In this tutorial, you will learn how to fix unstable VPN connection issues on your Windows device.
Change the default protocol used on the Surfshark app
Launch the Surfshark app.
Go to Settings > VPN Settings. This is where you will find an option to change the default protocol.
Try other locations
For various reasons, such as server load or technical issues on the server, one location might provide a more stable connection than others.
To change the location, open the Locations page on your Surfshark app; here, you will find the full list of our servers. Try to test at least several different servers and see if the issue persists.
Disable potentially interfering apps
Some apps might have taken over network control on your device. This can sometimes interfere with Surfshark (or any other VPN) connection.
This applies to other VPNs, firewalls, file-sharing apps, and especially anti-virus software. If you have any of those, try disabling them.
Then, reboot your device and see if the connection gets any better.
Switch to a different network
Connectivity issues might be network-specific. This often happens if the Internet provider applies some restrictions on its network. To see if this is the case, try to check if connectivity issues remain connected to a different network.
You can easily do that by sharing a mobile hotspot with your mobile device or trying a different Wi-Fi connection.
Reinstall the Surfshark app
Sometimes, a reinstall of the Surfshark app can rectify most of the connection issues you are facing.
Reboot your device
This may sound simple, but it will kill unnecessary apps' background processes and reset your network to give you a fresh start.
Remove parental/security controls on your router
Some network providers might have enabled network security features on your network. Most often, such features are parental controls or some "Safe DNS" function.
Setting custom DNS on your router will do the trick. Check the following steps:
- Navigate to your router's network settings.
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Change DNS to:
DNS1: 162.252.172.57
DNS2: 149.154.159.92
Set custom DNS
Your Internet service provider often provides default DNS servers. In many cases, it's not the best option performance-wise.
Here's a guide on how to set custom DNS.
Turn off IPv6
IPv6 is a networking system that some Internet networks might have. Surfshark does not support IPv6 at the moment, so if you have it on your network, connectivity issues may arise.
Check out if you have IPv6 on your network. If that’s the case, disable it.
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