How to Troubleshoot a VPN on Mac

On a Mac, a VPN that will not connect or keeps dropping usually comes down to a short list of causes: a pass that is not ready or has ended, a login detail with a typo, an install that did not finish, a network that interferes, or the Mac going to sleep. A small change in one place can fix a problem that looked much bigger.

This guide goes from the most likely cause to the least likely. Test the connection after each step, and stop as soon as it works. Use the app or connection profile shown on your My Pass page. Menu names change between macOS versions, so treat the names below as descriptions. If you have not set the VPN up yet, start with setting up a VPN on macOS.

Quick map: symptom and likely cause

What you see	Most likely cause	Go to
Login rejected	Typo or stray space in username or password, or the pass has ended	Steps 1 and 2
Stays on "connecting"	Network blocking the connection, or an install that did not finish	Steps 3 and 4
Connected but nothing loads	DNS problem, hotel or cafe login page not completed, or a stale session	Steps 3 and 6
Drops after a few minutes	Weak Wi-Fi, power saving or another network tool interfering	Steps 5 and 7
Drops after sleep or lid close	The Mac paused its network while asleep	Step 5
Worked yesterday, fails today	Pass expiry, macOS update or changed network	Steps 1, 4 and 8

Step 1: confirm your pass is ready and active

1. Sign in to your My Pass page and read the status. If it says your VPN is still being prepared, wait for the email and refresh the page. Login details appear only on My Pass, never by email.
2. Read the end date. Validity starts when the VPN account was created, not when you first connected. If the pass has ended, renew it. New days are added on top of any that remain.
3. If you reached My Pass from an email, remember the sign-in link works once. Request a new one from the sign-in page if it no longer opens.

Step 2: check your login details

Wrong credentials are the most common reason for a failed sign-in.

1. On My Pass, show the username and password, and use the copy buttons.
2. Paste them into the VPN app or the VPN settings field. Do not retype them, because capital letters, zeros and the letter O, or a trailing space are easy to get wrong.
3. Make sure you are signing in to the VPN client, not to your email or to the XPASS website.
4. If you added the VPN manually in macOS settings, compare every field with what My Pass shows. A single wrong character will stop the connection.

Step 3: test the Mac's network without the VPN

1. Disconnect the VPN and open a normal website. If it does not load, the problem is your Wi-Fi or Ethernet, not the VPN. Restart the router or switch network.
2. Try a different network, such as a phone hotspot. If the VPN connects there, the first network is the cause. Hotels, offices, schools and cafes sometimes restrict VPN traffic.
3. On public networks, open a browser and finish the login page first. A VPN cannot connect before the network lets your Mac online.
4. Remember that some networks need a minute to settle after you join them.

Step 4: check the install and macOS security

VPNclient is installed by an installer that asks for your Mac password. If you closed the installer early or cancelled the password box, the app may not work.

1. If the install was cancelled or the app will not open, open vpnclient.dmg again and double-click VPNClient. Click Open when macOS asks, then click Next, Install, enter your Mac password and click Finish.
2. If macOS says it cannot open the installer or the app, open System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll to the lower part of the page and click Open Anyway next to the VPNclient message. Do this only for the file from the official link.
3. On a Mac with Apple silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4 or newer), macOS may ask to install Rosetta the first time. Click Install, wait until it finishes, then open the app again.
4. If it still does not start, download the file again from the official link on My Pass and repeat the install.

Step 5: stop sleep and power saving from breaking the tunnel

When a Mac sleeps, it pauses its network. After wake-up, a VPN session often has to be set up again.

• After waking the Mac, wait ten seconds for Wi-Fi to return, then disconnect and reconnect the VPN once.
• On a MacBook, check Battery settings for Low Power Mode. Turn it off as a test, because it can reduce network activity.
• Check sleep and display settings. If you rely on a long download or a call, keep the Mac awake while it runs.
• Turn the VPN back on after you change networks. Moving from one Wi-Fi network to another ends the old session, and the app may need a moment to notice.
• Weak Wi-Fi causes drops that look like VPN faults. Move closer to the router, or use Ethernet for a test.

For a wider set of tips, read the guides on improving VPN connection stability and what to do when the VPN disconnects.

Step 6: reconnect cleanly and refresh DNS

1. Disconnect the VPN from the app.
2. Quit the app fully, using Quit from its menu rather than only closing the window.
3. Open it again and connect.
4. If your My Pass page lists more than one connection method, try the other one.
5. If the VPN says it is connected but sites do not load, the problem may be DNS, the system that turns site names into addresses. Disconnect, restart the Mac, reconnect and test again. If you are comfortable with Terminal, you can clear the DNS cache, but a restart does much the same and carries less risk. For background on DNS, see what DNS is.
6. Confirm success with how to check if your VPN is working.

Step 7: check other tools that touch the network

Other software on your Mac can interfere with a VPN.

• Another VPN or proxy. Turn it off while you test. Two tunnels at once often conflict.
• Security or content-filter software. Firewalls, antivirus tools and parental filters can block or reroute VPN traffic. Pause them briefly as a test, then decide whether to keep them paused. Do not leave your Mac unprotected.
• Network settings you changed by hand. Custom DNS servers or proxy settings in the Network pane can break a connection. Return them to automatic as a test.
• Private Wi-Fi address. In the details for a Wi-Fi network, macOS may offer a private Wi-Fi address option. If a network keeps a list of approved devices, turning it off for that network can help.

Step 8: update, then reset only as a last step

1. Update macOS and the VPN app. An update can fix a bug, and if the app stops opening after a macOS update, repeat Step 4.
2. If the problem remains, uninstall and reinstall the app, then sign in using the details from My Pass. Have them ready first.
3. Resetting network settings by deleting network services affects everything on the Mac, so use that only if you are confident and have noted your Wi-Fi details.

A simple example

Lena works from a cafe on a MacBook. At home the VPN connects, but in the cafe it hangs on "connecting". Her pass is active and her details are pasted correctly. Her phone hotspot works with the VPN, which points at the cafe network. She opens a browser, notices the cafe's login page never finished loading, completes it, and the VPN connects. Later in the day it drops when she closes the lid and reopens it. She waits for Wi-Fi to return, reconnects once, and the session holds.

Common mistakes

• Retyping the password. Always copy and paste from My Pass.
• Cancelling the installer. If the app does not work, run the installer again and check Privacy and Security.
• Testing only on one network. A second network quickly shows whether the fault is the Mac or the network.
• Running two VPNs. Turn the other one off before testing.
• Resetting too early. A restart and a clean reconnect fix most cases without touching saved settings.

Limits and what to watch for

• Some networks restrict VPN traffic, and no setting on your Mac can change that.
• macOS may end a VPN session when the Mac sleeps or changes networks. A quick reconnect is normal.
• Keep your own passwords private. Do not share them in screenshots or messages.
• A full network reset also removes Wi-Fi settings, so write them down first.

When to contact support

If your pass is active and these steps have not helped, contact us through account support or the contact page. Tell us your Mac model, macOS version, the connection method you tried, the network type, when the problem began and any message shown. Do not include your password.

Summary

Check your pass and login details first, then test the network without the VPN, check the install and macOS security, handle sleep and power saving, reconnect cleanly and look at other tools that touch the network. Update and reset only when the earlier steps fail. For more guidance, browse the Help Center.