Solved: How do I fix extra route connection issue in Windows routing table when connecting to SSLVPN

This article describes how to fix the issue where after connecting to SSLVPN via FortiClient, users may experience connection issues for up to 10 minutes on Dell laptops with Windows 10/11.

This affects both setups with split-tunneling enabled, where FortiClient pushes the split subnets to the Windows routing table and setup where all user traffic is sent to the tunnel.

Scope

• FortiClient 6.4, 7.0, FortiGate 6.4, 7.0
• Windows 10, Windows 11
• Dell laptops with Dell Optimizer software

Problem Symptom

When checking the routing table with route print in cmd, an extra route can be seen that points to the local gateway.

This can disrupt the connection to the internal DNS server and/or domain controller.

Example routing table right after connecting

Network Destination | Netmask | Gateway | Interface | Metric
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 192.168.1.1 192.168.1.145 45
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 172.16.1.2 172.16.1.1 1
10.10.0.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.1 192.168.1.145 46 <--- Route injected via VPN but pointing to 192.168.1.145 which is user local gateway

After routing update

Network Destination | Netmask | Gateway | Interface Metric
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 192.168.1.1 192.168.1.145 50
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 172.16.1.2 172.16.1.1 1
10.10.0.0 255.255.255.0 172.16.1.2 172.16.1.1 2 <--- Route updated to SSLVPN gateway

Solution 1: Uninstall Dell Optimizer

Step 1: Click the Start menu.

Step 2: Search for the Apps & Features.

Step 3: The list of applications and features available on the system appears.

Step 4: Search for Dell Optimizer Service.

Step 5: Select the Uninstall option to uninstall Dell Optimizer from Windows.

Note: Uninstalling the service also uninstalls the application from your system.

Solution 2: Disable ExpressConnect

Step 1: Open the Dell Optimizer.

Step 2: Go to the home screen and click Network.

Step 3: The Network section is displayed. Toggle off to disable the Network feature by using the toggle switch.

Reference

• Dell Optimizer Version 2.0 User’s Guide