Connecting to a virtual private network (VPN) allows you to access private networks and browse the internet more securely. However, VPN connections can sometimes fail or get unexpectedly disconnected. Here are some tips for troubleshooting and fixing unexpected VPN connection problems.
Checking Your Network Connection
The first thing I check when my VPN disconnects or fails to connect is my regular internet connection. VPNs rely on your base network connection, so if that is down, the VPN won’t work either.
To check my network connection, I follow these steps:
- Ping popular websites like google.com to see if I have an internet connection at all. If the ping fails, there is a broader network issue I need to address first.
- Check if other devices on my network can connect to the internet properly. If it’s only my device that can’t connect, the problem may be device-specific.
- Restart my modem and router to refresh the connection. This often fixes temporary glitches.
- Disable any network extensions, VPNs, and proxies to test my raw internet speed. Slow speeds could prevent the VPN from connecting reliably.
If my network seems to be working normally, I can move on to troubleshooting the VPN service itself.
Verifying the VPN Service Status
The next step is to check whether the VPN service itself is up and running properly. Connection issues are sometimes caused by problems on the VPN provider’s end.
To verify the service status, I:
- Check the VPN provider’s status page for any known outages.
- Visit DownDetector to see if others are reporting problems with the VPN service.
- Try connecting with another device to see if it’s just my device that can’t connect.
- Contact the VPN provider’s customer support to ask if they are aware of any issues.
If the service seems up and working for others, the problem likely lies with my specific device or configuration.
Troubleshooting Your VPN Application
With the network and service functional, next I troubleshoot my VPN application and settings themselves:
- Restart the VPN app to clear out any glitches.
- Reinstall the VPN app to start fresh if needed.
- Update the app and check for new versions that could resolve bugs.
- Disable VPN extensions/add-ons that might conflict with the main app.
- Check account settings to confirm my username, password, and server selection are correct.
- Try switching protocols like from OpenVPN to IKEv2 if available.
- Clear app cache and data to reset VPN app settings.
Carefully going through the app and account settings often reveals any misconfigurations that could be breaking the connection.
Modifying Connection Settings
I also check my VPN connection settings and troubleshoot them:
- Try switching to different VPN servers in case some have problems.
- Change encryption standards like toggling between AES-128 and AES-256.
- Enable/disable settings like VPN kill switches, IPv6, and DNS manipulation.
- Modify protocol ports in case ISP blocking is occurring on standard ones.
- Check for firmware updates for VPN routers and other hardware.
- Adjust firewall and antivirus apps that could be blocking the VPN app.
Tweaking these configurations is an easy way to get around VPN connection issues.
Switching Network Environments
As a final step, I attempt connecting to the VPN from different network environments:
- From cellular data instead of WiFi.
- From a different WiFi network like work, a cafe, or friend’s home.
- Through a VPN server in a different country.
- Using a different device, like my mobile phone instead of laptop.
Changing the source internet connection and hardware can help determine if the VPN issue is isolated to one network or device.
Getting Help from Support Channels
If I still can’t get a stable VPN connection after all these steps, I reach out for assistance:
- Post on VPN forums and subreddits describing the issue for advice.
- Open a support ticket with the VPN provider’s helpdesk.
- Search Youtube tutorials for that specific VPN service.
- Ask friends who are knowledgeable about VPNs and network troubleshooting.
Getting personalized help from the VPN community and provider can often uncover less common solutions.
Troubleshooting VPN problems requires methodically checking different aspects of the connection. Following these steps helps narrow down where the issue lies, whether it’s on the network, service, application, settings, or a particular device or environment. With patience and care, most VPN issues can eventually be resolved.
