If you’re asking why your VPN Keeps Disconnecting, read on to find out. As much as the internet is great for so many reasons, it can also be an unsafe place filled with cybercriminals, hackers and prying eyes. That’s why so many people use VPNs to keep their online activities and internet traffic safe and protected from the prying eyes and hands of hackers.
But, there’s a problem. If you’ve been using a VPN for a while, you might have noticed that it tends to disconnect from time to time. Why does VPN keep disconnecting and what can you do about it?
Random disconnections are a hassle and quite exasperating because you can’t always predict when it will happen. Furthermore, you are left unprotected and exposed to the elements of the internet.
Constant VPN disconnects aren’t something you can live with especially when they can result in lost data and private information. You have to take feasible action that will eliminate these connection issues. Therefore, this article will give you insights on how to solve the VPN keeps disconnecting issue.
Table of Contents
How to troubleshoot and fix VPN connection issues
First and foremost, you should invest in good quality VPN that will provide you with the best security and protection without connection errors. Once that’s settled, we’ve got some tips on how to fix it and get the VPN back online.
Keeping your data safe
Most of the time, it’s not easy to work out the cause of unpredicted VPN disconnections. As you try to find a viable solution, your data and online traffic are unprotected from the dangers of the internet. Now many of the quality VPN services come with a feature called the kill-switch. Any time your VPN drops, this setting cuts off the internet connection.
As such, you won’t be unwittingly connected to the internet without protection. Also, apps on your device will not be able to send or receive unprotected data.
This is a major security feature that you should take advantage of. With kill switch capabilities, you can rest assured that even when your VPN service unceremoniously drops, there will be no data leaks or security breaches.
Check your internet connection
The internet connection is the most important part of a VPN. Your internet connection has to be strong enough to handle the high data transfer and high speed. Network issues can sometimes cause VPN disconnections.
If you suspect that your internet connection has a problem, try to troubleshoot it. For instance, do a speed test to find out if you are getting a good and steadfast internet connection. Remember you can’t count on a VPN for total protection if it’s working with an inconsistent internet connection.
Change server location
It’s a good idea to choose a server that’s geographically closer to where you live. A server that is farther away means that your VPN connection will be slower and more likely to drop. This is because of the long-distance which means data must pass through a couple of networks before it reaches your end.
This is bound to impact performance and might lead to VPN connection problems. Unless it’s necessary, especially when trying to access certain websites and services that have location limitations, go for nearby servers while still maintaining your privacy.
Change the VPN protocol
A VPN protocol refers to the type of data encryption that is used. It’s how a particular device connects to VPN servers. Most users prefer the OpenVPN protocol because it’s more secure and offers a high level of performance.
With that said, there are other protocols equally good like the PPTP and IKEv2. If there is a VPN protocol that will do a decent job at avoiding connection drops, try it out first and see if it works for you.
Update VPN firmware
Sometimes, your VPN connection might get disconnected because of a pending software or firmware update. You need to make sure the program running your VPN service is up to date to avoid faulty connections.
Confirm online whether there is a new update or not. If there is, update your software or firmware to make sure everything’s working as it should be.
Disable battery-saving settings
This mainly applies to Android VPN apps. You will notice that the VPN app drops constantly on your Android device but works perfectly fine on others.
This might be due to the device’s battery-saving settings. Such settings will limit the apps’ power consumption and will lead to connection drops.
To see if that’s the cause of the problem, simply disable battery saving specifically for the VPN service. If it makes a difference, keep it switched off to prevent further VPN disconnections. Keep in mind, this will drain your battery faster than usual.
Disable software running in the background
Sometimes, there is data-hogging software running in the background that’s encouraging random VPN disconnections. It could be an app downloading a massive update or just software that keeps connecting to the internet.
All these might slow the internet and the result is the same. Your VPN service will simply stop working. To make sure your device doesn’t run into such problems; simply disable all the software that runs in the background. This includes antivirus software, games, and other internet-using apps.
Uninstall VPN app and reinstall
Firstly, restart your computer to give it a renewed and clean start. By doing this, you will be unclogging the device from all the unnecessary files. After restarting, delete the VPN app and reinstall it. This should clear any junk that’s slowing down things and causing constant disconnections.
Conclusion
These are the basic things you can do to avoid VPN disconnections. If your VPN service is still dropping, you should contact the support team and they will surely help you out.
FAQs
How do I stop VPN from disconnecting automatically?
We have outlined a detailed guide on that. Hopefully, you will land on a solution fast enough.
What is the best VPN service to use?
We would recommend ExpressVPN. It’s one of the fastest VPN services out there. It’s also a great value-for-money VPN. Other VPN services include IPVanish and NordVPN.
