This VPN issue happens when you are not connected to a VPN Server. The main cause of this issue can be the DNS settings. You may have to change your DNS Settings to fix this issue. If you are experiencing a “VPN connection failed due to unsuccessful domain name resolution” issue, then it simply means that the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client fails to establish a successful VPN connection. There is also an issue along with your DNS Settings. If you’re already using a VPN, then you might have already heard of a similar problem. For example, if you have Windows 7, you might have heard of DNS leaks. So, what are the possible causes of this VPN issue? Let’s check out one of the possible causes and possible solutions.
If you think that your VPN server cannot establish a secure connection due to the wrong DNS settings, then it may be true. You may have changed the DNS Settings to another website and you think that this is why you’re facing a VPN Connection Failed Due to Unsuccessful Domain Name Resolution issue. However, that’s not true. A VPN client needs to be connected to a specific DNS. The only way that the VPN client can get the IP address is through the DNS Server.
Firstly, if you are experiencing the issue, check out your DNS Servers, DNS, and the DNS Resolver settings. If all the settings are fine, then reset your DNS Server to its factory default settings. Once done, restart your network device and check your settings again.
The second option is to change the DNS settings. For instance, you can use Google Public DNS Servers to solve the issue. But the problem is that those DNS servers may be blocked by your company’s firewall. To solve this issue, you need to open your network devices’ firewall to allow access to those DNS servers.
After that, make sure to check your ISP’s DNS servers and to turn on your DNS Resolver if it is not on by default. Now you are done. If the above steps don’t solve the issue, then follow these steps to troubleshoot your issue.
You can establish a secure connection using the Cisco AnyConnect software that has been installed on your PC. To do this, you must install it correctly. Verify this installation. The steps you need to follow for setting up the VPN client are: Install the Cisco AnyConnect client and configure the settings on your PC. Connect to your network with your smartphone or PC.
How to Fix VPN Connection Failed Due to Unsuccessful Domain Name Resolution
A VPN connection fails due to unsuccessful Domain Name Resolution if you are trying to connect to a VPN server over the Internet using a local IP address. The connection could be established with the DNS server at the VPN server and the problem occurs only if the DNS service at your side is not working properly.
Repair anyconnect.xml File | VPN Connection Failed
If you have an anyconnect.xml file that is corrupted, you can still make a connection to a different region. To do this, first, you must locate your VPN profile in the folder, “C:\Program Files\Cisco\AnyConnect\profiles”. You should rename this profile as “corrupted. pkp”, so you can use this VPN profile instead of the default one in the location C:\Program Files\Cisco\AnyConnect\configs\. Next, restart your computer. After restarting, it will ask you if you want to restore your previous settings. Just select yes, and it will restore the old settings. Finally, it will ask you to install the same network in this new location. You can now make a VPN connection.
When you are searching for a solution, try to fix the anyconnect.xml file rather than the Cisco AnyConnect client, which is not corrupted. If the anyconnect.xml file is corrupted, then you can use a VPN profile from another region, and it will still be able to connect successfully.
Change DNS Settings
To resolve the issue, make sure you are using Open DNS. There are a lot of DNS settings available on the internet. Some of them are Google DNS, Open DNS, and Comodo Secure DNS. You can use any one of them for a better internet experience.
How to Check DNS Server IP Address?
To use Open DNS, first, open the Chrome browser and type chrome://dns in the address bar. Then look for a dropdown menu and choose “Network Settings”. The next screen you will see is DNS Settings. Select the OpenDNS option and press OK.
What to do if you are using another DNS?
There are two methods to check your DNS server IP address:
Method 1:
Open the System Preferences > Network > Advanced. Click the button “Edit” to edit your current DNS server setting. Check the option to use the Open DNS servers (by default you are using the Google DNS servers).
Method 2:
Open the Terminal and type ping www.google.com
It will print out your IP address which will be in the format x.x.x.It’s easy to see that your IP address begins with the number 1 and not the number 0.
There are times when you might need to change the settings for your Domain Name Server (DNS). Some people might find it challenging to remember the settings they need to use. It is better to change them to something else than memorize them. It will be difficult for you to remember the IP addresses for the open DNS servers. Instead, you can follow method 2 to make changes to your DNS settings. In the step where you typed in “ping www.google.com”, it will print out the IP address for your DNS servers. You may want to check the settings that you already have.
There are many reasons why you might encounter problems with a VPN connection, and one of them is because of the third-party VPN clients. The clients are the programs that you use to connect to a VPN server. When you are connecting to a VPN server through a program, the problem with the connection can be solved by updating your system to the latest version of the software.
Reinstall Your Operating System | VPN Connection Failed
If you are having difficulty setting up a VPN connection with a specific network device, it might be a good idea to change your operating system. You can try reinstalling your OS and restarting your computer, and see if this resolves your issues. In the case of Windows 7, you would need to reboot and select the “Windows Repair” option. In the case of Mac OS X, you would need to perform a hard reset.
Final Words
In this post, we explained what DNS issues are, how they can be fixed and how to fix them yourself. We also provided tips on how to make sure your VPN connection is always successful.
This has shown you how to troubleshoot the issue of VPN Connection Failed due to Unsuccessful Domain Name Resolution. You will learn how to fix this issue by updating the DNS settings on your computer.
