VPN and Firewall Troubleshooting steps

VPN Troubleshooting Steps: 

1. Restart the VPN software: if you're noticing connectivity problems, restarting your VPN application can get things running smoothly again. If your VPN has its own desktop-based app, close it down and restart it.  If the VPN is a browser-based plug-in, close your browser and restart it.
2. If restarting doesn't help: try uninstalling and then reinstalling the VPN as an additional measure. This has been known to help if a VPN is slow to connect, crashes frequently, or connects to the client network but does not allow the user to perform actions like opening links.
3. Clear your device of old VPN software: try disabling or—even better—uninstalling any previous VPN software packages that you might have used, and see if this resolves your issue.
4. Make sure your VPN is up to date: if your VPN software is regularly updated, perhaps a bug has already been resolved. Try updating the VPN software to ensure you have their latest version.
5. Connect using a different VPN protocol: if there are issues with your connection, testing out changes to protocol settings could be the solution.
6. Make sure your VPN is compatible with the site or service: make sure your VPN is able to access the service you’re trying to use. Although VPNs are incredibly sophisticated at circumventing geographically blocked sites, the sites themselves can be just as clever. This is relevant to Digital Samba in terms of using web apps or sharing your screen.
7. Check your firewall: some firewalls are incompatible with VPNs. You may need to try temporarily disabling your firewall to see if this has any effect on your VPN connection.

Steps for Windows Firewall Troubleshooting

Sometimes, an overly aggressive security firewall might be blocking your connection to Digital Samba. You can temporarily turn off the Windows Firewall to see if it's causing the problem. To do this:

1. Click the Start menu, then click on Control Panel.
2. Select Windows Firewall. (If your control panel is in category view, click Security Center to see the Windows Firewall icon.)
3. A new window will appear displaying firewall settings. Click "Off."
4. Click OK to close the control panel window.
5. Try connecting to a Digital Samba meeting and see if this has solved your connectivity problem.
6. After you leave the Digital Samba meeting, open the Windows Firewall control panel again and turn it On to ensure your computer is protected.

If this test solved the problem, that means that Windows Firewall is blocking the connections. If so, it may help to restore the firewall to the original settings that came with your computer. The instructions below explain how to do this.

To reset the Windows Firewall:

1. Click the Start menu, then choose Control Panel.
2. Click Windows Firewall. (If your control panel is in category view, click Security Center to see the Windows Firewall icon.)
3. A new window will appear, showing the firewall settings.
4. Click the Advanced tab.
5. Click the Restore Defaults button. Windows will ask you if you want to continue; click Yes.
6. Click OK to close the control panel window.