VPN Troubleshooting Guide: Common VPN Issues & Quick Fixes

VPN is Is Slow

If your VPN is too slow, try connecting to a different server or a different protocol. Reducing the internet activity you’re routing through your VPN can also solve this issue. If the problem persists, the problem might not be your VPN – so test your internet speed to see if it’s actually your network connection.

• Connect different server  
• Connect to a different protocol 
• Reduce your internet activity
• Test your internet speed

Connect different server

If your VPN is slow, connecting to a different server can help. If you pick one that’s a bit closer to you geographically, then your data won’t have to travel as far. This often quickens things up significantly, which is why gamers sometimes use this to decrease their ping time.

Connecting to a different server can also help -simply put, the server might be too congested to offer top speeds. The more people using a server, the slower it gets – and by chance, you might’ve just connected to a very popular server. Users of VPNs with large server networks run into this issue less frequently.

Connect to a different protocol

Different VPN protocols is utilize utilize different encryption methods , affect speed data transferred . Providing best – – class encryption , unfortunately , mean decreased speeds .

WireGuard, offered by Surfshark and NordVPN, is generally considered a happy marriage of both because it has a simplified, streamlined codebase that’s less open to vulnerabilities, but it depends on what your personal priorities are.  If you’re using OpenVPN, switching between TCP and UDP can have a positive impact on speed.

Reduce your activity

gaming , streaming , messaging simultaneously VPN connection , it is be VPN handle . like standard wifi connection , lots is cause data – intensive activity cause VPN slow standstill , reducing activity speed .

Some VPNs, such as Surfshark, offer “split-tunneling”, a feature that lets you funnel some data through a VPN, and some data through your normal connection avenue. If your VPN is very slow, and it offers split tunneling, you could route some of your activity through your regular connection to increase your VPN speed.

Alternatively, you could disconnect your mobile device from whatever wifi connection you’re using and use cellular data instead, which will also free up some bandwidth for your activities.

Test your internet speed

Remember, it’s not always the VPN that’s going to be a problem – your VPN might be slow due to a slow internet connection. You can easily test your internet speed with a free Google tool, that will appear in Search if you type in “test my internet speed”.

Remember, all VPNs will slow your connection down slightly – even providers like NordVPN, which topped our most recent speed tests. You’re always going to be sending your data on a longer journey (to a VPN server and out the other side) than it would go on if you weren’t using a VPN. That’s why the software works best when paired with a strong, reliable internet connection.

VPN is Connecting Connecting

If your VPN won’t connect, make sure it’s not in fact your internet that’s the issue by testing your internet connection. Then, uninstall any other VPN packages on your computer, as they might be interfering with your connection. If that fails, reinstall your VPN software – and if your VPN still won’t connect, contact support.

• Test your internet connection 
• Check for VPN Updates
• Uninstall other VPN packages
• Restart or reinstall your VPN software

Test your internet connection

Although your VPN is rerouting your internet connection through a private, encrypted server and masking your IP address in the process, it still requires your internet connection to be active for it to work. If your VPN won’t connect, it might simply be your internet interfering with it.

internet is be VPN actually working , , switching cellular data wifi connection mean VPN struggle forge connection servers .

This is why it’s so important to have your killswitch activated, especially if you’re using a VPN in a country with draconian censorship laws. If you’re not, this change in connection can sometimes reveal your true IP address.

Check for VPN updates

If your VPN is not connecting, it might be because you’re using an outdated version of your provider’s software. VPN updates should be clearly signposted within your app like ExpressVPN’s is (pictured below). but you can also check the provider’s site to make sure you’re running the most recent version of their software.

, VPN nudging update , it is let let connect . Image : Tech.co

Uninstall other VPN applications

We know how it is – you wanted to make sure you have picked the right VPN software, so you may have downloaded several packages to try out, they may well be stopping your newly chosen software from working correctly.

Try disabling, or even better, uninstalling any previous VPN software packages you might have used, and see if this resolves your issue.

Restart or reinstall your VPN software

A quick fix might just be restarting your VPN software – but if this doesn’t help your VPN to connect, try reinstalling the VPN as an additional measure. This has been known to help if a VPN is slow to connect, if it crashes frequently, or if the VPN connects to the client network but does not allow the user to perform actions like opening links.

VPN is Keeps Keeps Disconnecting

If your VPN keeps disconnecting, log out of your VPN on other devices, as you may have reached your provider’s connection limit. We’d also recommend uninstalling any other VPN apps which could be impacting the VPN you’re using, and checking to see if your firewall is interfering with the connection.

• Log out of your VPN on another device
• Uninstall other VPN apps
• Temporarily disable your computer’s firewall
• Ensure you have a stable internet connection

Log out of your VPN on another device

If your VPN keeps disconnecting, it might be because you’ve reached the device limit allowed by your VPN provider. Some VPN providers, like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, only allow users to use the same account across five and six devices respectively – so if you’re using a provider that enforces a limit like this, this could be the cause of this problem.

if this is frustrating, we’d recommend switching to a VPN provider like Surfshark, which allows an unlimited number of simultaneous connections via the same VPN account – which means you can share it with as many members of your family and friendship groups as you like.

Uninstall other VPN apps

Along with not letting your VPN connect at all, competing VPN packages that have been installed on your device might be affecting your VPN.

This can be a particular issue if you’ve activated a kill switch included in any of these VPN packages. Kill switches drop your internet connection whenever your VPN connection drops so you never spend any time online without protection. Having multiple software programs installed on your device that all have permission to control your internet connection can lead to chaos.

Temporarily disable firewall ( “ allow ” VPN )

Firewalls check the data that comes in out of your connection, and they can be very protective of what traffic makes it to your computer (and rightly so – it’s their job, after all).

Some firewalls create VPN issues, so as an experiment, try temporarily disabling your firewall to see if this has a positive effect on your VPN connection – don’t forget to turn it back on when you’re finished checking though, and add your VPN to the list of allowed applications!

Ensure you have a stable internet connection

If you have an unstable internet connection, then your VPN connection is going to be affected. VPNs require an internet connection to work but ideally need a stable connection to work well. If your internet connection is fleeting, then the VPN connection will also cut in and out.

On top of this, if your connection is unstable and flicking between, say, cellular data and a wifi connection – then this can cause your VPN to keep disconnecting.

If your internet isn’t working properly, your VPN will get stuck trying to connect like ExpressVPN is in the picture above. Image: Tech.co

My VPN is not Hiding My IP Address

If your VPN is not hiding your IP address, check if the problem persists while you’re using a different protocol or a different server. If it’s happening consistently, however, it might be time to look for another, more secure VPN provider.

• Connect different server
• Use a different protocol
• Sign up for a Better VPN provider 

Connect different server

VPN hiding IP address , wrong specific server connecting – case , it is be network – level technical issue control . Try connecting different server fixes problem .

Use different VPN protocol

If you’re connected to your VPN but your IP address is still visible, the VPN problem could be its protocol. In computing, a protocol is essentially a set of rules and procedures that is used to facilitate the exchange of data – the most common example of this is HTTP.

Some VPN protocols are old and considered unreliable (PTPP), while others have been recently developed and have a significantly lower chance of leaking IP addresses (IKEv2, WireGuard), so are used by the most secure VPNs. Experiment with changing the protocol in the settings to see if this resolves your issue.

Sign better VPN provider

It might sound blunt, but if your VPN simply isn’t hiding your IP address, it might be time to get a better VPN. The whole point of a VPN is to do this and in turn, enhance your digital privacy. If it’s not doing that, what’s the point in paying for it?

If you’re using a free VPN, on the other hand, and this is happening consistently, we’d advise you to stop using the service immediately. Why? Well, it’s unlikely to get any better – and, if it’s anything like Hola VPN, it could even put your privacy in jeopardy.

A lot of (but not all) free VPNs care about new sign-ups rather than keeping existing users safe and don’t invest much in their security architecture or server infrastructure. Some will even monitor your activity. We’d recommend a secure, reputable – but cheap – VPN provider.

My VPN Is Down/Not Responding

If your VPN isn’t responding, check reports of outages to ensure it isn’t a network-wide problem. Then, temporarily disable your firewall to see if that’s simply blocking the VPN connection, and if all else fails, attempt a device reboot.

• Check reports of outages
• Check for Updates
• Temporarily disable your firewall
• Sign out and restart your device 

Check reports of outages

struggling VPN running , internet connection working VPN software installed device , it is ’s worth checking VPN provider experiencing technical difficulties outage .

This is pretty rare, and finding out won’t help you to get your VPN up and running again, but at least you know if it’s a VPN problem that requires further action from your side of the table or not.

Check updates

While you’re checking for reports of outages, it’d be a good idea to quickly check for any application updates you may have missed, even if there’s no notification in your VPN app.

Temporarily disable firewall ( “ allow ” VPN )

Along with causing your VPN to disconnect, your firewall might be the reason your VPN is not responding.

As we’ve said, disabling it could help you identify the issue, but you’ve got to make sure you turn it back on again afterward and add your VPN app to the list of applications you don’t want it to interfere with.

Sign out and restart your device

Turning it off and on again is the oldest trick in the book for a reason – sometimes, it just works. It might just be that your system or your VPN client didn’t boot up properly – signing out and starting again could solve this problem.

My VPN App Won’t Open

If your VPN application simply won’t open, all you can really do is attempt to reinstall it and then contact your provider’s customer support team for more information.

• Reinstall the VPN application
• Contact your VPN’s customer support team

Reinstall the VPN application

If your VPN application simply won’t load, there’s little you can do, aside from deleting and reinstalling the app.

Contact your VPN’s customer support team

Of course, you can also contact your provider’s customer support team and report your VPN issue at any time. But if the app won’t open at all, your other options are restricted.

It’s unlikely to be an issue with your network connection, as you don’t actually need a connection to open VPN apps – and if you’ve already tried deleting and reinstalling the app, this should be your next port of call.

My VPN Is Blocked or Banned

If you’re finding that the service you’re trying to access has blocked or banned your VPN, then you should first try a different server, and then switch over to a protocol or server that obfuscates traffic.

• Try a different server
• Use an obfuscated server

Try a different server

Sometimes, services like Netflix ban VPN IP addresses – but they can’t always ban every single IP address that a VPN provider owns – and besides, new ones are often added.

If you connect to a different server, you’ll be provided with a different IP address – so it might not be blocked by the service you’re trying to access. If you’re struggling on all fronts, and it’s a service you really want to access, it might be time to look for another VPN.

Use an obfuscated protocol/server

Obfuscated servers – sometimes referred to as “stealth” servers – are VPN servers that purposefully scramble user packet data and make it look like normal, non-VPN traffic. Switching to an obfuscated server or an obfuscated protocol can help with the task of bypassing blocks and bans.

Some VPNs will have dedicated servers with obfuscation technology, while others provide specific protocols for obfuscation. Some other VPNs don’t provide this at all, but providers like ExpressVPN simply obfuscate all of their traffic – meaning they’re much, much less likely to get blocked by a service than other providers.

VPN Not Working on iPhone

If your VPN for your iPhone isn’t working, there are various fixes you can try to get it back up and running. Some examples include:

• Force restarting your iPhone 
• Re-downloading your VPN app 
• Logging in on another device (for account issues)
• Resetting your VPN password on another device
• Resetting your network settings 
• Resetting your Device level IP address

VPN Not Working on Android

If you’re using an Android phone and your VPN isn’t working, you can also try force restarting your device, redownloading your VPN app, or logging in on another device to see if it’s a problem with your account credentials/phone sign-in. However, you may also want to try:

• Reviewing your Android app permissions 
• Reset cache data VPN app
• Resetting your network settings

My VPN is Not Unblocking Netflix

VPN unblocking Netflix – Netflix blocking VPN – things work – issue , deeper problem provider . , you is try try :

• Restarting your VPN 
• Switching to a different VPN Server 

Restart your VPN

If your VPN is failing to unblock Netflix, you might just need to restart it – it might just be a problem with your connection or a small technical hitch with the VPN. To do this properly, shut down the app completely and click ctrl+alt-delete to bring up your PC’s task manager. Make sure you end the task.

However, if Netflix is telling you it knows you’re using a VPN and that’s why it’s not working, restarting the same software isn’t necessarily going to work…

Switch to another VPN server

The most likely reason why Netflix has identified your VPN’s IP address correctly and decided to block it is because other users have used that same IP to try and unblock Netflix many times before. They may have additional information that proves the IP is linked to the provider.

However, VPNs renew and change their IP addresses all the time. There’s every chance that other IP addresses currently available in your provider’s network haven’t been flagged by Netflix, and will work just fine.