Fix: VPN Error 809 on Windows 10 & 11

VPN

4 min. read

Updated on November 21, 2023

by Milan Stanojevic

updated on November 21, 2023

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Key notes

If you receive the VPN error 809, it means that the network connection between your computer and the VPN server could not be established because the remote server is not responding.
You can easily fix this error by following our instructions below. However, the best long-term solution is to use a native VPN app instead of a manual VPN connection.
Discover more solutions to similar issues in our VPN Errors Code section.
Join our VPN Troubleshooting Hub to master your VPN service.

VPN error 809 is usually caused by the firewall between the client and server, which blocks the ports used by the VPN tunnel.

On top of that, Windows doesn’t support IPsec NAT-T security associations to servers behind a NAT device by default.

When the error appears, the event log too won’t display any related logs because the traffic can’t reach the MX’s WAN interface. But you should be able to solve it on Windows 10.

Here’s the error message we’re talking about.

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How can I fix VPN error 809 on Windows 10?

Enable the ports on your firewall or router

You need to open the ports on your firewall or router, depending on which VPN protocol you’re using.

Port 1723 over TCP for PPTP
Port 500 or 4500 over UDP for L2TP/IPsec or IKEv2/IPsec

If this is not possible, deploy the SSTP- or OpenVPN-based tunnel on your VPN provider.

This allows the VPN connection to work across the firewall, NAT, and web proxies.

Find out more about how to fix VPN blocked by Windows Firewall.

Use a VPN client instead of a manual VPN connection

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Windows 10 is prone to various problems, including VPN errors like 809. It can be the result of incorrect network settings.

Even if you manage to fix the issue, it doesn’t mean you won’t face it again.

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Make a small modification to the system registry

Right-click Start and select Run
Type regedit and press Enter
Go to this location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesPolicyAgent
Open the Edit menu, go to New, and click DWORD (32-bit) Value
Type AssumeUDPEncapsulationContextOnSendRule and press Enter
Double-click the AssumeUDPEncapsulationContextOnSendRule entry
- Set Base to Hexadecimal
- Set Value data to 2
- Click OK
Restart your PC.

NOTE

Some third-party network apps can cause VPN error 809, like SmartByte, so disabling it can also fix the problem and let your VPN connect again.

Disable Xbox Live Networking services

Type services in the search box
Click on Services from search results
Find Xbox Live Networking Services and disable it
Check if your VPN connection works and if the error 809 disappears

If your anti-malware solution is not compatible with Windows 10, it could break down your IPsec connections.

So you should temporarily disable it to see if it’s the root of VPN error 809.

Discover more about how to bypass VPN blocks on Windows 10 PC.

Check PAP settings

Click Start and select Settings
Select Network and Internet
Click VPN on the left pane
Click Add a VPN connection and use the following:
- For VPN provider, use Windows (built-in)
- For Connection Name, write anything you like as this will be shown on the interface
- For Server name or address, write the external hostname of your VPN
- For VPN type, choose L2TP/IPsec
- For Type of sign-in info, select Username and password
- Click Save
Select Change adapter options
Right-click the connection you created and select Properties
Under the Security tab, click Advanced Settings
Click Use pre-shared key
Enter the PSK and click OK
Set Data encryption to Maximum Strength
Under Authentication, select Allow these protocols
Tick the PAP box only
Restart your computer

In conclusion, you should be able to fix the VPN error 809 on your Windows 10 PC by opening ports in your firewall or router.

You can also make a tiny modification to your system registry and check PAP settings when creating the VPN connection.

However, the surest way to get rid of VPN errors is by using a native VPN app for Windows instead of setting up a manual VPN connection.

And we can’t think of a more suited VPN provider than Private Internet Access.