It can be frustrating when you try to connect to a server and it says “Cannot connect to server. Please try again”.
This article provides you step-by-step troubleshooting guide which helps you get up and running again.
1. Check your internet connection
In may seem obvious, but make sure your network connection is working. Most connection failures are caused by something blocking the connection to our servers. Before you begin troubleshooting, verify that your internet connection is working whilst disconnected from the VPN.
You can check the speed here: https://www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk
2. Connect to a nearer server
VPN speed majorly depends on the distance from the server to which you are connected. The further away your chosen VPN server is, the more significant the loss of bandwidth will be as it will take more time for the information to travel. Please connect to the fastest server (or geographically closest one). Alternatively, please choose the top server on the list. The top server has the strongest signal on your devices.
3. Update to the latest version
We constantly improve our software to ensure it is as stable and effective as possible. If you’re not running the most current version, you might have some stability issues. If at all possible, allow automatic updates to your VPN software.
4. Change connection mode
Sometimes, VPN protocols have difficulty keeping a strong connection. If you are using Automatic / Open VPN (which we generally recommend), you could try connecting over IPSec / ikev2. However, we recommend sticking with Automatic/OpenVPN whenever you can for the best experience.
UDP (User Datagram Protocol) and TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) have some technical differences. UDP supports faster connections. It is used when speed is desirable and error correction is not necessary. For example, UDP is frequently used for live broadcasts and online games. On the other hand, TCP supports more stable connections and makes it harder for network administrators to block.
How to change connection mode or Protocols?
5. Change Internet Service Provider (ISP)
ISPs can block a VPN through various techniques, most common are through port and IP address blocking. If you’re unable to connect to the internet when using a VPN, it might due to your ISP is restricting the access. You can solve this problem by switching to a different server or different ISP.