VPN Connection Troubleshooting

There are a fair few issues that can arise in a setup as complex as this. You may be able to use the information below to resolve the issue yourself, or you can raise a ticket to the support email address and we will assist (which may include directing you to undertake one of the steps below).

You can only connect to a Remote Workstation after having successfully connected to the VPN

Do not send technical support requests regarding the VPN to Student Services or Student Experience, they will not be able to help you with these issues other than forwarding them to us

 

Issues connecting to the VPN

These are issues that may crop up after you have already used the VPN successfully, or sometimes when you have completed part of the setup but something went wrong along the way.

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Error: "The remote connection was denied because the user name and password combination you provided is not recognized..."

This will normally mean that it's a problem with your username and password.

• Ensure you are using your Escape workstation login. This is not the login for any email accounts or for blackboard. For some it will be in the format of your student number, with PCL then eight or fewer digits, e.g. PCL14003102. For others it may be first initial, then surname, e.g. tstark.  The password will be the same as you would use with that username, it will not be automatically kept in sync with any other accounts.
• To connect to the VPN itself, the username should be in the format domain\username - the username part is described above, and the domain part is listed on your connection instructions. Ensure it's a backslash (next to the Z key on a UK keyboard) and not a forward slash
• To connect to a Remote Workstation, just use the username on its own.
• If you have recently changed your Escape workstation password, including inside the remote session itself, you will need to update it for the VPN connection settings. See document linked here
• The password might have expired as they need to be changed on a periodic basis. You can change it by logging in onsite with your old password, and you will be prompted to change immediately. If you cannot come in, contact support
• Your account may have expired due to the conclusion of your studies with us

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Error: The network connection between your computer and the VPN server could not be established because the remote server is not responding...

The wording of this error implies that the problem is on the remote side, however this is very unlikely to actually be the case. What's more likely, is that something either on your computer or your router/connection is not allowing traffic to pass.

In all cases, you should first restart your computer and try again. We know, it's a cliché, but please indulge us. If you skip this step it will significantly lengthen the time it takes to resolve your issue if it turns out that was all that was needed.

If you've not successfully connected before, temporarily uninstall (remove) any other VPN software that might be installed, specifically anything that uses its own interface/software, restart your computer and attempt to connect again.

When connecting for the first time, you may get this error whilst attempting to connect using the VPN shortcut near the clock. Try going into the VPN Settings (click start and type VPN), then selecting the EscapeVPN and clicking "Connect". If it works from here you should only need to do it once, not every time.

Otherwise, please raise a ticket with support providing the following information:

• When the connection last worked if at all
• Any changes to your internet connection (new router, new ISP)
• Anything recently installed on your computer, applications, utitilies, games etc
• When you last installed any operating system updates

You might also like to check some of the settings mentioned in other errors in this guide.

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Error: The connection was terminated by the remote computer before it could be completed
Error: A certificate could not be found. Connections that use the L2TP protocol over IPSec require the installation of a machine certificate

These errors have been known to occur when some of the settings in the connection change from what they should be, or for first-time users, did not get set up correctly during the installation. They can be checked and reverted through the following process on Windows 10.

Note: On Windows 11, you should click start, type ncpa.cpl and press enter, then start from step 3

1. Click Start and type VPN, and open the VPN Settings
2. Under Related settings, choose "Change adapter options"
   
3. Right-click the EscapeVPN entry and choose Properties
   
4. On the "Security" tab, ensure all options and tick boxes EXACTLY match those in the screenshot below
   
5. Click "Advanced settings" and ensure there is something entered for the preshared key. If it is blank then that's the problem, and you should enter the key as mentioned in your initial instructions. Even if it is not blank, re-enter the correct key just in case.
   
6. Now click OK on all the open dialog boxes and accept all changes before trying again. It's also worth restarting your computer at this point too

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Error: A connection to the remote computer could not be established. You might need to change the network settings for this connection.

 

This issue is likely to affect Windows user only and is a problem with drivers of your system.

1. Open Device Manager, press the Windows button and type Device Manager then click Device Manager to open
2. Press the dropdown arrow for Network adapters, right click WAN Miniport (SSTP) and select Uninstall device

3. Repeat uninstalling devices for all WAN Miniports listed below:

• WAN Miniport (PPTP)
• WAN Miniport (PPPOE)
• WAN Miniport (Network Monitor)
• WAN Miniport (L2TP)
• WAN Miniport (IPv6)
• WAN Miniport (IP)
• WAN Miniport (IKEv2)

4. Then click the Action menu item and select Scan for hardware changes, this will re-install the Wan Miniport items refreshing the ability to connect to Escape VPN