In Windows, when attempting to connect to the IU VPN server, what can I do about error 619?
Note: For VPN when connecting from off campus, use the recommended SSL VPN if your campus supports it. The IPsec VPN at IUB and IUPUI will eventually be retired.
IU Secure is the wireless network for students, faculty, and staff to access on all campuses. IU Secure utilizes WPA2 Enterprise (Wi-Fi Protected Access) for authentication and encryption; no VPN is needed.When you attempt to make a VPN connection to the Indiana University network in Windows, you might receive one of the following errors:
Error 619: The specified port is not connected.
Error 619: The port is disconnected.
To fix the problem, reboot your computer and any network or Internet devices. If you have a cable or DSL modem, or a router, switch, or hub, unplug its power cable and wait 10 seconds before plugging it back in. Then try to connect to the VPN server again. If that doesn't work, try powering down your cable or DSL modem for several minutes before attempting to connect.
If that fails, try manually re-configuring the VPN settings. In other words, create and configure a new VPN icon.
If you continue to receive error 619 after powering down and back up, try reinstalling TCP/IP; see In Windows, how do I reinstall TCP/IP?
Advanced troubleshooting
The following technical details provide additional explanation for error 619.
When you receive the error, it means the VPN program on your computer cannot even negotiate a connection with the VPN server. Possible sources of the problem include the following:
-
Home firewall or router: A firewall or
improperly configured router may be blocking VPN traffic. Nearly all
of today's home and small business routers allow VPN traffic by
default, so for the individual user on a cable or DSL connection, this
possibility is rare, but worth checking. If you use PPTP, you should
specifically check any setting dealing with port 1723 (sometimes
written as "TCP/1723", "1723/TCP", or "TCP 1723"). If you use IPsec,
pay attention to settings for IP/51, TCP/51, and UDP/500.
-
Incorrect router configuration between your computer and
the VPN server: If a network provider between your ISP and the
VPN server accidentally misconfigured some of its equipment, your VPN
traffic may be unintentionally blocked or mishandled. Unfortunately,
this is extremely difficult to diagnose, as many other points of
failure must be eliminated beforehand. Even if it is the problem, you
can do very little other than contacting your ISP, who in turn can only
contact that "upstream" provider.
-
Bad traffic: A malicious user may be hammering
many computers on your network with traffic to that port. It could be
a denial-of-service attack, or it could be excessive portscanning to
detect vulnerabilities that is keeping legitimate traffic from
reaching its destination. This is why it could be useful to shut down
for several minutes; a portscanner that gets no response from an IP
will most likely move on after a few minutes.
- Corrupt networking software components: Connection settings in Windows occasionally lose their ability to communicate properly; the VPN icon actually represents more than a dozen individual components working together. If something disrupts those components (for example, spyware, which in some cases inserts components into the TCP/IP stack), the easiest way to fix the damage is to recreate the settings from the ground up. This is why a consultant or support provider would recommend doing so.
Last modified on December 02, 2010.
