Among its advantages and benefits include multi-layered security against any online or offline threats, privacy protection, safer connection and browsing, password management, data, and folder encryption, all backed by three decades of innovation built and run by security enthusiasts. With such strong security, you can imagine what would happen when you try using your VPN with ESET and it gets blocked. However, this doesn’t mean that it cannot be fixed. There are solutions to resolve the blockage and get back to enjoying the VPN services as soon as possible. Check out some of the fixes listed below.

Why is ESET blocking my VPN?

ESET antivirus blocks suspicious activity and connections. It can sometimes block certain DNS requests and connections, which can happen to be your VPN’s. Another possible issue is that you mistakenly blocked the connection. When you access a new network, ESET asks you if you trust it, and if you picked No (by mistake) for your VPN, it will not let you connect. This can be easily fixed by using a trusted VPN service. Additionally, you can remove all custom rules and manually add trusted addresses to ESET’s firewall.

How can I fix VPN blocked by ESET?

1. Allow VPN access

If this doesn’t help, run the Firewall troubleshooting wizard which shows a list of recently blocked communications and lets you create the appropriate allow rule with a few clicks.

2. Pause the ESET firewall

VPN blocked by ESET can be resolved by pausing the ESET firewall until a system restart is performed. With the firewall paused, you can try to reconnect the VPN that is blocked. While the ESET firewall is paused, the protection status will turn RED to indicate that the maximum protection isn’t ensured, and your PC is now vulnerable to threats. If you are diagnosing potential firewall problems, connect the VPN that is blocked. If successful, then the problem is related to the firewall. Re-enable the firewall and complete the steps below to resolve connection issues. To do this:

3. Use another VPN

If your current VPN client is being blocked by ESET, then the easiest solution is to switch to a different provider. Private Internet Access is a reliable and ESET-compatible VPN service that works in conjunction with antivirus software to give you the maximum level of protection. Whilst ESET will safeguard your PC from being infected with malware, PIA will create a secure tunnel between your machine and the target server. This way, you reduce the likelihood of your PC being infected and you have the added benefit of having all your data encrypted and safe. Signing up for PIA takes only a few minutes: just register an account, download the client, and select a server to connect to. Moreover, once you start using Private Internet Access, you will benefit from all the other features offered:

Protection for up to 10 devices simultaneously Blocks ads, trackers and malware Unlimited bandwidth for streaming content from all over the world Over 3300 servers in more than 45 countries Cross-platform support (Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS) Support for Wireguard, PPTP, OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec protocols P2P support Out-of-the-box compatibility with other software, including ESET

4. Stop the ESET firewall from interrupting web browsing

You can do this without exposing your system to security risks. If an intrusion is detected, the system will still be protected using this method. You can create a rule to permanently allow all network traffic.

5. Disable the firewall until re-enabled by you

This can potentially expose your system to an attack and isn’t recommended unless advised by ESET’s technical support to entirely disable the firewall. To disable HTTP, POP3 and IMAP scanning, follow the steps above. Once you’re done, re-enable the firewall. The protection status won’t change to RED, though your PC will be at risk when the firewall is disabled.

6. Add a firewall exception

The troubleshooting wizard helps resolve home network connectivity issues caused by ESET firewall with a VPN blocked by ESET. This fix will allow your VPN to work on your home network. Check if the VPN can connect after doing the above.

7. Check temporary IP address blacklist and allow communication directly

The IP address of your VPN may have been added to the temporary IP address blacklist, and if it has, allow the communication directly from the list.

8. Use Firewall interactive mode

This mode helps you create personalized firewall rules to ensure your devices can connect to your home network. Network communication is handled based on predefined rules. If there are no pre-existing rules applying to a detected communication, you will be prompted to allow or deny the connection. You can make this decision by saving it as a new rule for the firewall. When the new rule is created, all future connections of this type will be allowed or blocked based on the rule. Interactive mode will let you create a customized group of rules. This mode, however, isn’t intended for prolonged use. Disable it once you establish a set of rules for use in your environment. Use it with caution especially in a corporate environment because inattentive users can create rules accidentally that may expose them to risks or hinder their ability to communicate over the network. To create a firewall exclusion in Interactive mode, here’s what to do:

9. Create a Firewall rule to permit specific connections

10. Create a rule to allow/deny a connection from a remote IP address

These solutions should help you secure your traffic with the VPN whilst using ESET to protect against malware. For those of you wondering wether ESET has a built-in VPN solution, they don’t, but it works great alongside most third-party VPNs if you configure it correctly. Did any of these solutions help? Let us know in the comments section below.

We recommend Private Internet Access, a VPN with a no-log policy, open source code, ad blocking and much more; now 79% off. Name * Email * Commenting as . Not you? Save information for future comments
Comment

Δ