Antivirus & Firewall Blocking Your VPN

Security software — Windows Defender, Avast, Norton, McAfee, Bitdefender and others — can block VPN connections or TAP drivers. Here's how to add the necessary exceptions.

Quick Diagnostic Test

Temporarily disable your antivirus and Windows Firewall, then try connecting to VPNUK. If it connects successfully, your security software is the cause. Re-enable it and add the exceptions below.

Windows Firewall Exception

1. Open Windows Security → Firewall & network protection
2. Click Allow an app through firewall
3. Click Change settings, then Allow another app
4. Browse to your VPN client executable (e.g. C:\Program Files\VPNUK\vpnuk.exe or C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\bin\openvpn-gui.exe)
5. Allow both Private and Public network access
6. Click OK and try connecting

Antivirus Exceptions (General Guidance)

The exact steps vary by antivirus but generally you need to:

• Add the VPNUK or OpenVPN installation folder as an exclusion/exception
• Add the TAP-Windows virtual adapter as a trusted device
• Allow outbound UDP 1194 and TCP 443 in your firewall rules

For product-specific instructions, contact our support team or search "[your antivirus name] add exception" in your browser.