Windows Vista VPN Errors
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a network of computers where some of the ports are connected over the Internet. The connection is encrypted in order to ensure that all data and other information passed between ports remains private and secure. Typically a VPN is used within a corporate environment in order to ensure that Intranet and internal networks can be established with a secure connection. A VPN may also be used within a home environment to transfer files and settings from one computer to another or to share information.
Many users have experienced difficulties while attempting to establish a VPN. This is equally true of users attempting to upgrade from an XP based VPN to one on a Vista based computer. Many of the errors associated with a VPN are numerical only with little or no explanation of how or why the occurred or how to remedy the situation. The Microsoft support site does include a list of the possible VPN errors at the following link, each with a very brief explanation.
Two errors or problems, in particular, crop up on a fairly regular basis for Vista VPN users.
Error 741
When attempting to create a PPTP Virtual Private Network connection to a host server you may receive the error 741 and be unable to establish the connection. Typically, in these circumstances, it is because the server computer is running a version of the Windows operating system other than Vista while the remote computer is running Vista.
Default settings found in Vista and other Microsoft platforms differ greatly and, as such, configuring the two computers so that they are compatible should help resolve this problem effectively and relatively easily. You should first configure the server computer before progressing to configure the remote computer that will be used to access the server.
To configure the server computer:
> Click Start
> Hover over Programs
> Hover over Administration Tools
> Click Routing and Remote Access
> Click the arrow next to server_name to expand and click Remote Access Policies
> Double click Connections to Microsoft Routing and Remote Access server
> Click Edit Profile
> Select the Encryption tab
> Select Strongest Encryption
> Click OK twice
> In Services restart Routing and Remote access
To configure the remote computer:
> Click Start
> Click Connect To
> Right click the desired connection and click Properties
> Select the Security tab
> Click Advanced and then Settings
> Under Data Encryption click Maximum strength encryption (disconnect if server declines)
> Click OK twice
This configures the two computers while still ensuring that the connection is encrypted and secure. There is another method but this entails removing all security settings leaving you with an entirely unsecured VPN connection, which is not a desirable path.
A Slow VPN Connection
If you experience a VPN connection that is noticeably slower than usual or slower than you would expect then the likelihood is that you have logged on to your computer as offline and then established a VPN connection.
Vista includes a slow connection detection utility, but if you establish a connection once logged on this can take some minutes to establish fully and properly. In the meantime it is possible that your VPN will be unusually slow, but these symptoms typically pass within a few minutes of establishing your connection once the slow connection detection begins to work.
A hotfix has been released by Microsoft to combat this problem, and it is available in Windows updates. Log on, download, and install all Windows updates to remedy this situation as well as many other errors and problems that you may be experiencing.
