(how I solved my) DNAS Error -611

[yep]

So while I was writing this I managed to get it to work. I figured I should still post it for anyone in the same position looking to fix it.


Original post:
I'm trying to play online but I keep getting DNAS error -611 (Response error from DNS server. Please check your network configuration.)

I don't know much about IT stuff, but I've spent the last two days trying everything I can think of. Changing network settings, disabling firewalls, following every guide I can find. Connection tests are successful, but when I go to connect in-game it gets stuck at 40% while Certifying DNAS, until it backs out to "DNAS" Error: -611.

I'm trying to connect to the Monster Hunter 2 private server (mholdschool.com) but I also tried Monster Hunter 1 (also mholdschool) and SW Battlefront 2 (ps2online.com). They all give 611. I'm using the latest nightly windows qt builds, and I also tried a build from a couple months ago. I didn't try 1.6.0. I don't know if it matters in modern versions, but npcap is installed.

The one thing I can think of that might have something to do with this is the fact that I'm always using a VPN (using OpenVPN protocol). Here is where I went to try something that fixed it.


My "solution":
So whenever I tried to disable my VPN, the PS2 network settings would say I had no adapter installed. While writing the above section I randomly decided to try playing around with split tunneling. I had already tried split tunneling stuff but hey maybe this time it works. This time, it works?? It doesn't see an adapter when I turn off my VPN, but it does see one when I split tunnel the app??? Ethernet type is set to Sockets, and ethernet device works with anything. How odd. Anyways, I think I'll go ask mholdschool if they block VPNs. If I had to guess, I'd say error 611 is probably some kind of connection block. I'm assuming they'll say it is, so I guess I'll have to keep PCSX2 split tunneled. But if they say no? I'll be back...

My final message to anyone desperately searching the internet for a solution, make sure you take breaks often and have plenty of sleep. Good luck, troubled troubleshooters.

[yep]

I hate when posters like this (me) don't follow through, so here's the late update

"-611 is an error you get when the DNS server can't be found. It's usually either the router or ISP that's blocking DNS redirects, which makes me wonder why you're getting this error, when you're using a VPN, since that's usually used to hide the DNS redirect form either the router, ISP or both." -mholdschool

So I think "VPNs being used to hide the DNS redirect" is exactly what's going on here. I was trying to see if there was a way to disable any kind of DNS tomfoolery in the VPN (Mullvad) app and I see this help post from their website: "DNS leak protection is always on. There is no option to disable it."

If that means what I think it does, it means that Mullvad is forcing the DNS to their own servers, so the PS2 DNS setting completely doesn't matter. I could probably prove this with Wireshark, or maybe I should test more servers in other apps. Like I don't know if melonDS works online but I could try something like pkmnclassic.net to see if other emulators also fail at DNS shenanigans.

Perhaps I could fix this not by using the Mullvad app, but instead using the OpenVPN app through Mullvad, but setting all that up would be way too not simple for just a private PS2 server. Maybe the PCSX2 devs could in some way encrypt the network data so it doesn't get hijacked, or is DNS part of the metadata that can't be encrypted? dont know dont caare

it doesnt matter if my ip is exposed to a random server, split tunneling works and that's good enough for me.