Norton Secure VPN Stopped Working (7 Easy Solutions)

June 2024 · 5 minute read
Norton Secure VPN stopped working

Norton Secure VPN is a VPN service created by Symantec, the renown security company.

You can use it to change your IP address, encrypt your data traffic, and protect your online privacy when browsing the web.

However, many users say that Norton Secure VPN stopped working on their devices, gets stuck trying to connect, frequently disconnects, and other similar issues.

If this sounds familiar, check out our easy troubleshooting guide below and easily fix Norton Secure VPN by following our instructions.

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How do I fix Norton Secure VPN if it stopped working?

If you don’t have Internet access on your Windows PC, make sure to solve that problem before attending to Norton Secure VPN.

Plus, there might be a problem with your router, which you can easily check by temporarily switching to wired mode.

It’s also a good idea to regularly run Internet speed tests and see if your connection has any discrepancies.

It might not be strong or stable enough to handle the encryption process of a VPN service.

  • Press the Win key, type firewall, and select Firewall & network protection
  • Click Allow an app through firewall
  • Click Change settings (you need elevation rights)
  • Find Norton Secure VPN on this list and enable the Private and Public options
  • If it’s not on this list, click Allow another app to locate it

    • The instructions above make sure that VPN traffic is enabled in the Windows firewall, specifically for Norton Secure VPN.

    If you have a firewall application installed, carefully adapt the steps above.

    Make sure to keep Norton Secure VPN updated to the latest version. Otherwise, it might not work properly on your device.

    If you encounter the Update Required: A critical update has been downloaded and must be installed before continuing to use Norton Secure VPN message, then you have to remove and reinstall Norton Secure VPN.

    It’s also a solution to fix any problems you might have with the Symantec TAP driver (in Device Manager).

  • On Windows 10, right-click the Start button and select Network Connections
  • Click Change adapter options
  • Right-click your Internet connection and select Properties
  • Double-click Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)
  • Select Use the following DNS server addresses
  • Set Preferred DNS server to 8.8.8.8
  • Set Alternate DNS server to 8.8.4.4
  • Click OK
  • Try to connect with Norton Secure VPN

    • These instructions should resolve any issues you might have with your DNS resolver on your PC, such as slow page loading time. It could also be why Norton Secure VPN doesn’t work.

    But you can quickly fix this by using other DNS servers. We used Google Public DNS in our example above, which provides free and public DNS servers that improve your online security and speed up your Internet connection

    Find out more about how to change DNS settings on Windows PC.

    If Norton Secure VPN doesn’t connect, there might be a problem with the server. Perhaps there are too many users connected to that server or it’s currently down for maintenance.

    To fix this problem, try connecting to another virtual location from the list.

  • Right-click the Windows Start button and select Device Manager
  • Expand Network Adapters
  • Right-click WAN Miniport (IKEv2) and select Uninstall device
  • Do the same thing for WAN Miniport drivers (IP) and WAN Miniport drivers (IPv6)
  • Open the Action menu and click Scan for hardware changes
  • Try using Norton Secure VPN again

    • If your VPN connection fails on your PC, it might be due to WAN Miniport functionality issues. But you can easily fix this problem by reinstalling those devices.

  • Run cmd with elevation rights: press Ctrl + R, type cmd, hold Ctrl + Shift and press Enter
  • Copy and paste the next lines (press Enter between each line)
    • ipconfig /flushdns ipconfig /registerdns ipconfig /release ipconfig /renew NETSH winsock reset catalog NETSH int ipv4 reset reset.log NETSH int ipv6 reset reset.log exit

    Reboot your PC and try connecting to Norton Secure VPN again.

    Flushing your DNS servers and resetting Winsock are quick ways to refresh your network settings on Windows.

  • Press the Start button, type certificates, and select Manage computer certificates
  • Open the Personal folder on the left side
  • Look for SurfEasy in the Issued By column
  • If there are multiple SurfEasy entries, delete the old ones by taking into account the Expiration Date
  • Do the same in the Trusted Root Certification Authorities and Intermediate Certification Authorities folders

    • Old and expired certificates could be the reason why Norton Secure VPN suddenly stopped working on your computer. You just have to find and delete them.

    If you can’t get Norton Secure VPN to work, it’s time to consider switching to a better VPN service. And we can’t think of a better alternative than Private Internet Access.

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    Tired of dealing with Norton Secure VPN functionality issues? Switch to a better VPN service for your PC, Mac, Android, and iOS device.

    Conclusion

    To recap, the solutions above should help you fix Norton Secure VPN if it stopped working or won’t connect on your PC.

    You can check your Internet connection, add an exception in the firewall, verify the root certificates, and so on.

    However, if it’s a recurring issue, consider dropping support for Norton Secure VPN and choosing a better, more reliable VPN service for your computer and network: Private Internet Access (buy here).

    Your connection is not secure - websites you visit can find out your details:

    Companies can sell this information, alongside your location and internet provider name, and profit from it by serving targeted ads or monitoring your data usage.

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