How to Improve VPN Connection Stability

A VPN that connects without trouble but then drops, stalls or stutters is frustrating, because it often fails at the worst moment. In most cases the VPN is reacting to something around it: a weak Wi-Fi signal, a phone that puts apps to sleep, a network that changes address, or a busy shared connection.

This guide shows how to find the weak link and tighten it. The checks go from the most to the least likely cause, so you can stop as soon as the connection becomes steady. Use the app or connection profile listed on your My Pass page. Settings menus vary by device, version and manufacturer, so look for similar names if yours differ.

Step 1: check that the pass is still valid

Before tuning anything, open your My Pass page and look at the end date. Validity starts when the VPN account was created, not when you first connected. A pass that ends during the day looks like a "random" disconnect. If it is near its end, renew early; the new days are added on top of any remaining days.

Step 2: improve the underlying network

A VPN is only as steady as the connection beneath it.

1. Move closer to the router, or remove thick walls and metal objects between you and it.
2. Use the 5 GHz band on your home router, if it offers one, for short distances. The 2.4 GHz band reaches farther but is more crowded.
3. Restart the router by turning it off for thirty seconds. Routers that have run for months often develop odd behaviour.
4. Use a cable where possible on a computer. A wired connection avoids many wireless problems.
5. Reduce competition. Large downloads, video calls and cloud backups on the same network can make a VPN stall. Pause them as a test.
6. Test mobile data. If the VPN is steady there, your Wi-Fi is the weak link.

Delay and variation in delay (often called latency and jitter) can make a connection feel unstable even when it technically stays up. Cloudflare explains latency if you want the background. Speed changes with a VPN are covered in our article on why internet speed changes with a VPN.

Step 3: stop the device from putting the VPN to sleep

Phones and laptops save power by pausing background apps and network radios. That can look like a VPN drop.

• On phones, allow the VPN app to run in the background and exclude it from battery optimisation or low power modes. The wording varies by manufacturer and system version.
• On laptops, check that the power plan does not turn off the network adapter to save energy.
• Keep the screen awake while testing, to see if the problem only occurs after locking.
• Close duplicate VPN, proxy or "network booster" apps. Two apps that both manage the network often conflict.

Step 4: try another connection method

VPNs can use different connection methods, also called protocols. In general, some handle changing networks gracefully, while others suit strict networks better. If you want to understand the idea, read what a VPN protocol is; it covers protocols in general. WireGuard and OpenVPN are two well-known examples. Your own options are the ones listed on the My Pass page.

1. Disconnect the VPN.
2. Switch to a different connection method if your My Pass page offers one.
3. Reconnect and use the connection for at least thirty minutes in the situation that caused the drops.
4. If it improves, keep that method. If not, return to the first one.

Step 5: reduce changes in the network path

• Moving between Wi-Fi and mobile data resets the connection because your device receives a new network address. Stay on one network when you need a steady session.
• On trains, in cars and in crowded places, signals come and go. Expect brief reconnects, and see reconnecting when the VPN disconnects.
• Hotel, airport and cafe networks may sign you out of their portal every hour or so. Re-authenticate there first, as described in connecting on public Wi-Fi.
• Disable other VPNs, proxies and content filters while testing.

Step 6: keep software current

1. Update the operating system and the VPN app.
2. Restart the device after major updates.
3. If drops began right after an update, reconnect cleanly, remove and re-add the connection profile, and check whether the problem persists.

A simple example

Someone works from a cafe and notices the VPN drops every fifteen minutes. The pass is valid. They test mobile data, and the VPN holds for an hour, which points to the cafe Wi-Fi. They sit nearer the router, close a cloud backup that was saturating the connection, and the drops stop. The VPN had never been the cause.

Limits and what to watch for

• No setting can make a bad network good. If the signal is weak or the venue throttles traffic, a VPN will feel worse too.
• Changing connection methods can help, but it is not guaranteed to.
• Brief disconnects when switching networks are normal behaviour, not a fault.
• Avoid sensitive activity when you are not sure the VPN is connected. Use how to check if your VPN is working after any reconnect.

When to contact support

If the pass is active and drops continue on several networks and devices, contact us through account support or the contact page. Tell us how often the drops happen, which devices and networks are affected, the connection method used, and the approximate times. Please do not include your password.

Summary

Confirm the pass, strengthen the underlying network, stop the device from sleeping the app, try another connection method, limit network changes and keep software updated. For more help, browse the Help Center.