftover adapter | Kill Switch off |
| Connected, web still dead for minutes | DNS / split | No-traffic article |
| Only hybrid shutdown fails | Fast Startup | Turn it off |
| WLAN bad, Ethernet fine | Wireless service late | Delay connect |
Fast Startup, service order, zombie TAP
Fast Startup hibernates the kernel. Lvcha’s virtual NIC wakes half-dead; the client thinks it is still connected; Kill Switch cuts the real NIC. Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do → uncheck Turn on fast startup. You must Shut down to test. Microsoft’s user-facing VPN note: Connect to a VPN in Windows.
Startup Apps should not list Lvcha plus another accelerator plus a “NIC manager.” Device Manager full of disabled TAP/Wintun leftover names will bind DNS to the wrong interface at boot—DNS. Uninstall the old booster, reboot, then install Lvcha.
If the client offers “wait for network” or a 15/30 s delay, use it. If not, disable autostart and connect when the network icon stops spinning. Stability beats one saved click.
Android autostart lists, macOS Login Items versus the extension
OEM “autostart / associated start / background” defaults to off. Always-on VPN plus Kill Switch then drops every packet until you foreground the app. Allow autostart, unrestricted battery, and arm Kill Switch only after Connected. The work-profile copy does not inherit the personal profile’s autostart tick.
macOS Login Items start a process, not a blessed Network Extension. After a system update, re-approve under Privacy & Security—the macOS news note is about that bit. Duplicate Login Item rows: delete one so they do not fight the lock.
Three cold boots, then you stop
Retest on power adapter, on battery, office SSID, home SSID. One lucky boot is DHCP luck. Still racing: disable autostart, connect by hand, stop. Do not add a “boot accelerator” on top.
Two machines autostarting into the same quota will kick each other at boot—device cap. Indexes: guides, FAQ. No forum “slim startup” builds of Lvcha VPN.