Fix Bitdefender VPN error 9, 2, 182 and others on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS

1. Check Internet access

Make sure your device is connected to the Internet with a fast and stable connection.

2. Address public Wi-Fi restrictions

If you’re on a public Wi-Fi (like in a hotel, school, or office), contact the owner/network administrator to see if they can change the firewall settings to allow the Bitdefender VPN connection.

3. Lower strict Firewall settings

Make sure your firewall app or router firewall isn’t blocking the VPN. If you’re not sure, consult your router’s manual, contact the manufacturer, or reach out to your Internet provider for help.

4. Restart your PC

Usually, if you’re having trouble with Bitdefender VPN, just turning your computer off and then back on again can fix the problem. This works when the operating system or other services don’t start up properly.

If you restart Windows and are still experiencing VPN errors, continue with the steps below.

5. Change your DNS

Are you using the standard DNS (Domain Name System) from your internet provider? If so, you might want to consider using a third-party DNS server that could be faster and more reliable.

• We’ve got a short video that shows you how to make the switch on a Windows computer, or you can read our step-by-step guide How to change your DNS server on Windows.

6. Refresh the Internet connection

If you’ve done everything we’ve suggested but Bitdefender VPN still can’t connect, it’s possible there’s a problem with your network settings. The solution involves using five commands to refresh your internet connection. Follow these steps:

1. Click the Windows Start ⊞ menu on your screen and type in cmd
2. Right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and choose the Run as administrator option.
3. This will open a black window with some text. In the black window, type exactly ipconfig /release then press the Enter key on your keyboard. Wait a moment.
4. Next, type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter again. Wait a moment.
5. Type ipconfig /renew and press Enter once more. Wait a moment.
6. Type netsh winsock reset and press Enter. Give it a little time.
7. Lastly, type netsh int ip reset and press Enter. Wait a bit.
8. After you’ve entered all the commands and they’ve finished running, restart your computer to apply changes.

Now check to see if you can connect to Bitdefender VPN.

7. Reinstall Bitdefender VPN

If you’re still having issues, reinstall Bitdefender VPN to make sure all the VPN files are intact, and you have the latest version:

1. Uninstall Bitdefender VPN using the instructions provided here.
2. Then, reinstall Bitdefender VPN with a new kit downloaded from here.

8. Try another network

If the VPN errors persist after going through the previous steps, something on your local network is most likely still blocking the connection to the Bitdefender servers.

Check if you can use Bitdefender VPN after connecting your computer to another network (Wi-Fi, hotspot, Ethernet cable, etc.).

• To learn how to set up a hotspot on your iPhone or iPad access this link.
• Go here to learn how to set up a hotspot on Android phones.

If Bitdefender VPN is working when the PC is using another internet connection contact your network administrator or your Internet provider to determine which network or router settings may be blocking the VPN connection.

9. Sign-in again

To make sure you are signed in with the right Central account and the VPN app communicates properly with Bitdefender Central, use the Switch Account feature:

1. Click Settings at the top of the Bitdefender VPN window.
2. Next, select My Account on the left hand side menu and click on Switch Account.
3. Enter the email & password associated with your Bitdefender Central account, then try again to connect to VPN.

10. Disable other VPN & Networking apps

If the computer is already connected to another VPN app, then a second simultaneous connection from Bitdefender VPN will not be possible.

1. Disconnect from any other VPN software before trying to connect to Bitdefender VPN.
2. Uninstall any networking and web filtering software that aims to optimize the network card. These tools can have a negative impact on VPN functioning. In particular, these two programs are known to cause errors in Bitdefender VPN:

• • Intel Killer Intelligence Center also known as Killer Control Center, Killer Performance Driver Suite, or Killer Performance Suite. You can either uninstall the entire Killer suite as it’s a non-essential component or only disable the Advanced Stream Detect option.
  • Safe Browsing from Easy Solutions. This URL filtering app will cause the error 182 (TunnelConnect) in Bitdefender VPN when is present on the PC.

11. Enable the VPN adapter

Make sure the Bitdefender VPN adapter is enabled:

1. Click the Windows Start ⊞ menu, type in NCPA.CPL then hit Enter on your keyboard.

2. The Network Connections window will pop up. Right-click on TAP-Windows Adapter V9 and select Enable if it’s disabled.

3. Try again to connect to Bitdefender VPN.

1. Check Internet access

Make sure your device is connected to the Internet with a fast and stable connection.

2. Address public Wi-Fi restrictions

If you’re on a public Wi-Fi (like in a hotel, school, or office), contact the owner/network administrator to see if they can change the firewall settings to allow the Bitdefender VPN connection.

3. Lower strict Firewall settings

Make sure your firewall app or router firewall isn’t blocking the VPN:

• Turn off any third-party firewall apps (e.g., Little Snitch) running on your Mac and router. If you’re not sure how to do this, refer to your router’s manual, contact the manufacturer, or reach out to your Internet provider for assistance.
• To turn off the built-in macOS firewall, follow these steps – How to turn off the Firewall on macOS.

4. Restart your Mac

Usually, if you’re having trouble with Bitdefender VPN, just turning your Mac off and then back on again can fix the problem. This works when macOS or other services don’t start up properly.

• If you restart the Mac and are still experiencing VPN errors, continue with the steps below.

5. Uninstall other VPNs

Other VPN applications such as Kaspersky VPN, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, etc. may generate connection errors if installed on the same Mac as Bitdefender VPN.

• Therefore, make sure to uninstall other VPNs if Bitdefender VPN encounters connection errors. Consult the manufacturer’s documentation to find out how you can uninstall their VPN application if the standard uninstall instructions don’t work.

6. Change your DNS

Are you using the standard DNS (Domain Name System) from your internet provider? If so, you might want to consider using a third-party DNS server that could be faster and more reliable.

• Learn how to change the DNS server on macOS

7. Disable Proxy

If the VPN errors persist, make sure the Proxy settings are disabled on your macOS computer to allow direct internet access.

• Learn how to turn off proxy settings on macOS

8. Check if Bitdefender VPN is installed correctly

Follow these steps to make sure Bitdefender VPN is installed and working correctly on your Mac:

1. Use this method to search for Bitdefender VPN.app on your Mac.
2. Look for Bitdefender VPN.app in any folders other than the following:
   • /Applications/Bitdefender/Bitdefender VPN.app
   • /Library/Bitdefender/Central/Modules/com.bitdefender.vpn/Bitdefender VPN.app
3. If you find Bitdefender VPN.app in any other folders, Mac, right-click it and select Move to Trash to delete it; or drag the item to the Bin in the Dock.
4. Additionally, eject any mounted volumes or disks where Bitdefender VPN may still be stored to prevent potential conflicts with the VPN connection.

9. Reinstall Bitdefender VPN

If you’re still having issues, reinstall Bitdefender VPN to make sure all the VPN files are intact, and you have the latest version:

1. Uninstall Bitdefender VPN using the instructions provided here.
2. Then, reinstall Bitdefender VPN with a new kit downloaded from here.

10. Repair Keychain Access

Keychain Access from macOS is a password management system. Force Bitdefender VPN to repair the information stored there in case of data corruption:

1. Click on an empty area of your desktop or click the Finder icon  in the Dock.
2. After that, click on Go at the top left of the screen and select Utilities in the menu.
3. Inside the Utilities folder double-click on Keychain Access.
4. A new window will pop up. Select All items on the sidebar, under Category.
5. Use the search bar located in the upper right-hand corner of the window and type in the word VPN.
6. Look at the Kind column and delete all entries that include the word IPSec […].
7. Next, click the Bitdefender VPN icon from the top menu bar, open the small cogwheel button, and choose Quit.
8. Then click again the Finder icon and click on Go → Applications → Bitdefender → Bitdefender VPN → connect to VPN.

11. Try a different network

If the VPN errors persist after going through the previous steps, something on your local network is most likely still blocking the connection to the Bitdefender servers.

Check if you can use Bitdefender VPN after connecting your Mac to another network (Wi-Fi, hotspot, Ethernet cable, etc.).

• To learn how to set up a hotspot on your iPhone or iPad access this link.
• Go here to learn how to set up a hotspot on Android phones.

If Bitdefender VPN is working when the Mac is using another internet connection contact your network administrator or your Internet provider to determine which network or router settings may be blocking the VPN connection.

1. Check Internet access

Make sure your device is connected to the Internet with a fast and stable connection.

2. Address public Wi-Fi restrictions

If you’re on a public Wi-Fi (like in a hotel, school, or office), contact the owner/network administrator to see if they can change the firewall settings to allow the Bitdefender VPN connection.

3. Lower strict Firewall settings

If you’re at home, make sure your router firewall isn’t blocking the VPN. If you’re not sure, consult your router’s manual, contact the manufacturer, or reach out to your Internet provider for help.

4. Restart your Android device

Usually, if you’re having trouble with Bitdefender VPN, just turning your device off and then back on again can fix the problem. This works when the operating system or other services don’t start up properly.

• If you restart the Android smartphone or tablet and are still experiencing VPN errors, continue with the steps below.

5. Reinstall Bitdefender VPN

To make sure the VPN app is intact, and you have the latest version it is recommended to reinstall Bitdefender. Follow these steps:

1. Uninstall Bitdefender VPN from your Android device. If you need help uninstalling the app please read this article.
2. Then, reinstall Bitdefender VPN from Google Play.

6. Grant permissions

If Bitdefender VPN doesn’t connect on Android, make sure the necessary permissions were granted to the Bitdefender VPN app.

1. Clear the Bitdefender VPN app cache: go to Settings  → Storage → tap Other Apps → find Bitdefender VPN among the listed apps and tap it → choose Clear cache.
2. Next, uninstall Bitdefender VPN from your device. If you need help uninstalling the app please read this article.
3. Finally, reinstall Bitdefender VPN from Google Play.

7. Disable other VPNs

Android doesn’t allow more than one VPN to be active. If the smartphone or tablet is already connected to a VPN app, then a second simultaneous connection from Bitdefender VPN will not be possible. Therefore, make sure to disconnect from any other VPN before trying to connect to Bitdefender VPN.

On Android  7 and later you may also want to look into a feature called Always-on VPN. If Always-on is enabled for another VPN app installed on the device, it will block any network connections that don’t use that VPN, including Bitdefender VPN.

To address this issue, disable the Always-on VPN option for all the VPN applications installed on your device:

1. Open your phone’s Settings app .
2. Tap Network & internet. Depending on the device model, the name may vary – e.g.  Wi-Fi & internet, Wi-Fi & network, etc.
3. Tap VPN. If you can’t find it, search for “VPN”.
4. Tap  next to the name of each VPN app from this list.
5. Disable Always-on VPN if it’s enabled for any VPN except the Bitdefender app.

8. Change your DNS

If you are currently using the default DNS (Domain Name System) from your Internet provider, switch to a third-party DNS server that might be faster and more reliable.

• Learn how to change the DNS server on Android

9. Try a different network

If the VPN errors persist after going through the previous steps, something on your local network is most likely still blocking the connection to the Bitdefender servers.

Check if you can use Bitdefender VPN after connecting your Android device to another network (Wi-Fi, hotspot, cellular data).

• To learn how to set up a hotspot on your iPhone or iPad access this link.
• Go here to learn how to set up a hotspot on Android phones.

If the VPN is working when the device is using another internet connection contact your network administrator or your Internet provider to determine which network or router settings may be blocking the VPN connection.

1. Check Internet access

Make sure your device is connected to the Internet with a fast and stable connection.

2. Address public Wi-Fi restrictions

If you’re on a public Wi-Fi (like in a hotel, school, or office), contact the owner/network administrator to see if they can change the firewall settings to allow the Bitdefender VPN connection.

3. Lower strict Firewall settings

If you’re at home, make sure your router firewall isn’t blocking the VPN. If you’re not sure, consult your router’s manual, contact the manufacturer, or reach out to your Internet provider for help.

4. Disable other VPNs

iOS doesn’t allow more than one VPN to be active. If the iPhone or iPad is already connected to a VPN app, a second simultaneous connection from Bitdefender VPN will not be possible. Therefore, make sure to disconnect from any other VPN before trying to connect to Bitdefender VPN.

5. Restart your iPhone / iPad

Usually, if you’re having trouble with Bitdefender VPN, just turning your device off and then back on again can fix the problem. This works when the operating system or other services don’t start up properly.

• If you restart the iPhone or iPad and are still experiencing VPN errors, continue with the steps below.

6. Reinstall Bitdefender VPN

To make sure the VPN app is intact, and you have the latest version it is recommended to reinstall Bitdefender. Follow these steps:

1. Uninstall Bitdefender VPN from your iOS device. If you need help uninstalling the app please read this article.
2. Then, reinstall Bitdefender VPN from App Store.

7. Grant permissions

If Bitdefender VPN doesn’t connect on iOS, make sure the necessary permissions were granted to the Bitdefender VPN app:

1. Go to Settings →  General → scroll down and select VPN → tap the ⓘ icon next to Bitdefender VPN → choose Delete VPN → tap Delete to confirm.
2. Next, open the Bitdefender VPN app and try to connect.
3. Choose Allow in the ‘BitdefenderVPN would like to add VPN Configurations’ screen.
4. Enter your iPhone / iPad passcode, to allow the VPN connection.

8. Change your DNS

If you are currently using the default DNS (Domain Name System) from your Internet provider, switch to a third-party DNS server that might be faster and reliable.

• Learn how to change the DNS server on iOS (iPhone and iPad)

9. Try a different network

If the VPN errors persist after going through the previous steps, something on your local network is most likely still blocking the connection to the Bitdefender servers.

Check if you can use Bitdefender VPN after connecting your iOS device to another network (Wi-Fi, hotspot, cellular data).

• To learn how to set up a hotspot on your iPhone or iPad access this link.
• Go here to learn how to set up a hotspot on Android phones.

If the VPN is working when the device is using another internet connection contact your network administrator or your Internet provider to determine which network or router settings may be blocking the VPN connection.