Nighthawk RAX45 (Costco) only sees internet when NordVPN is running (Spectrum ISP)

My situation seems odd... 

I use Spectrum and a Motorola modem (not a Spectrum router, just the modem).  I have been running

my network using Google Wifi and I wanted to connect something which used Wifi 6 for some of my

newer devices, so I got the Nighthawk RAX45 (Costco)...

At first I just tried connecting the RAX45 off the ethernet port on the Google Wifi.  And all seemed fine.

I can connect to the Internet and do whatever I need to do.  I can turn my VPN on and off and have no

issues with my internet connection.  

But I wanted to have my Nighthawk as the FIRST router in this chain and piggyback the Google Wifi

off one of its ethernet ports.   I was thinking this might give my WIFI 6 devices the best connection and

overall performance (since that's my goal)

That's when I ran into problems. 

The Google Wifi router STILL WORKS FINE connected off the RAX45 ethernet port.

But the RAX45 connected directly to my modem (Spectrum), won't work.  At least my PC doesn't see

the internet.  

BUT (and this is what seems strange to me...)

I found that if I started NordVPN on my PC I could connect to the internet.  I don't have to do this to

connect through the Google Wifi, so it doesn't seem to be a NordVPN problem (since that SHOULD

be the same since I am using the same PC and the same software)

I also found the same to be true on a Samsung S9+ android phone.  No internet until I started NordVPN.  

I asked my son who has NEVER installed NordVPN on his phone to try to access the internet

by connecting to the Wifi and it DOES NOT WORK EITHER.  

So, I think I've eliminated any problems with the NordVPN software setting up a kill switch or anything

that I cannot turn off from earlier installations.

It's just odd to me that I cannot access the internet while connected to my RAX45 unless I turn on NordVPN.

And this problem only occurs if the RAX45 is the FIRST router directly connected to the Spectrum modem.  If

I switch order and put the Google Wifi router first, I can connect to the Internet WITHOUT running NordVPN on

my PC.

Just downright odd.

Anyone else seen this or have any ideas?