Virtual Private Network, or commonly referred to as VPN, is a network technology used by millions of internet users to create a secure and encrypted connection over the internet. Moreover, VPNs are used to bypass geo-restrictions to get access to any blocked web content over the web, such as media streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Sling TV, Spotify, Sky Sports, etc.). Sometimes it is difficult to setup a VPN client or avoid connection errors due to the kind of technology involved. In this guide, we will shed some light on the most reported VPN errors by users and how to solve them. Scroll down for more details.
5 Common VPN Error Codes & How to Resolve Them
In this section, we will discuss the 5 most commonly encountered VPN error and how to fix them.
1- VPN Error Code 800
*Error message: Unable to establish the VPN connection.
This is one of the most commonly encountered errors by users when trying to create a new connection with the VPN server. This happens when messages sent by VPN client are unable to reach the server. There are several reasons behind this connection failure error:
1- VPN server name or address is invalid.
2- Network firewall or anti-virus program could be blocking the traffic.
3- Connection is lost between the client device and the local network.
4- Network congestion or server traffic overload.
*Solutions:
1- Make sure to type in your VPN server name or address correctly. Noting that the server name entered by the user must match that set up by the VPN administrator. Sometimes VPN servers change their IP addresses, therefore, you need to make sure that you have the correct details before attempting to establish a connection.
2- If your firewall or your anti-virus program is blocking your VPN connection, you can try to disable them temporarily and see if you get connected. If that’s the case, then you can make exceptions for your VPN connection from within the firewall settings. If you are using AVG anti-virus program, you can learn how to resolve VPN connection issues here.
3- If the connection between the client and server not working properly, you can ping the server. You can retry connecting after 2 minutes to exclude sporadic network outages. If that does not work, you can try connecting from another client device.
2- VPN Error Code 619
*Error message: “A connection to the remote computer could not be established” or “The port was disconnected”.
This error is common with Windows-based VPNs. The issue occurs in two cases; when you are attempting to create a new connection with the VPN server or when you are abruptly disconnected from an active VPN session. You will notice that while the VPN client is being connected, it will pause for a few seconds at “verifying user name and password“, and then prompted by error 619 message.
*Solutions:
1- If there are more than one VPN client installed on your computer, make sure that only one client is active to prevent network conflicts. You might also need to restart your computer to ensure that the changes you have made would take effect.
2- Make sure that you have entered the correct VPN credentials.
3- Make sure that your firewall or antivirus software are not blocking your VPN connection.
4- Try uninstalling and re-installing the VPN client.
3- VPN error code 809
*Error message: The network connection between your computer and the VPN server could not be established because the remote server is not responding.
This error is faced by L2TP users mainly. Once again the firewall could be blocking the selected VPN tunneling protocols.
*Solutions:
1- If you are using PPTP encryption protocol, then you need to enable TCP port 1723 on your firewall or router.
2- if you are using L2TP/Ipsec or IKev2, then you will need to enable UDP port 500 and UDP port 4500 on your firewall or router.
3- You can try installing SSTP or OpenVPN on your VPN client. These two tunneling protocols allow the VPN connection to go through firewalls, NAT or even web proxies.
4- If you are using Windows 10, open registry and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\PolicyAgent. Insert a new DWORD 32 bit value and name it AssumeUDPEncapsulationContextOnSendRule. Give it a value of 2, and then restart your computer.
4- VPN error codes 812, 732 & 734
*Error message: The connection was prevented because of a policy configured on your RAS/VPN server.
This issue occurs when there are multiple user accounts on the computer. Sometimes a user attempts to verify a VPN connection, however, he/she does not have enough authorisation to take such action.
*Solutions:
1- The administrator will need to update other users’ profiles by updating their permissions on the account.
2- The network administrator will need to update MS-CHAP (authentication protocol) support on the VPN server.
5- VPN error code 691
*Error message: Access denied because username and/or password is invalid on the domain.
Of all VPN error codes, error code 691 is the easiest to resolve. The issue occurs when a user enter incorrect username or password in which the remote connection is denied. This could also happen if the selected authentication protocol is not permitted on the remote access server.
Solutions:
1- Make sure to provide the correct user credentials, such as: username or password.
2- Make sure that the selected protocol is permitted on the server.
3- Make sure to use CAPS lock properly when entering your credentials.
