WARNING: This article is for novice VPN users, seasoned IT pro’s may fall asleep.
Computer are only as smart as the people programming them, so just like humans they are prone to mistakes. In this article, we will cover some of the top error messages and connection problems people encounter when using VPN Service or Anonymous Proxies and how to fix them. To the average, non tech savvy web surfer, troubleshooting even the simplest VPN service or Torrent Proxy may seem daunting at first. Don’t be fooled – It’s actually quite easy. Let’s get started:
1.) “It Says Authentication Error”
Probably the most common error when using a VPN or proxy, many people may see this pop up during the life of their VPN service or proxy subscription. Anytime you see an authentication error it usually means one thing: the username and password is incorrect. If you see this error pop up somewhere the first thing you should do is double and triple check your login information. TorGuard VPN & Proxy login info can be reset securely anytime from the torguard.net client area.
2.) “The VPN Connects, but I can’t browse the web!”
If you are a person on the go, this is an error you are likely to encounter at some point in your web surfing career. Every time you connect to a wifi network, your computer is assigned an IP and begins to lookup your website requests via DNS, (the great internet phone book). If you can access the internet normally but not with the VPN, this usually is a sign of a DNS conflict. The quickest way to resolve this is to set your DNS to Google and removing whatever older setting is causing the issue. Setting your DNS to google in windows or mac sounds intimidating, but it literally takes two (maybe three) seconds.
3.) “Why is my VPN connection slower than my regular internet?”
Anytime you connect to a Virtual Private Network, one must take into account the location of the server you are connecting to. Distance from the server will impact your top download speeds a little. For example. a VPN user based in the USA, would connect faster to a VPN server in North America or Europe rather than one in Russia, Asia, or New Zealand. The type of VPN you are using, whether it is PPTP, OpenVPN (UDP or TCP), or Stealth connections also makes a big difference. For fastest and most secure experience when downloading, TorGuard suggests using UDP labeled VPN Servers. UDP will offer the best speeds, while TCP and Stealth AES256 bit connections will give you the highest level of encryption and security. TorGuard VPN Service offers all of these options to meet any connection need.
4.) “My torrent proxy was working but now says: Connection Timed Out”
If you use an anonymous utorrent or bittorrent proxy, occasionally you may see a message under your tracker status: “Connection Timed Out”. This error message prevents you from downloading/uploading but does not leak our torrent client’s IP address. 99% of the time this error can be resolved be closing and restarting your torrent software. Always make sure you are using the latest version of utorrent, bittorrent, Vuze, or Deluge for the best anonymous bittorrent experience.
5.) “My VPN service disconnects me from time to time.”
If you find that your VPN is disconnecting on you after you leave the room, make sure all power save features on your computer are disabled. Many times, power save features that are automatically turned on by default can interfere with your VPN connection and disconnect you. Unfortunately, running a VPN tunnel 24/7 is not very green friendly. Often times TCP can offer more stable VPN connections than UDP, so it is a good idea to try this protocol if you are 100% sure all power save options on your laptop or desktop are disabled.
