If you mean my E2 machine, that does not live on my main network it lives on a VLAN where all the hosts on that particular network route out via a VPN (in my case Nord). The E2 machine needs to use Nords DNS servers, pointing it at my own defeats the purpose as that DNS config will leak. So that will never fly I'm afraid, what with the whole point of setting it up like this being anonymity.
Yes, on my main LAN I do redirect any queries to google public DNS to my own servers, but that isn't influencing what is going on here in any way. It may seem perverse to you, but as I said in my original post I do this for a valid reason. There is no control of DNS settings on google devices (they ignore what is given to them via DHCP/SLAAC and always use google public DNS), I have a requirement for them to use my DNS servers first.
Besides, from looking at the openvix code this isn't really a "DNS" issue as such. There are no lookups involved, it is just the internet connectivity check connects to 8.8.8.8 on port 53. I'm just pointing out that there are possible scenarios where this won't work.
I will leave it at that as in my case I can (and have) fix it on my router.