A Guide to Troubleshooting VPN Errors

Andrew Marsden

Apr 22 2018

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VPN has gone mainstream as more consumers choose to utilize it for their everyday Internet use.  With the pending termination of Net Neutrality in the U.S. and the global outrage towards the slipshod management of our social media data, people are turning to this long established technology.  VPN provides increased security through encrypted tunneled protection that offers a safe sanctuary for surfing the web in near anomalous fashion.  It’s also simple to operate, which has also contributed to its growing popularity in recent years.  VPN is no longer just for corporate white collars.  Today it is for the masses with many options available in the marketplace such as Nord VPN and CyberGhost as examples.

Though uncomplicated, there are inevitable problems that do arise from time to time like for any product.  One thing you can do is to eliminate possible issues is to always keep your VPN app updated.  Like any application, updates and new versions are regularly released.  An updated app can fix potential problems within minutes.  If you consistently VPN from a designated network, you should also keep the firmware updated on your Internet router.  There are some basic general steps you can take to resolve most generic issues.  Below, we have provided some basic tips on how to fix some of the most common VPN problems that users encounter.

VPN Error Code 800

We start with one of the most common VPN errors.  An 800 error occurs when a remote connection to the VPN server cannot be completed.  It may indicate that the VPN server is currently unreachable but most likely it is attributed to one of the following reasons.

  • An invalid name or IP address of the VPN server
  • The VPN connection is being blocked by the firewall
  • The client device has lost connection to the local area network
  • Incorrect configuration and security parameters within the VPN application

Possible Solutions:

  • The first thing to do when incurring an 800 error is to verify you have network and Internet connection. If not, then the culprit is not the VPN connection process itself.
  • If your VPN service allows it, you can ping the VPN router to confirm connectivity
  • Crosscheck the name of the VPN server to ensure it is correct along with your username and password. Ensure that there is not presence of “http” as the server name is not a URL.
  • Verify your router and firewall settings are set to allow for PPTP and/or VPN pass-through. This requires that TCP port 1723 and the GRE protocol be opened and enabled.

 

VPN Error Code 807

Error code 807 is a common disconnect error, indicating that the connection between your client device and the VPN server was interrupted.  Reasons may include the following.

  • The connection is being hampered by antivirus/local firewall on the VPN client
  • The connection is being blocked or restricted by the firewall
  • A slow or faulty internet connection
  • An overloaded system cache on the client device
  • The VPN server is overloaded or has reached full capacity

It may be due to a problem in the VPN transmission but is more commonly the result of Internet latency or the simple fact that your VPN server has reached full capacity.

Possible Solutions:

  • Check your general network and Internet performance to ensure that it is not a local network problem. If so, you may need to reconnect to the local network and/or reboot your router.
  • Disable any antivirus software (temporarily) on the client device
  • Disable the local firewall if present and enabled
  • Clean your browser history and cookies. You can do this through your local browser or perform it using an application such as CCleaner.

VPN Error Code 619

Error Code 619 is another common connection issue.  The resulting error code will state, “A connection to the remote computer could not be established so the port used for this connection was closed.”  This error occurs when a client device is attempting to establish a new connection to a VPN server.  It may also occur because of a sudden disconnection to an active VPN session.

Possible Solutions:

  • If you happen to have more than one VPN client installed on your device, make sure that only one is running as this could cause conflicts. You can verify this looking at active programs or Windows services
  • It may seem like an overused cliché but a simple reboot can often times fix this error
  • Temporarily disable any localized antivirus or firewall applications on the device
  • Reconfirm your VPN settings and if necessary, uninstall and reinstall the VPN application
  • If a Windows device, check your security settings and change the VPN type automatic to PPTP. You can also change the data encryption configuration to Optional and select MS-CHAP v2.

 

VPN Error Code 812 or 691

Error 812 is a RAS/VPN server error.  The resulting error code will state the following:

“Error 812: The connection was prevented because of a policy configured on your RAS/VPN server. Specifically, the authentication method used by the server to verify your username and password may not match the authentication method configured in your connection profile. Please contact the Administrator of the RAS server and notify them of this error.”

This error usually indicates a problem with the authentication process.

Possible Solutions:

There are not many steps you can take concerning a policy error since the error was generated on the server side.  Most likely, you will have to contact the help desk or administrator of the RAS server and notify them of the error.  For Windows users that are a member of an enterprise domain, they should confirm the following settings.

  • Confirm that you are using the correct logon credentials
  • Confirm that the primary DNS of your device is a DNS within the joined domain
  • Confirm that the secondary DNS is set for an outside domain such as 8.8.8.8, which is the ever popular Google DNS
  • Disconnect from the VPN server and take a break for an hour before attempting a new connection

VPN Error Code 628

This is another connection error.  Also known as Modem Error 628, it states: “The connection was terminated by the remote computer before it could be completed.”  It could indicate that the underlying connection is problematic or that something on the local device is disrupting the connection. 

Possible Solutions:

  • Confirm the quality of your local network and internet connection
  • Confirm that you are using the correct logon credentials
  • Temporarily disable the local antivirus and firewall settings
  • Verify your router and firewall settings are set to allow for PPTP and/or VPN pass-through. This requires that TCP port 1723 and the GRE protocol be opened and enabled.

 

VPN Error Codes 789 and 835

Both of these errors involve L2TP failed L2TP connection attempts.  789 involves a processing error during initial negotiations with the remote VPN server while 835 indicates authentication errors.

Possible Solutions:

  • Make sure that your VPN client is not behind a NAT enabled firewall
  • Check to ensure that your VPN certificate is installed on your computer
  • Restart the VPN application
  • Restart the IPSec services or simply reboot your client device
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