If none of the following methods work, it's time to contact your VPN provider. It may seem obvious, but make sure your network connection is working. If you can't connect to the Internet, check if your device is connected to the correct access point. VPNs generally offer a choice of servers that you can connect to. However, sometimes the server you're trying to connect to has problems and you'll receive one of several common VPN error codes.

Try another server and see if that resolves the problem. Restart the VPN software or browser add-on. If changing the VPN server doesn't work, restart the VPN software or browser add-ons. Don't just disconnect from the VPN server; close and restart the software. In the case of browser add-ons, close completely and then reopen the browser.

You may need to clear your browser's cache for the add-on to work again.

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You should also keep in mind that older or low-end proxy servers (or NAT firewalls) don't support the L2TP, IPSec, or PPTP protocols, which are often used for VPN connections. Windows 11 gets an annual update on September 20, plus additional monthly features. In companies, the IT department can choose when to implement them. This is a complete guide to Apple's iPadOS. Learn more about iPadOS 16, compatible devices, release dates and key features in our reference sheet.

Choose a Reliable Protocol

Your VPN protocol defines how you connect to servers, and some protocols are more reliable than others.

Open the application settings box and look for the settings related to the protocol. If your application has some (and not all of them), you might see options such as OpenVPN (perhaps with UDP or TCP versions), WireGuard, IKEv2, L2TP and more. The ideal would be to try to connect using at least OpenVPN, then IKEv2 or WireGuard, but if you don't have them, simply choose a couple of options from your application's list.

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A number of other security fundamentals must also be implemented to help prevent unauthorized access to the VPN.

Check Your Network Connection

If you can't connect from there either, that suggests that there's a network problem between you and the VPN, or maybe a VPN outage. Multifactor authentication must be mandatory for all VPN connections, and network firewalls and security services must continuously monitor unauthorized or suspicious connections to generate high-priority alerts whenever problems arise.

Try Troubleshooting

VPN connection problems are usually software- or browser-related, so resolving the problem of a misbehaving VPN is often a process of elimination.

Understand How a VPN Works

A VPN hides the details of your network and makes it appear online from another part of the world, depending on the location you choose.

Choose a High-Quality Service

Whatever the case, there are a lot of technical problems you might encounter when using a VPN, but there are also a lot of solutions.

Most of the high-end services on the market, such as CyberGhost, NordVPN and ExpressVPN, have thousands of servers on their networks.

Avoid Free Services

Choosing lower-quality VPNs could worsen any speed problems you have, especially when you're using a free VPN with low data limits or a limited number of servers.

Check Your Server Settings

For example, if the Windows server that hosts the VPN has not joined the Windows domain, the server will not be able to authenticate the logins. If this box is enabled, VPN users will be able to access the rest of the network, provided that the network's firewalls and security-as-a-service settings allow it.

Check Your IP Address Settings

In some cases, this interaction could prevent a tunnel from being established, especially if the VPN server expects the client to have a specific IP address.

Check Your Credentials

If you use a free VPN service, check the website to see if the credentials provided by the VPN service have changed or if you need to update your password. VPNSAs often do a poor job of reporting connection problems, and even if they seem to have given you a clear explanation of why you can't connect, there's no guarantee that this has anything to do with the facts. And trying to connect to the VPN and proxy server at the same time rarely yields a positive result.