Troubleshoot – FAQ – Bİlkent University VPN Service

TROUBLESHOOTING

- Verify that you have a valid Bilkent VPN account from the VPNRegister.
- Verify the settings you made for your device using the OS-specific instructions.
- If you are using Windows 11 and experiencing connection problems, check the Windows 11-specific troubleshooting steps for SSTP and L2TP VPN connections.
- Check the list of frequently asked questions below for a possible resolution to problems you are experiencing.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How can I set up a VPN connection?

Refer to one of the OS-specific guides matching your operating system and follow the steps under “Installation Notes”.
Create a Bilkent VPN account using VPNRegister.

What username and password should I enter to establish a VPN connection?

Use your STARS or BAIS ID as username, and the VPN-specific password that was set using the VPNRegister service.

I forgot my VPN account password. What should I do?

Set a new password for your VPN account through VPNRegister.

How can I verify if I have successfully established a Bilkent VPN connection?

Use an IP address lookup service such as https://www.whatsmyip.org to find out the current IP address on your device. If the IP (specifically IPv4) address that appears on the service starts with 139.179. then you have successfully established a Bilkent VPN connection.

I get an "Authentication Failed" or "Username or password is not recognized." error. What should I do?

An invalid username/password combination was entered.

You need to enter your STARS or BAIS ID number as the username and the VPN-specific password that you can created or modified using the VPNRegister service. Do NOT use your STARS/BAIS/E-Mail password.

Also, if the connection type is L2TP/IPSec, verify that you entered bilkent as the “Secret”.

If you are using Apple macOS, make sure that you entered your username (STARS or BAIS ID) in the "Account Name" field.

I get a "A connection to the remote computer could not be established." error. What should I do? (Microsoft Windows)

Follow the steps below:

Be sure you entered vpn-ng.bilkent.edu.tr in the VPN server address field.
If services such as firewall or antivirus programs are running, terminate them and try again.
If your operating system is not up to date, update it.
Type "services.msc" in the "Run" application, and check if the "Routing and Remote Access" and "Remote Access Connection Manager" services are running. If these services are not running start them and try again to establish a VPN connection.
If the "Remote Access Connection Manager" is running and the problem still persists:
- Type "devmgmt.msc" in the "Run" application and remove all WAN Miniport (...) under Network Adapters in the device manager. (Right-click > Uninstall device)
- Right-click on Network Adapters and select the "Scan for Hardware Changes" option. The service will reinstall the WAN Miniport drivers.
- After WAN Miniports appear in the list, try to establish the VPN connection again.
If the problem still persists, connect to another network such as your cellular GSM network. Then try to establish a VPN connection again. If you can establish a VPN connection on the other network, contact your ISP.

I get a "Server is not responding." or "Connected party did not properly respond." error. What should I do?

Be sure you entered vpn-ng.bilkent.edu.tr in the VPN server address field.

I set up a VPN connection and verified it. However, the source or database I'm trying to access says I am not connected to VPN. What should I do?

For Apple macOS:

Check the option “Send all traffic over the VPN connection” box under the “Advanced” settings option of the VPN setup screen.

For Microsoft Windows:

Right click the "Start" button and select "Network Connections"
Click "Change adapter options"
Right-click the VPN connection and select "Properties"
Click the "Networking" tab, select "IPv4" from the list and click “Properties"
Click "Advanced" and make sure "Use default gateway on remote network" is checked

I'm connected to another institution's network and trying to establish a VPN connection. I get a "The VPN server is not responding." error. What should I do?

The problem may be due to the access restrictions of the network you are connected to. To verify this status, try to establish a VPN connection again after connecting to another network. For example, share your mobile/GSM network with your computer. If you can establish a VPN connection while connected to your GSM network, contact the IT department of your current institution.

I can establish a VPN connection, but after a short time, the VPN connection disconnects automatically. What should I do?

If services such as firewall or antivirus programs are running, terminate or remove them and try again.

I cannot establish an OpenVPN connection on GNU/Linux. (Ubuntu, Debian etc.)

Verify that you are using the valid OpenVPN configuration file.
Verify that you are executing the openvpn command with "sudo".
Verify your openvpn client version by typing "openvpn --version"
Verify that you are using openvpn 2.x. Do not use openvpn 3.x.
If the version is 2.6, the problem might caused by a bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/network-manager-openvpn/+bug/1993634
If the problem is "openvpn client 2.6 bug":
- Remove the openvpn client package. (e.g. "sudo apt remove openvpn")
- Download the openvpn-2.5.5 package. (e.g. https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/jammy/amd64/openvpn/2.5.5-1ubuntu3)
- Install the downloaded package. (e.g. On the package directory, execute "sudo apt-get install ./openvpn_2.5.5-1ubuntu3_amd64.deb")
- Mark the installed package for "not to be updated." (e.g. "sudo apt-mark hold openvpn")
- Try to connect to the VPN service again. (e.g. "sudo openvpn bilkent-2022.ovpn")