FortiClient VPN Console takes a very long time to open on Mac (macOS Ventura and Sonoma)

[XFox]

On my Mac it takes a very long time, about 2 minutes, for the FortiClient Console to open.

When I click on the FortiClient menu bar icon --> Open FortiClient Console, the FortiClient app starts bouncing in the Dock for about 1 minute, then an empty FortiClient window appears and after another minute the GUI elements appear and the Console becomes usable.

Is anyone experiencing the same issue?

System configuration:

• MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
• macOS Ventura 13.5 (22G5048d) Beta 3
• FortiClient VPN 7.2.1.0718

[Jean-Philippe_P]

Hello XFox, 

Thank you for using the Community Forum. I will seek to get you an answer or help. We will reply to this thread with an update as soon as possible. 

Thanks, 

[Jean-Philippe_P]

Hello,

We are still looking for an answer to your question.

We will come back to you ASAP.

Thanks,

[fatihseyligli]

Hello,

Could you please follow the steps below to disable IPv6 on MacOS?

- Click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen.

- Open System Preferences > Network.

- Select the network that you are already using.

Note: If you are connected to the internet wirelessly, the active adapter will be Wi-Fi. However, if you are connected via a LAN cable, the corresponding adapter will be Ethernet.

Click on the Advanced button.

- Next, click on the TCP/IP tab

- Select the Configure IPv6 drop-down menu and set it to Off.

- Click the OK button.

- Restart your Mac to make sure the IPv6 is disabled.

* You may not have the turn-off IPv6 option available. In this case, you need to run a command through the Terminal app:

Disable IPv6 from the command line:

- Open Launchpad.

- Search for Terminal.

- Click on the Terminal.app.

- If your active network is WiFi enter the following command:

networksetup -setv6off Wi-Fi

- If you are on Ethernet:

networksetup -setv6off Ethernet

- You may combine both commands to disable IPv6 on WiFi and Ethernet at the same time:

networksetup -setv6off Ethernet && networksetup -setv6off Wi-Fi

Please restart your Mac and recheck the console issue.

Regards.

[XFox]

Hello,

please note that in the latest days the Console behaviour has worsened, prior to the tests and restarts described below the Console window started remaining completely empty and unusable when I tried to open it, even after several minutes.

On macOS Ventura there isn't the option to turn off IPv6 using the GUI so I used the networksetup shell command to disable it for both my active network services, Wi-Fi and Belkin USB-C LAN:

• After turning IPv6 off and before restarting the Mac, I saw no difference in the FortiClient VPN Console behaviour (i.e. the Console window was always blank).
• After turning IPv6 off and after restarting the Mac, the FortiClient VPN Console started to work fine again (i.e. I was able to open the Console window without issues or delays).
• After turning IPv6 on again (-setv6automatic) and before restarting the Mac, I still could open the Console window without issues or delays.
• After turning IPv6 on (-setv6automatic) again and after restarting the Mac, I still could open the Console window without issues or delays.

Since I'm unable to trigger the issue by enabling IPv6 again, I'm not sure what actually fixed the Console window: turning off IPv6, restarting the Mac or both.

However, I will keep an eye on the Console and I'll update this thread if the issue returns.

[XFox]

Hi, I have an update about this issue.

The FortiClient Console on my Mac, now on macOS Ventura 13.5 (22G5059d) Beta 4, started taking a very long time (about 2 minutes) to open again.

This time I tried to restart the Mac without disabling IPv6 first and, after the reboot, the FortiClient Console started opening again quickly and without problems.

It seems to be a bug that only manifests itself after a few days of starting up the Mac.

Interestingly, I have a work colleague with the same software setup but on a Intel Mac (I have an Apple Silicon machine) and he is not experiencing the issue.

Do you have any suggestions?

I could try disabling IPv6 to see if the problem still occurs but that would just be a workaround.

Is there a way to report this issue directly to Fortinet even if we don't have access to technical support for the FortiClient VPN clients (we are using the "light" version without license)?

[TobiK]

Hi, any updates on that? Issue is still there with FC VPN 7.2.1 and macOS 14.

[TobiK]

Same with 7.2.2

[joepdl]

Came here for a solution, staying to upvote this issue. Exactly the same issue here and thus far disappointed by the lack of a response and no bugfix for months.

[fatihseyligli]

Hello,

Could you please enable Full Disk Access on your macOS?  

Please check:

https://docs2.fortinet.com/document/forticlient/7.2.2/macos-release-notes/223986/special-notices

Thanks & Regards