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FIX: VPN error 868 connection failed on Windows 10/11

8 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

If you’re trying to connect to aVPNon Windows 10 but get error 868, it means that the connection failed.

Here’s the complete message:

Error 868: The remote connection was not made because the name of the remote access server did not resolve.

It can quickly become irritating if you keep receiving thiserror message.

But don’t worry since you can get rid of it and establish a successful VPN connection onWindows 10by following the steps below.

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How do I fix VPN error 868 on Windows 10?

Check the IP address or domain name of the remote server

Perhaps you accidentally entered the wrong server name or address. Or, maybe the remote server changed this information in the meantime.

It could be the reason why you keep seeing VPN error 868 connection failed whenever you attempt to connect on Windows 10.

Change your DNS settings

If the VPN error 868 connection failed is caused by incorrect DNS settings on Windows 10, then you can try changing your DNS configuration. It will fix the incorrect DNS resolver problem.

You can quickly test this theory by setting the IP address in the VPN connection properties instead of the domain name (see the previous solution for more details).

The preferred and alternate DNS servers we mentioned in our example above are free, public, and belong to Google Public DNS. But you can also try Cloudflare or OpenDNS.

Or, if you’re using a premium VPN service like Private Internet Access (buy here), you don’t have to worry about manually changing your DNS configuration.

The app runs its exclusive DNS servers every time you connect to the VPN.

Use a VPN client instead of a manual VPN connection

Instead of setting up a manual VPN connection for every server you want to connect to, use a commercial VPN client. It’s prone to less errors.

TakePrivate Internet Access, for instance. It automatically installs the required TAP drivers and adds an exception to your firewall on setup. It even has private DNS servers to fix any DNS resolver issues.

PIA has a native app ready for all major operating systems: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. With one paid subscription, you can connect up to 10 simultaneous devices.

More about PIA:

Private Internet Access

Open ports in the firewall for VPN traffic

*For protocol 47 GRE, set theRule TypetoCustom(instead ofPort). Then, selectProtocol and Portsand setProtocol typetoGRE.

If you’re an advanced PC user, you can open a CMD window with admin rights and use thenetstat -acommand to check if the ports are opened or closed.

Find out more abouthow to open firewall ports on Windows.

Add an exception to the Windows firewall

Another reason why you could be seeing VPN error 868 connection failed message on your Windows 10 computer is that yourfirewall is blocking VPN traffic.

You can easily check this by temporarily disabling the Windows firewall and trying to connect to the VPN again.

Nevertheless, we strongly recommend re-enabling the firewall and adding an exception instead, due to security reasons.

When using a premium VPN service like Private Internet Access (buy here), you don’t have to worry about this problem since PIA makes all the necessary firewall changes on setup.

Check if your antivirus is blocking VPN traffic

If you don’t have a third-party anti-malware solution installed on your PC, then you can skip this step.

It means that Windows Defender is responsible for your security, and you already added an exception to the firewall if you tried the previous solution.

Otherwise, your anti-malware tool might be the culprit for VPN error 868. You can easily tell if it shows a notification message every time you try and connect to the VPN.

You can quickly fix this problem by finding the whitelist (exception) settings of your antivirus software solution and adding your VPN service there.

Enable VPN passthrough on your router

Your router has its own firewall, depending on its firmware. As such, you should access the admin panel of your router, head over to the advanced settings section, and check the VPN passthrough settings.

Keep in mind that the configuration is different for each VPN protocol, such as PPTP and L2TP. So, make sure to only enable VPN passthrough on the protocol you need.

It’s not a good idea to enable this open for all VPN protocols just to be sure. Because you would expose your home network to hacker attacks.

We also suggest checking outrouters with built-in VPN functionality.

Refresh your network settings

Restart your computer to finalize the process.

By flushing your DNS and resetting Winsock, you are refreshing your network connectivity settings. It could help fix VPN error 868 connection failed on Windows 10.

Reset the TAP drivers

Most VPN apps require TAP driver. So, if there’s anything wrong with it, the TAP driver can cause various errors.

But you can quickly repair this problem by uninstalling the TAP device from Device Manager. It should get automatically reinstalled after scanning your PC for hardware changes.

With Private Internet Access (buy here), you just have to visit the help menu to reinstall the TAP drivers with one click.

Conclusion

To recap, you can fix VPN error 868 connection failed on Windows 10 by verifying the IP or domain name of the remote server, changing your DNS settings, and opening ports in the firewall.

You can also check if your antivirus is blocking VPN traffic, enable VPN passthrough on your router, and try other solutions.

However, we also recommend using a premium VPN service like Private Internet Access (buy here). It’s a more reliable solution than setting up manual VPN connections or using free VPNs that compromise your security.

FIX: VPN error 868 connection failed on Windows 10/11#

How do I fix VPN error 868 on Windows 10?#

Check the IP address or domain name of the remote server#

Change your DNS settings#

Use a VPN client instead of a manual VPN connection#

Private Internet Access#

Open ports in the firewall for VPN traffic#

Add an exception to the Windows firewall#

Check if your antivirus is blocking VPN traffic#

Enable VPN passthrough on your router#

Refresh your network settings#

Reset the TAP drivers#

More solutions worth trying#

Conclusion#