VPN on Personal Computer impacting remote access on PMS?

Hi all, I have had Plex Media Server up and running without issues for the past few days.
I have the server hosted on a custom built computer running Windows 10, which is plugged directly into the back of the router.

The server is set up with a static ip, and port forwarding is functioning with no problems. I can remote access with no problems.

I have a 2nd computer, which is a computer for personal use, also running Windows 10, and also using a static IP, as I sometimes host game servers/webpages just for fun. In case it is relevant, this computer is connected via Wi-Fi, to a wireless access point / router that is backhauled by a CAT5e cable to a network switch, and then into the router. The wireless access point has bridged mode enabled. I have Surfshark VPN installed on this computer to circumvent ISP blocks, however, every time I enable this VPN, it causes remote access to drop out on the PMS.

Am I fundamentally misunderstanding how a VPN works? I thought that only the device on which the VPN is installed would have traffic redirected. I don’t understand why I am losing my remote access, and I can’t figure out a solution for it. If anyone can give any assistance or point me in the right direction, that would be amazing!

Plex and VPN do not work well together. You need to talk to your VPM provider and get a static IP address from them and setup split tunneling.