To keep your internet activity protected from prying eyes, you tend to use a VPN (either free or paid). However, while using a VPN, you may often come across an error message “The remote connection was not made because the attempted VPN tunnels failed “. This error usually shows up due to a a glitch in the VPN settings, when you launch it on your PC or to an issue with the VPN’s server.
Having said that, this is an update to the previous article on the same error that we posted in 2020.We have covered a couple of fixes in the previous post that offered a few possible solutions due to internet issues leading to the error, in this post we have added some more possible solutions that covers all aspects that may lead to the error. While you can try switching to another server, try another VPN, temporarily turn off your antivirus (3rd party or built-in) or check your internet connection and see if it helps fix the issue. However, if it does not, you can try the below methods to fix the “The remote connection was not made” error in 2021.
Method 1: Temporarily Disable Firewall
The firewall service can sometimes interfere with the VPN service since it keeps a tab on the incoming and outgoing connections. Hence, turning off the 3rd party firewall software on your PC for sometime may fix the issue. Let’s see how how to temporarily disable the firewall on your system:
Step 1: Press the Win + R keys together on your keyboard to launch the Run command window.
Step 2: In the Run command search field, type firewall.cpl and press OK.
Step 3: This will open the Windows Defender Firewall page in the Control Panel.
Here, on the left side of the pane, click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off.
Step 4: In the next window, under the Customize settings for each type of network, select the Turn off Windows Defender Firewall for both Private network settings and Public network settings.
Press OK to save the changes and exit.
Now that you have successfully disabled the Windows Defender Firewall for sometime, check if the issue is resolved. Once your purpose is solved, enable the Firewall back again to continue with the system protection.
Method 2: Connect VPN from Network Connections
Sometimes the issue may arise due to glitches within the Windows settings leading to the VPN error “The remote connection was not made because the attempted VPN tunnels failed “. This prevents you to connect to the VPN normally and hence, another way to connect to the VPN is through the Network Connections wizard. Let’s see how:
Step 1: Right-click on the Start menu and select Run.
Step 2: This will open the Run command window.
Here, type ncpa.cpl in the search box and hit Enter to open the Network Connections window.
Step 3: In the Network Connections window, right-click on the VPN and select Connect/Disconnect.
This is one way to connect to the VPN without seeing the error.
Method 3: Check VPN Service
There is a possibility that the VPN service may not be running properly and hence, you encounter the error. The VPN service is automatically added whenever you add a VPN to your system. Therefore, you must check if the VPN service running. Here’s how:
Step 1: Press the Win + X shortcut keys on your keyboard and select Run to open Run command.
Step 2: In the search box, type services.msc and press OK to open the Service Manager.
Step 3: In the Services window, go to the right side and under the Names column, look for the VPN service related to the VPN app on your system.
Double-click on it to open the service Properties window.
Step 4: In the Properties window, under the General tab, check if the Service status is showing Running.
If it shows Stopped instead, press the Start button.
Press the Apply and then OK button to save the changes and exit.
Close the Services window and the VPN service should be working now.
Method 4: Edit VPN Type and Proxy Settings
If you are using a proxy in addition to the VPN, you may want to disable it for sometime. Also, it may be possible that you have selected an incorrect VPN type (Point to Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec with certificate, etc. ) while setting it up and hence you see the error. Here’s how to change the VPN type and the VPN proxy settings:
Step 1: Right-click on Start and select Settings.
Step 2: It open the Settings app.
In the Settings window, click on Network & Internet.
Step 3: Next, on the right side of the pane, click on VPN.
Step 4: Now, on the right side of the window, select the VPN connection and click on Advanced options.
Step 5: In the next window, under Connection properties, click on Edit.
Step 6: Next, in the Edit VPN connection window, go to the VPN type field.
Select Automatic from the drop-down below it.
Click on the Save button below to apply the changes and return to the VPN Advanced options window.
Step 7: Scroll down and next to Proxy settings for this VPN connection section, select Edit.
Step 8: Next, in the Proxy settings pop up, select None from the drop-down.
Press Apply to save the changes and return to VPN settings window.
Exit the Settings window and try connecting to your VPN server and it should work fine now.
Method 5: Restart the RasMan Service
RasMan or the Remote Access Connection Manager is known to manage VPNs and your Windows 10 system’s connections to the internet. When the RasMan service is not running or not working correctly, it may lead to the VPN error and prevent your VPN to start. Therefore, restarting the RasMan service may fix the “The remote connection was not made because the attempted VPN tunnels failed ” error. Here’s how:
Step 1: Right-click on Start and select Run to open the Run command box.
Step 2: In the search field, type services.msc and press OK.
Step 3: In the Services window that opens, on the right side of the window, under the Name column, look for Remote Access Connection Manager service and double-click to open its Properties dialogue box.
Step 4: Now, in the Properties window, under the General tab, go to the Service status section and press the Stop button.
Step 5: Now, wait for sometime and again press the Start button to restart the service.
Press Apply and then OK to save the changes and exit.
Close the Services window and now check if the VPN server is connecting and working fine.
Method 6: Delete VPN Profile and Reconnect
Chances are that the error starts showing up after Windows update or a virus attack and hence, in such a case, the best option would be to remove the current VPN profile and add a new one. Here’s how:
Step 1: Press the Win + I shortcut keys on your keyboard to open the Settings window.
Step 2: In the Settings app, click on the Network & Internet option.
Step 3: In the next window, click on VPN on the right side of the pane.
Step 4: Now, navigate to the right side of the window, select the VPN profile and select Remove.
Step 5: Next, in the VPN connections section, click on the Add VPN option.
Step 6: Now, in the Add a VPN connection window, enter all the details – VPN provider, Connection name, Server name or address, VPN type, Username, Password, etc.
However, if you do not have the details, connect with the VPN service provider to acquire the details.
Once you are done adding the details, click on Save to save the changes and exit.
Exit the Settings window and try connecting the new VPN to see if it’s working.
Method 7: Disable Proxy Settings
You want to disable any active private proxy server on your PC, because the the proxy may have a conflict with the VPN server, thus, generating the error. Here’s how to disable the proxy server:
Step 1: Go to Start, click on it and select Settings (gear icon) to launch the Settings app.
Step 2: In the Settings window, click to open the Network & Internet option.
Step 3: In the next window, click on the Proxy option on the right.
Step 4: Now, go to the right side of the window and under the Automatic proxy setup section, go to Use setup script and click on Set up.
Step 5: In the Edit set up script pop up, turn off Use setup script and click on Save.
Close the Settings app and check if you can now connect to the VPN.
Method 8: Troubleshoot in Clean Boot Mode
There is a possibility that the VPN fails to open and shows the error due to a clash between any 3rd party software on your PC with the Windows services. To be able to identify the issue, you can perform a clean boot and once you have identified the issue, you may proceed to fix troubleshoot the issue. Once you have restarted your PC in clean boot mode, here’s how to troubleshoot the issue:
*Note – Before you proceed with the below method, make sure you are logged in as administrator.
Step 1: Right-click on Start and click on Run to open the Run command window.
Step 2: In the Run command, type msconfig in the search field and hit Enter to open the System Configuration window.
Step 3: In the System Configuration window, go to the Services tab and at the bottom, check the box next to Hide all Microsoft services.
Next, press the Disable all button at the bottom right.
Step 4: Now, select the Startup tab and click on the Open task Manager link.
Step 5: It will take you to the Start-up tab in the Task Manager window.
Here, select each Start-up item and click on Disable at the bottom right.
Step 6: Once done, return to the System Configuration window, press Apply and then OK to save the changes and exit.
Now, restart your PC in the normal mode and try to connect to the VPN server and it should work fine now.
If the problem is solved, you can enable the start-up programs again one by one, so that you know which program lead to the error.