There's an official workaround for the Windows 11 build 25284 VPN issue

We previously presented the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview build for the Dev Channel, which came in the form of build 25284.

If you checked it out, you know that some Insiders may have issues accessing websites and other resources via VPN connections. 

Thus, if you have this problem, we are happy to announce that Microsoft has provided a workaround while it works on a permanent solution.

We also have a guide for your Windows 11 VPN issues if you are on the stable version of the OS, not the experimental Insider versions.

In lack of a solution, Microsoft has a workaround

As you know, earlier today. Microsoft rolled out build 25284 in Windows 11 Dev Channel, with a new widget for Facebook Messenger along with numerous bug fixes for Taskbar, System Tray, Search, windowing, and more.

It also comes with numerous known issues. While Microsoft is still investigating some of them, it has issued a temporary workaround for one of them.

The short version is that some Windows Insiders on this build may experience problems while trying to access certain websites through a VPN connection.

And, since VPN connections are primarily leveraged in corporate and enterprise environments and you shouldn’t really be using Insider builds for work, unless you’re an IT admin testing a new build for work purposes, the problem is not expected to affect most users.

So, if you are affected by this problem, keep in mind that Microsoft has documented the issue and detailed a workaround.

What can I do if I have this problem?

1. Click the Start button or the Win key on your keyboard
2. Search for Edit group policy and launch it to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
3. In the navigation pane on the left, expand to Computer Configuration, then Administrative Templates, Network, and finally DNS Client.
4. In the right pane, double-click Configure NetBIOS settings.
5. In the pop-up window, select Enabled at the top, and in the corresponding Configure NetBIOS options drop-down, select Allow NetBIOS name resolution.
6. Click OK.
7. Double-click Turn off multicast name resolution.
8. In the corresponding window, select the Disabled radio button.
9. Click OK.
10. Close the Local Group Policy Editor and restart your PC.

Please keep in mind that, ideally, you should only be applying this workaround if you find yourself impacted by the VPN issue mentioned earlier.

You also need to understand that Microsoft may resolve the problem in a more permanent fashion in future builds, and then you’ll have to roll back all of these changes.

Have you managed to solve the issue using the workaround Microsoft has provided for the Windows 11 Preview build 25284?