How to fix unstable connection issues on Windows

In this tutorial, you will learn how to fix unstable VPN connection issues on your Windows device.

We will cover the following solutions:

1. Change the default protocol
   
2. Try other locations
   
3. Disable potentially interfering apps
   
4. Switch to a different network
   
5. Disable IPv6
   
6. Remove parental/security controls on your router
   
7. Reset the network settings
   
8. Reboot your device
   
9. Set custom DNS
   

Change the default protocol used on the Surfshark app

Launch the Surfshark app.
Go to Settings > VPN Settings. This is where you will find an option to change the default protocol.

Try other locations

For various reasons, such as server load or technical issues on the server, one location might provide a more stable connection than others.

To change the location, open the Locations page on your Surfshark app; here, you will find the full list of our servers. Try to test at least several different servers and see if the issue persists.

Disable potentially interfering apps

Some apps might have taken over network control on your device. This can sometimes interfere with Surfshark (or any other VPN) connection.

This applies to other VPNs, firewalls, file-sharing apps, and especially, anti-virus software. If you have any of those, try disabling them.

Then, reboot your device and see if the connection gets any better.

Switch to a different network

Connectivity issues might be network-specific. This often happens if the Internet provider applies some restrictions on its network. To see if this is the case, try to check if connectivity issues remain connected to a different network.

You can easily do that by sharing a mobile hotspot with your mobile device or try a different Wi-Fi connection.

Turn off IPv6

IPv6 is a networking system that some Internet networks might have. Surfshark does not support IPv6 at the moment, so if you have it on your network, connectivity issues may arise.

Check out if you have IPv6 on your network. If that’s the case, disable it.

Remove parental/security controls on your router

Some network providers might have enabled network security features on your network. Most often, such features are parental controls or some "Safe DNS" function.

Setting custom DNS on your router will do the trick. Check the following steps:

1. Navigate to your router's network settings.
2. Change DNS to:
   
   DNS1: 162.252.172.57
   DNS2: 149.154.159.92

Reset the network settings

You can reset the network settings using the Surfshark Troubleshooting tool. Follow these steps:

1. Launch the Surfshark app.
2. Go to Settings > Help > Troubleshooting tools.
3. Press on Reset network.

Reboot your device

This may sound simple, but it will kill unnecessary apps' background processes and reset your network to give you a fresh start.

Set custom DNS

Your Internet service provider often provides default DNS servers. In many cases, it's not the best option performance-wise.

Here's a guide on how to set custom DNS.

You may also be interested in:

• How to make sure if Surfshark VPN is working
• How to fix unable to connect issues on Windows
• How to fix slow connection issues on Windows