Many people use VPNs for a variety of reasons, including to ensure that they are not traceable online or even as a precautionary measure to connect to a secure network when their work requires it. Occasionally, faulty network conditions cause you to be unable to connect. If the website doesn’t load, or if you can’t log in to a network using a VPN, there may be an error. You can often fix VPN errors in Windows by following a few simple steps.
First, check your network conditions and make sure that you’re able to connect to the internet without a VPN.
If you’re using a public Wi-Fi connection, try connecting to a different network or move to a location with a stronger signal.
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If you are able to connect without a VPN and still have errors, try the following:
Table of Contents
Use a Reliable VPN Provider.
Make sure your VPN provider is the industry’s best! If you are trying to connect to a VPN and keep getting an error, it may be because your provider is not reliable.
In this case, it might be best to switch providers in order to avoid the inconvenience of these errors.
Set Up a VPN Manually.
Setting up a VPN manually can be a little more work than using a third-party app, but you can install a customized VPN profile with your preferred settings.
If you are confident in your ability to set up a VPN connection manually, you can try this as a workaround for errors.
To do this, you’ll need the IP address of the server that you’re trying to connect to, and the username and password provided by your VPN provider.
You can follow these steps to manually install a VPN connection on Windows 10:
- Go to the Settings and head to Network & Internet.
- Click on the VPN section and add a new VPN connection.
- Select VPN provider as Windows (built-in).
- Give your connection a name.
- Enter the Server Address of the location you’re trying to connect to.
- Choose a protocol in VPN type.
- Choose any one type of sign-in (username or password, smart card, certificate, one-time password).
- Enter the username and password.
- Click on Save.
- Now find your newly created VPN connection in Networks and connect to it.
Change VPN Server.
If you have a preferred VPN server that is usually reliable, you can try switching to it to avoid these errors.
This is a good option if you’re getting errors with only one server but can connect to others without any problem.
Check Your Firewall Settings.
VPN errors can also sometimes occur when your firewall is blocking traffic.
To fix this, you will need to add an exception for the VPN in your firewall settings.
If you’re facing the famous “Error 721“, configure the network firewall to permit the GRE protocol 47.
Reinstall WAN Miniports.
You can try reinstalling WAN Miniports if you’re still having trouble after trying everything. This will reset your networking components and may fix the problem.
You can follow these steps to reinstall WAN Miniports:
- Go to Device Manager and expand Network Adapters.
- Right-click on each of the WAN Miniport adapters and select “Uninstall.”
- Reboot your computer.
- After your computer has restarted, open Device Manager again.
- Click on the Action menu and select “Scan for hardware changes.”
This should reinstall all of the WAN Miniports that were uninstalled earlier.
Update Your VPN Client.- Fix VPN Errors
If you are still receiving errors, it may be because you are using an outdated version of your VPN client.
In this case, you will need to update your software to continue using the VPN.
Exclude VPN In Your Antivirus Settings.
An antivirus program installed on your computer may be the cause of your VPN errors. In this case, you will need to exclude the VPN from your antivirus settings to fix the issue.
Change Date & Time.
If you have changed your computer’s date and time settings, this can also lead to VPN errors. In order to fix this, simply change the date and time back to the correct settings.
Clear Cache.
If you are still having issues connecting to a VPN, try clearing your browser’s cache. This will erase any stored information that may be causing the connection error. To do this, follow these steps:
- Open Settings and head to System.
- Click on Storage and then Manage Storage.
- Underneath Clear cached data, click on the Show more button.
- Select everything under Cached data and files.
- Click on Clear.
Reinstall VPN Client.
An incomplete or buggy installation can too lead to problems. If nothing from above is working, try reinstalling the VPN client.
This will completely remove any existing software and install a fresh copy, which may fix the problem.
Restart Your Computer.
If you have tried all of the above and are still experiencing problems, restarting your computer may be the best course of action. After restarting, try connecting to the VPN again and see if the errors persist.
Conclusion.
These are a few simple steps that you can take to try and fix VPN errors in Windows. If you are still having problems, or if these solutions do not work for you, please contact your VPN provider for assistance.
