VPN Troubleshooting

Virtual private networks (VPNs) have a vast array of benefits, but they can also suffer from some very annoying problems. A non-functional VPN is infuriating, and a semi-functional one isn’t much better.

When your VPN is slow, won’t connect, keeps disconnecting, or crashes, there are some things you can do to fix the problem. Let’s take a look.

Jump links / Table of contents:

• fixes for a slow VPN connection
• fixes for a VPN that won’t connect
• fixes for a VPN that keeps disconnecting
• fixes for a VPN that keeps crashing

 

Fixing a VPN That Slows Your Internet Speed

VPNs will always introduce some overhead to your connection, but they shouldn’t cause a dramatic drop in speed. If your connection is so slow that it’s making it difficult to browse, stream, or work online, it’s time to take action.

1. Use a Fast, Premium VPN

If you’re on a free VPN, you’re almost certain to get pretty slow speeds on your connection. VPN providers prioritize their paying customers, and even if they claim their free VPN is as fast as their paid option, you might find significant performance differences in practice.

There are plenty of affordable VPNs with respectively high speeds, and if you haven’t upgraded to one, we highly recommend it. You may see your speeds increase immediately.

One of the most reliable VPN providers with consistently fast speeds is NordVPN. You can read our full review of them here.

2. Change Servers

The server you use for your VPN connection can make a big difference to the connection speeds you get. The closer you are to the server you’re connecting to, the better speeds you’ll get (in almost every case). You may also get improved speeds from servers that aren’t experiencing high user load.

Most VPN clients make it easy to change servers. Just open the client, select a new server, and confirm your selection. You can then run a speed test or continue browsing to see if the new server is running faster.

If you run a VPN through your router, the process may be more complicated, and it may differ depending on your specific VPN provider. If you remember the process you went through to set up your router VPN, you can likely access your router settings to change the server you access. If you don’t remember the process, or anything has changed, consult the user manuals for your router firmware and your VPN.

3. Change Ports

The connection between your computer and the VPN server uses a networking port on your computer. You can think of this port like you would a physical port; your computer routes traffic from the VPN server to a specific port, and traffic from other places to other ports. It helps keep traffic from various sources separated.

While you might think that every port is as fast as every other, you might be surprised to find out that occasionally changing the port your VPN is connected to will help. Some ISPs slow traffic on specific ports, and sometimes you’ll find that some ports are faster than others for no apparent reason. Try switching your VPN connection through different ports to see if any are faster. Common VPN ports include 443 (TCP) and 1194 (UDP), but check your VPN’s documentation for recommended ports.

4. Change IP Protocols

Most VPNs allow you to connect via Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP). TCP is more commonly used across the internet, as it includes error correction, so if there’s a connection problem or some of the data is corrupted, the transmission is still successful, and the sending computer knows to resend anything that didn’t arrive correctly.

UDP, while not as common, is notably faster than TCP. It doesn’t provide error correction, so if something is lost in transit, it won’t resend the information. This cuts down on the time it takes to transfer information, but may also create a less-reliable connection, particularly on unstable networks.

Changing between these two protocols might help you achieve higher speeds, especially if you’re going from TCP to UDP. Keep an eye out for poor connection quality, though, and be ready to switch back if you experience frequent disconnections.

5. Change VPN Tunneling Protocols

While OpenVPN has been traditionally considered the best protocol for VPN traffic, newer protocols like WireGuard have emerged as faster alternatives. WireGuard offers significantly improved speeds (often 50% faster than OpenVPN) while maintaining strong security thanks to its modern cryptography and streamlined codebase of only about 4,000 lines (compared to OpenVPN’s 600,000).

Many premium VPN providers now offer WireGuard or proprietary protocols based on WireGuard, such as NordVPN’s NordLynx. If your VPN offers WireGuard, it’s worth trying for better performance. However, if your primary concern is accessing services in restrictive regions, OpenVPN might still be preferable due to its better obfuscation capabilities.

IKEv2/IPsec is another protocol option that offers a good balance of speed and security if your VPN doesn’t support WireGuard yet.

6. Try Split Tunneling

Split tunneling is a feature available on most premium VPNs that allows you to route only specific apps or traffic through the VPN while letting other traffic access the internet directly. This can significantly improve your speeds for activities that don’t require privacy protection.

For example, you might route your browser through the VPN for private browsing while allowing your streaming apps to connect directly to the internet for better speeds. This also reduces the load on the VPN connection, potentially improving performance for the traffic that does go through the VPN.

To enable split tunneling, check your VPN client’s settings menu. Different VPNs have different implementations of this feature, but it’s typically found under “Settings,” “Preferences,” or “Connection Options.” You’ll be able to choose which apps use the VPN connection and which bypass it.

7. Disable Local Security Software

Again, this isn’t something we recommend lightly, and if you can avoid it, you should. But if your antivirus program is scanning all of the outbound packets you send, it could be slowing down your connection. Disable it temporarily to see if it speeds up your connection. Remember to re-enable your security software once you’ve finished troubleshooting.

 

Fixing a VPN That Won’t Connect

When all you want to do is get on the internet without being vulnerable to surveillance, censorship, or region blocking, a VPN that won’t connect is a big pain. Here’s what you can do to fix the problem.

1. Make Sure You (and the Server) Are Online

The simplest things are the easiest to overlook. If your VPN client isn’t connecting, try opening a website without connecting through a VPN to see if your internet connection is working. If it’s not, restart your router by unplugging it for 30 seconds and plugging it back in. If your internet is still down, it may be a problem at your ISP’s end.

Check your VPN provider’s website or status page, too, to make sure that the server you’re trying to connect to isn’t down for maintenance. Every once in a while a VPN server will go offline for maintenance—or just because servers aren’t 100% reliable—and you’ll need to connect to another one or wait a while.

2. Make Sure Your Username and Password Are Correct

In many cases, your inability to connect comes from a very simple problem: you typed your password wrong. Or you entered your email address instead of your username. If you’re getting an authentication error, it’s likely related to one of these two issues.

Retype your username and password, and if that doesn’t work, try resetting your password and attempting to connect again. Most VPN providers offer password reset options via email.

3. Check Required Ports and Protocols

VPNs require specific ports to be open for the connection to work properly. The most common ports VPNs use are port 1194 for UDP and port 443 for TCP. If these ports are blocked by your ISP, network administrator, or firewall, you may experience connectivity issues.

Check your VPN documentation to see which ports it requires, and ensure they aren’t being blocked by your firewall or router. Some networks, especially in corporate or academic settings, may restrict VPN usage by blocking these ports.

You can also try changing your VPN protocol. If OpenVPN isn’t working, try IKEv2/IPsec or WireGuard if available. Different protocols use different ports, which might help bypass restrictions.

4. Check GRE Protocol (For PPTP Connections)

If you’re using PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) and having connection issues, your ISP might be filtering GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation) packets. PPTP requires both TCP port 1723 and IP protocol 47 (GRE) to be open.

While we generally don’t recommend PPTP due to security concerns, if you must use it, ensure that your network and ISP allow GRE traffic.

5. Try Connecting on a Different Network

Sometimes the problem isn’t with you or the VPN, but with your network. One of the best ways to check this is to join a different network. You can try a nearby public wifi spot, like a coffee shop or a grocery store, a friend’s wireless network, or a mobile hotspot.

If you find that you can connect on the other network, you’ll know that it’s something about your own that’s causing the problem. Check your wifi and internet settings to see if you can find what’s keeping you from signing in.

 

Fixing a VPN That Keeps Disconnecting

Possibly even more irritating than not being able to connect to your VPN is successfully connecting and then dropping out. Especially if it happens over and over. Here’s what to do.

1. Temporarily Disable Your Firewall

While firewalls are important security measures, they can also cause some problem with VPNs. They’ll likely slow down your connection, and if it gets slow enough, the VPN connection may simply shut down.

Firewalls scan the data going in and out of your private network where it connects to the wider internet. And if it sees something that shouldn’t be there, it’ll prevent the transmission. Some firewalls have difficulty keeping up with VPN traffic.

To test if your firewall is causing problems, temporarily disable it and see if your VPN connection improves. Remember to turn it back on when you’re done testing.

2. Connect to a Nearby Server

Sometimes the problem that causes you to disconnect isn’t with you, but with your VPN provider. If a server isn’t behaving normally or is overloaded with users, you might be disconnected. Try connecting to another server, preferably one close by, to see if you get a better connection.

Premium VPNs typically offer a large server network, which means you have many options to choose from. Some VPNs even offer automatic server selection based on load and proximity to ensure optimal performance.

3. Change Protocols

Sometimes certain VPN protocols will have difficulty keeping a strong connection. If you’re using OpenVPN (which we generally recommend for security), try connecting over WireGuard or IKEv2/IPsec; if WireGuard isn’t available, try OpenVPN. You could also try PPTP, though we don’t recommend it due to security concerns.

The IKEv2 protocol is particularly good at maintaining connections during network changes, such as switching from WiFi to mobile data, which makes it useful for mobile users.

Changing from UDP to TCP (or vice versa), as discussed above, can also help maintain more stable connections, though generally at the cost of some speed.

4. Check for DNS Leaks

DNS (Domain Name System) leaks can sometimes cause connectivity issues with VPNs. A DNS leak occurs when your DNS requests are being processed by your ISP’s DNS servers rather than your VPN’s DNS servers, potentially exposing your browsing activity.

Most premium VPNs include DNS leak protection, but it’s worth checking if this feature is enabled in your VPN settings. You can also test for DNS leaks using online tools such as DNSLeakTest.com. If you detect a leak, enable DNS leak protection in your VPN settings or manually configure your system to use your VPN’s DNS servers.

5. Connect via Ethernet

While it’s not common, it’s possible that something at the router level of your network could be causing connection difficulties that will kick you off of the VPN. Plugging directly into the cable jack with an ethernet cable may solve the problem.

The issue often lies in a situation called “double NAT,” which can happen when you have one router behind another. This can happen if you have different routers for different devices or another router connected to your ISP-provided one.

In short, you’ll need to enable bridge mode to make two routers work together. How you make this happen will depend on your router, so you’ll need to dig into the documentation. For a quick explanation of wifi bridging, check out this introduction from Lifewire.

6. Change DNS Servers

Occasionally, using a DNS server other than the default supplied by your VPN can help you stay connected. Many VPNs provide their own DNS services for additional privacy, but that can sometimes mess with your connection.

Each VPN will have different steps required for changing DNS servers. Many of them include options that say something like “Only use VPN DNS servers while connected.” You’ll need to turn this option off.

Using other DNS servers might make you slightly more vulnerable to DNS leaks, but if you can’t stay connected long enough to get anything done, that’s probably a tradeoff you’re willing to make. Popular alternative DNS servers include Google DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) and Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1).

 

Fixing VPN Software Crashes

Like any other software, your VPN client might crash. If this happens every once in a great while, it’s probably nothing to worry about. But if you’re getting crashes often, and it’s disrupting your browsing experience, you’ll want to take action.

1. Make Sure You Have the Latest Software Version

VPN providers work with developers to make sure that their software is as stable and effective as possible. If you’re not running the most current version, you might have some stability issues.

If at all possible, allow automatic updates to your VPN software. Dig into your VPN client’s settings to see if this is possible. If it’s not, be sure to check for updates regularly. Many VPN providers release updates every few months to fix bugs, patch security vulnerabilities, and add new features.

2. Clear the VPN App Cache and Data

Sometimes, corrupted application data can cause VPN clients to crash. If you’re experiencing frequent crashes, try clearing the app’s cache and data.

On Windows, you can do this by uninstalling and reinstalling the application. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > [VPN App Name] > Storage > Clear Cache and Clear Data. On iOS, you’ll need to delete and reinstall the app.

This process will remove any saved settings, so make note of your preferred configurations before proceeding.

3. Close Other Apps

If you have a lot of other apps open, they can cause problems with your VPN client, especially if you’re using an older computer. Close anything that you don’t need.

Resource-intensive applications like games, video editors, or applications that use a lot of network bandwidth can particularly interfere with VPN stability. Try closing these first if you’re experiencing crashes.

4. Restart Your Computer

Sometimes turning it off and back on again actually does solve the problem. Restart your computer to make sure all updates have been applied and that erroneous processes have been killed off.

A restart clears your system’s RAM and terminates any background processes that might be interfering with your VPN. It’s a simple fix, but often an effective one.

5. Reinstall the VPN Client

If worse comes to worst, delete and reinstall your VPN client.

When you uninstall, make sure to use the proper uninstallation process for your operating system to completely remove all files associated with the VPN. On Windows, use the “Add or Remove Programs” tool; on Mac, use the application’s uninstaller or drag it to the trash; on mobile devices, delete the app as you would any other.

After uninstalling, download a fresh copy of the installer from your VPN provider’s official website to ensure you’re getting the most current version.

 

Solve Problems with Your VPN Fast

If your VPN isn’t working, it’s in your best interest to solve the problem fast. It’s easy to get out of the habit of starting up your VPN every time you want to get on the internet.

But that exposes you to more surveillance and security issues. If your VPN isn’t working, troubleshoot it immediately—you’ll be glad you did.

If you’re still unable to fix your VPN connection, don’t hesitate to contact your VPN provider’s customer support. Premium VPNs typically offer 24/7 support through live chat, email, or a support ticket system. They often have specialized technicians who can provide personalized solutions for your specific issue.