Skip to main content
Cisco Meraki Documentation

Troubleshooting Client VPN

Use this article to troubleshoot, identify and resolve common client VPN connectivity issues.

Common Causes

  • Blocked ports: Verify UDP traffic on ports 500 and 4500 is not reaching the MX security appliance. Check the firewall rules or access control lists on all firewalls between the client and MX security appliance. Try connecting from a client device using a different ISP.
  • Client misconfiguration: Verify the client is configured correctly. See Client VPN OS Configuration for more information.
  • User account issue: Verify the account is authorized to connect to VPN. Reset the password or connect with a working set of credentials to further isolate the issue. 
  • Device-specific issue: Try connecting with a different device to verify if it is a device-specific issue. Reset network settings or reset the device if available.

Additional Troubleshooting

Max Sessions per User Account

For security purposes, we limit each user's account to five (5) simultaneous VPN connections to an MX security appliance. If you need to change this number, please contact Cisco Meraki Support.

Slow Connections

If the connection over VPN appears slow, first identify if the connection is slow for everything over the tunnel or only for specific resources. If the connection is slow to an application but normal for other resources via the tunnel, the issue is not likely related to the VPN connection. 

VPN speeds depend on a lot of factors including bandwidth on the MX security appliance and client side, number of clients connected to MX or number of VPN tunnels on the MX.