Troubleshooting VPN connection issues for Windows and macOS devices

When using VPN on Windows and Mac devices, you may be prevented from connecting to a private server due to technical issues with your device or your internet connection.

Symptoms

Unable to connect Privacy VPN, and one of the following messages displays.

• Connection issue. Could not connect. Please check your Internet connection and then try again.
• Network error. Unable to contact update server. Please check your internet connection.
• Network error. Unable to contact license server. Check your network connection or contact your system administrator for help.
• Unable to connect to VPN server. Check your network connection and try again.
• Whoops. Something went wrong, please try again later.

Causes and Resolutions

We recommend following the steps below to eliminate each cause before contacting your ISP or our Support team.

Cause 1: Your internet connection is not working due to modem/router issues. 

Resolution 1: Reboot your modem/router.

Rebooting your modem/router clears the device's memory, ends all active tasks, and reloads the device's system, refreshing the connection to your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

1. Unplug the power cable from the router/modem.
2. Wait 2-3 minutes. All the lights should be off.
3. Reconnect the power cable.
4. Once the internet lights turn green, check if the internet is working correctly, and you're able to connect Privacy VPN.

Cause 2: Cached DNS content on the device is causing connection issues. 

Resolution 2: Flush DNS cache

Clearing a device's cache clears the stored Domain Service System (DNS) information. Your device has to query the DNS server for new and up-to-date information as you reference domains by name, and you'll access websites with a clean configuration.

Windows

1. Open a command prompt window.
   1. Click the Start menu on the bottom left corner of your screen.
   2. Type command.
   3. Click Command Prompt. The window displays.
2. In the command prompt window, type ipconfig /flushdns
3. Press Enter/Return.

Mac

1. Open a Terminal window.
   1. Click the Launchpad icon in the Dock.
   2. Type Terminal in the search field
   3. Click Terminal.
2. In the Terminal window, enter:  sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder 
3. Press Enter/Return.

Cause 3: Your internet connection is not working properly due to issues with DHCP. 

Resolution 3: Refresh the IP address on your network connection.

Refreshing your IP address helps resolve technical issues with the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) or network hardware, causing IP issues that prevent your network from connecting to the internet. 

Windows

1. Open a command prompt window.
   1. Click the Start menu on the bottom left corner of your screen.
   2. Type command.
   3. Click Command Prompt. The window displays.
2. In the command prompt window, type ipconfig /release.
3. Press Enter/Return.
4. In the same window, type ipconfig /renew.
5. Press Enter/Return.

Mac

Click the article below for steps on how to refresh you IP address on a Mac device.

• Renew your IP address from the DHCP server on Mac 

Cause 4: Your network is set up with a double NAT.

Resolution 4: Check for a double NAT. For instructions, see Unable to connect VPN due to double NAT issue.

If the connection issue is still present after following each of the recommended resolutions, contact your ISP for assistance.