Unable to establish a VPN connection on Windows 11 ARM Laptop

Hi Dave,

Thank you for reaching out to the forum support team.

It sounds like you're having trouble establishing a VPN connection on your Windows 11 ARM laptop using the in-built Microsoft VPN. Here are several troubleshooting steps and suggestions to help you resolve the issue:

Check VPN Configuration

1. Verify VPN Settings:
   • Double-check that the server name and VPN type are correctly configured.
   • Ensure that the username and password are correctly entered.
2. Change VPN Protocol:
   • PPTP is considered outdated and less secure. Try switching to a different VPN protocol like L2TP/IPsec or IKEv2 if supported by your VPN provider.

Network Settings and Services

3. Reset Network Settings:
   • Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following commands:
   cmd netsh winsock reset netsh int ip reset ipconfig /release ipconfig /renew ipconfig /flushdns

4. Check Firewall and Security Software:

• Ensure that your firewall or antivirus software is not blocking the VPN connection.
• Temporarily disable the firewall and antivirus software to see if it resolves the issue. If it does, add exceptions for the VPN.

Update and Reinstall

5. Update Windows and Drivers:
   • Ensure that your Windows 11 and all network drivers are up to date. Check for updates in "Settings" > "Windows Update."

6. Reinstall VPN Adapter:
   • Open "Device Manager," expand "Network adapters," right-click on the VPN adapter, and select "Uninstall device."
   • Restart your computer to reinstall the adapter.

Advanced Configuration

7. Configure VPN Connection Manually:
   • Sometimes setting up the VPN connection manually can resolve issues. Follow these steps:
     • Go to "Settings" > "Network & Internet" > "VPN."
     • Click "Add a VPN connection."
     • Fill in the VPN provider, connection name, server name, VPN type (e.g., L2TP/IPsec), and login credentials.
     • Click "Save" and try connecting again.

8. Check Event Viewer Logs:

• Open "Event Viewer" and navigate to "Windows Logs" > "Application" and "System."
• Look for any error messages related to the VPN connection and address them accordingly.

Alternative Solutions

9. Use a Third-Party VPN Client:
   • If the built-in VPN client is not working, consider using a third-party VPN client that supports ARM architecture. Some VPN providers offer clients specifically for ARM-based devices.
10. Contact VPN Provider Support:

• Since NordVPN is your provider, ask them if they have any specific configurations or known issues with ARM devices and Windows 11.

If after trying these steps the issue persists, please provide any error messages or logs that you encounter, and we can further investigate the problem.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Best regards,

Rosy

Hi Rosy,

I'm sorry for the very slow response and thank you so much for your help.

I tried setting up an IKEv2 IPSec VPN as you recommended and got the error "The remote connection was not made because the attempted VPN tunnels failed. The VPN server might be unreachable. If this connection is attempting to use L2TP/IPsec tunnel, the security parameters required for IPsec negotiation might not be configured correctly".

I then tried to set up OPenVPN as you recommended. I downloaded the openvpn-latest-stable-amd64.msi file from(
https://support.nordvpn.com/hc/en-us/articles/19749554331793) and tried to install it but got the error "OpenVPNMSICA: tap_create_adapter: DinstallDevice failed Error -536870397:"

From the Command Prompt run as an administrator I have run the following commands.....

1. netsh winsock reset - and then rebooted the laptop
2. netsh int ip reset - and then rebooted the laptop
3. ipconfig /release
4. ipconfig /renew
5. ipconfig /flushdns

I've tried to connect the IKEv2 IPSec VPN and got the same error as above. However when i tried to connect the PPTP VPN I got the error "Policy Match Error" rather than the previous error "
he network connection between your computer and the VPN server was interrupted. This can be caused by a problem in the VPN transmission and is commonly the result of internal latency or simply that your VPN has reached its capacity. Please try to reconnect to the VPN server. If this problem persists, contact the VPN administrator and analyse the quality of the network connectivity.”

I'm guessing this is because of the changes made to set up the IKEv2 IPSec VPN.

I've disabled the Microsoft Defender firewall and the connection to IKEv2 IPSec VPN produced the same error.

I've disabled the Advanced System Care AntiVirus software and the connection to IKEv2 IPSec VPN produced the same error.

When I opened the Network Adapters within Device Manager there was no VPN adapter to uninstall.

I've had a look at the Application and System areas within Event Manager but I can see no records relating to VPN, but then again I don't really know how to filter the log.

I've contacted NORD VPN and they suggested that I set up the IKEv2 IPSec VPN and OpenVPN - which don't work.

Do you have any other suggestions?

Kindest regards, Dave

I downloaded the openvpn-latest-stable-amd64.msi

Hi Dave,

It seems you tried to install OpenVPN for AMD64 on an ARM64 PC. Is that correct?

Have you tried the ARM version?

Regards,

Milisav

Hi Milisav

Thanks for the suggestion.

In the end it was a missing registry key that was the problem and I managed to set up a IKEv2 Sep VPN after running the command

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Rasman\Parameters\ /v NegotiateDH2048_AES256 /t REG_DWORD /d 2

Cheers, Dave

Dave,

So, OpenVPN didn't work on Windows 11 ARM64, correct?

Can you please confirm as I am looking at buying Surface laptop 7 with Snapdragon processor, but using a VPN is very important to me.

My VPN service (Private Internet Access) recommend using OpenVPN with their credentials, but if OpenVPN won't work, then I may need to re-think my options in terms of laptop purchase.

Regards,

Milisav