When a VPN fails, your own personal data can also become vulnerable to attacks. That’s why using a VPN that is trusted and known for its stability like ExpressVPN is a must for protecting your home network. Unfortunately, you may not be at liberty to choose the VPN your company uses. While problems with VPN connections are quite common, they’re usually easy to fix. To keep all your private information secure, try these tips.
Tips to Fix your VPN from the Home Office
You can fix most of the problems related to VPN connections on your own. It involves a few steps but doesn’t require a lot of technical knowledge. Of course, some problems can originate from the corporate network’s side. So, it helps to troubleshoot and rule out any misconfigurations on your side before approaching your company’s IT department for help. To do this, you need to know what to look for and how to fix them yourself. This guide will help you with that and possibly save you some time compared to if you had to wait around for IT’s response. Before doing any of this, you should check your company email on a device that does have an internet connection in case you were notified of a scheduled outage.
1. Check that you have a working internet connection
First, check if your internet is turned on and working. Whether it’s WiFi, cellular data, or ethernet, you need an active internet connection to use a VPN at home or elsewhere. There are several ways to find out if your internet is working.
2. Check your VPN settings
If your IT department has provided the client software and installation instructions for your VPN, check that your configuration settings match those. Any deviation in the following settings can cause the VPN to not work. These options should all be located in your VPN’s settings tab. While your interface will likely be different than mine, you should see a similar list of toggle options. Make the necessary changes and try connecting to the internet again. If it still isn’t working, we can continue with some additional troubleshooting steps.
3. Check your browser
A few SSL VPNs and remote access solutions require a browser to connect rather than a software client. Most of these VPNs only work with certain browsers, so check if yours is compatible and up-to-date with the latest version. Also, check all browser notifications to make sure you’re not missing a critical update or error message before launching your VPN. To rule out your home network as the source of the problem, try opening and connecting to a browser on your personal device without a VPN. If you can load a webpage without the VPN, it’s something in your settings or on the company’s side. Get connected reliably with ExpressVPN
4. Check your home network for issues
If you use a laptop to work from home, try connecting your VPN through your WiFi. If the VPN works, your wired home internet connection could be the cause. This could be a number of issues like lacking a device driver or having a faulty ethernet port. The first step is to reset your router. On most routers, you just have to press a small button and hold it down for several seconds until the LED light flashes. Now, connect to the VPN again. Resetting the router usually fixes any home network issue. If you can still connect via WiFi and not a wired ethernet connection, I would recommend contacting your ISP or, if you’re using a company laptop, contact IT as this may be a hardware issue.
5. Check that the VPN and your home router are compatible
If the problem just started after you purchased a new router or received a new one from your ISP, then it could be that the router is incompatible with the VPN and its protocols. Routers have a feature called VPN passthrough. It allows your traffic to enter the internet via a VPN without being blocked. Unfortunately, some routers do not support this feature while others don’t support the protocols some VPNs use. If you are unsure about your router’s compatibility, contact your IT department to check if it is compatible. Get ExpressVPN for your home office
6. Check that your company and home network’s IP subnetworks are not identical
This is a bit more technical, so if you’re not comfortable doing it yourself, you can contact your IT Department and have them walk you through it. Basically, a VPN is not able to connect if your computer attempts to make a local connection to your office network from within the same subnetwork. It means your IP address is in the same group as your company’s network IP address. You don’t want this since you are on a different home network entirely. You can easily fix this, but you’ll first need your company’s IP subnetwork, so you’ll have to contact your IT department. Next, determine your own IP address. If you have a Windows device: If you’re using a Mac: If you and your company have the same IP subnetwork, you can manually change a few settings on your router to solve the issue. To do this, go to your router’s configuration page. You just have to open your browser and enter the router’s IP address. On the next screen, key in your router’s login credentials. You can sometimes find it written on the back of your router. Change your router’s IP address to one where the first 3 blocks do not have the same numbers as your company’s subnet. For example, you can change an IP subnetwork from 192.165.1.1 to 192.165.2.1. Doing this should allow you to connect to your company’s VPN if you found that the subnetworks were identical.
7. Allow VPN ports, protocols, and passthrough
This is another solution that’s quite technical, so contact your IT department if you’d rather have them guide you. To allow VPN ports, protocols, and passthrough, check your home network for the router’s firewall configuration settings first. To do this, find the IP address of your router using the same steps in the prior section. Now, open a web browser and enter the router’s IP address. You’ll see a login screen. Key in your router’s login credentials. It’s usually written on the back of the router. Every router has a different interface, but on most the VPN port forwarding and passthrough settings are typically under the Security and Firewall option of this page.
Port forwarding and protocols:
Your router’s firewall may need certain protocols opened and specific ports forwarded. For example, PPTP tunneling protocols need IP protocol 47 (GRE) to be enabled and forwarded to TCP port 1723. If your VPN uses IPSec protocols, you must ensure protocols 50 (ESP) and 51 (AH) are opened and forwarded to UDP port 500 (IKE).
Passthrough
Check if there’s an option to enable IPSec or PPTP Passthrough. If you do not know which your company’s VPN uses, enable both options. Remember that there are some routers that do not have this option, so you will have to consult your router manufacturer’s site or support for assistance.
8. Contact the IT department
If you have tried all of the above tips and still can’t fix your VPN from the home office, contact your company’s IT department. Tell them what you have tried, what operating system, router, and internet connection you use as well as the error messages you received. Protect your connection with ExpressVPN
How to fix slow connection speeds?
Even the best VPNs on the market will reduce your base internet speeds by roughly a third because they add a few extra steps between you and the internet. Your data first needs to be encrypted and then sent through a secure VPN server before it’s sent on its way. However, there are several ways you can improve the speed when using a VPN. One thing to consider when trying to improve VPN speed is your overall internet speed. You can’t reach 100mbps if you only have a 10mbps home connection. But if the internet connection is not the issue and you still can’t get top speeds, it’s better to get a super-fast VPN like ExpressVPN for your personal use.
Why my VPN won’t connect to a server?
You may need to update your VPN if you haven’t used it in a while or the VPN might just be undergoing scheduled maintenance. But if it’s none of those things, check your internet connection. If that’s fine, try connecting to a different server. If it still doesn’t work, you may have to contact the IT department of your company or your VPN’s support team if it’s on a personal network.
What to do if streaming platforms block access?
IP addresses that belong to VPNs are constantly being blocked by many platforms. But there are ways to access your accounts while traveling and watch shows on Netflix US and other streaming services. This requires switching servers a few times to find one that isn’t blocked. If that doesn’t work, clearing cache and cookies usually fix the issue. Outdated streaming apps and VPNs can also cause this problem.
How to troubleshoot frequent disconnections?
If you can’t connect to any servers or your connection drops frequently, check your VPN’s settings page. If it has an option to Restore Defaults, select it. Otherwise, change your connection protocol to Automatic, TCP, or UDP. Next, add your VPN to a safe list to prevent it from being blocked by your firewall. On Windows: you can For Mac: Stay safe online with ExpressVPN
Final Thoughts
Working from home has many advantages, but you can get cut off from company resources when your VPN doesn’t work. There are also other security and privacy concerns such as industrial espionage and hacking that can put your data and your company in danger. Although it’s unfortunate that VPNs sometimes don’t work, you don’t always need to be a technical expert to solve the problem. Try the steps listed above to save time-solving common home office VPN issues and spare your IT department the trouble. To avoid some of these problems, pick a trustworthy VPN. I recommend ExpressVPN for its top-notch security features and lightning-fast speeds. It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can buy ExpressVPN with confidence.
