Connectivity
Troubleshooting VPN connections for remote staff
When a remote user cannot connect, work from the outside in: their internet first, then the client, then credentials, then the gateway. Jumping straight to the hard causes wastes time when the simple ones are far more common.
Step one, confirm basic internet
Can they load a normal website? If not, the VPN is not the problem yet. Fix the connection first.
Step two, the client
Confirm the VPN client is running and updated, then have them fully quit and reopen it. A surprising share of cases end here.
Step three, credentials and MFA
A recent password change is a frequent cause. If they reset a password earlier today, the VPN may still expect the old one. Confirm any multi factor prompt is being approved and not timing out.
Step four, the gateway and conflicts
Check whether the issue is one user or many. If many, the gateway or a service may be down, and that is an escalation, not a per user fix. For a single user, a conflicting second VPN, a restrictive local network, or split tunnel settings can block the connection.
Document the fix
Record which step resolved it. Over time these notes show you which causes are worth checking first for your environment.