Compare offers and check the full cost before you choose.
If your printer or NAS works before a NordVPN connection but disappears afterward, check local network access before reinstalling either device. NordVPN's Linux documentation offers LAN discovery and network exceptions for this situation.
This walkthrough is for the native Linux app on a trusted local network. It is not a recipe for exposing a NAS to the internet or keeping SSH access to a remote server. For that setup, start with our headless Ubuntu guide.
Check printer or NAS access before changing LAN settings
Record what fails: finding the printer, opening the NAS by hostname, or reaching its known IP address. Get the device's address from its settings or your router, rather than guessing a common address.
If you choose to disconnect the VPN for comparison, pause sensitive activity first. A kill switch may still restrict connectivity after disconnection, so an unsuccessful comparison does not by itself prove the device is broken. Note your settings and avoid turning off protections just to produce a result.
Check the current app state:
nordvpn status
nordvpn settings
nordvpn set lan-discovery --help
Keep a record of the original LAN discovery setting and any existing exceptions. You will need those details to undo a change accurately.
Option A: LAN discovery on your trusted network
The documented CLI setting is:
nordvpn set lan-discovery enable
Try the actual task while NordVPN remains connected: print a test page, open the NAS interface, or access your file share. A successful web page request to the NAS does not establish that its file-sharing service works too.
If you enabled discovery for this test and it was previously disabled, you can restore it with:
nordvpn set lan-discovery disable
Avoid carrying a local-access setting from your home network to an unfamiliar shared network without reviewing it. The relevant question is which nearby devices you intend to communicate with.
Option B: an exception for a specific device
If you only need one known address, consider an allowlist entry instead of assuming every local device needs access. NordVPN's Linux allowlist documentation explains that matching traffic bypasses the VPN and its kill switch in both directions.
The following address is an example only. Replace it with your device's actual IPv4 address; /32 selects that single address:
nordvpn allowlist add subnet 192.168.1.50/32
Before using it, check nordvpn allowlist --help for your installed version. The general installation page still shows older whitelist examples, while the dedicated allowlist guide uses allowlist. Follow the syntax your client supports.
A single-address exception may help direct access, but it may not restore automatic discovery. If you need discovery as well, test that separately rather than widening the exception until something happens to work.
Remove only the example entry you added when you no longer need it:
nordvpn allowlist remove subnet 192.168.1.50/32
Use the same real address for removal. Avoid broad port or whole-network exceptions when the goal is access to one device. An address change from your router can also make a previously correct exception stop matching.
Interpret the result before making another change
- Known IP works; hostname does not: investigate name resolution or discovery next.
- NAS web interface works; file share does not: check the sharing service, credentials, and its own firewall rules.
- Neither address nor name works: verify the device is online and that guest Wi-Fi or network segmentation is not isolating it.
- Local devices work; public websites fail: treat that as a separate internet or VPN connection problem.
Keep the VPN connected for the final test and retry both your local task and ordinary browsing. Do not disable your Linux firewall or kill switch globally as a printer workaround. If the result is unclear, restore the settings you changed and give support the smallest reproducible example.
For a new desktop installation, see our NordVPN Ubuntu guide. If the app reports a socket access error, use the permission-denied guide before changing network settings.
Keep a record of each local-access change
For each test, write down the device address, original NordVPN setting, one change and the task you repeated. This distinguishes a printer-discovery fix from a file-sharing fix and makes rollback easier. A successful ping or web interface does not establish that printing or authenticated file access works.
If the device's address later changes, inspect the router's device list before widening an exception. An old single-address rule may simply stop matching. Keep the exception scoped to the device you intended to reach, and recheck it when changing networks.
Can a browser extension fix my desktop printer connection?
A browser extension addresses browser traffic; it does not establish the route used by a desktop print service. Our NordVPN extension versus app guide explains the scope difference. Diagnose the connection method already in use rather than adding a second VPN product during the test.