Troubleshooting Intermittent Routing Issues with NordVPN on OPNsense

[TestUserPleaseIgnore]

I am currently implementing NordVPN on an OPNsense firewall, following Nord's official configuration guide for OPNsense 21 (available at: https://support.nordvpn.com/hc/en-us/articles/20397569418129-OPNsense-21-setup-with-NordVPN). While the guide is somewhat dated, I believe it remains applicable in principle.

The challenge I'm encountering is inconsistent routing behavior. The VPN connection to NordVPN establishes reliably, indicating that the OpenVPN client configuration is likely correct. However, traffic routing is erratic: at times, it adheres to the configured firewall rules and traverses the VPN as intended, while at other times, it bypasses these rules entirely, defaulting to the LAN interface. Intriguingly, I've observed that deleting and re-adding a firewall rule temporarily restores proper routing. Yet, this fix is fleeting—any subsequent configuration changes or a system reboot typically reverts the setup to its malfunctioning state.

I suspect the issue may stem from rule application, timing discrepancies, or an underlying configuration conflict. Could you recommend specific logs I might analyze to diagnose this behavior further? Are there particular settings I should scrutinize to ensure proper operation? Additionally, any insights into potential missteps in my configuration would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your expertise!