Why Is Outlook Clashing With My VPN? 

Quick Tips

• Outlook and your VPN can clash for many reasons, mostly due to port blocking and DNS settings.
• It’s important to ensure that both are fully up to date and that your antivirus doesn’t flag either.
• Try changing servers on your VPN or enabling split tunneling for Outlook.

VPNs are invaluable these days of internet browsing and privacy concerns. It’s unfortunate, then, when they refuse to work well with other apps, like Outlook. If you find that your VPN won’t let you connect to the internet or disconnects you, then this article is for you. We’ll be looking at why this happens and what you can do to fix Outlook VPN connection problems.

Why Do VPNs Cause Problems With Outlook?

Let’s take a look at some major reasons Outlook may be hampered by a VPN:

• Port Blocking – Perhaps the biggest offender is the blocking of certain ports by the VPN. The IMAP, POP, or SMTP ports can be blocked or rerouted, which in turn breaks the app’s sync.
• DNS Troubles – DNS can also be overridden by a VPN, which can prevent contact with the Microsoft servers for Outlook.
• Outdated VPN – If the VPN isn’t frequently updated, it can clash with newer versions of Outlook, or vice versa.
• Antivirus and Firewall – Your antivirus software may also log VPN addresses as suspicious and block them, thereby cutting off access for Outlook.

Fixing Outlook VPN Connection Problems

Now that you know the whys of Outlook VPN issues, let’s look at some possible solutions to get Outlook working again with your VPN:

Switch Servers

It could be that the server you’ve chosen for your VPN is flagged either by Microsoft or your antivirus software for suspicious activity. To ensure this isn’t the case, you can change servers. Here’s what to do:

Step 1. Open your VPN.

Step 2. Disconnect from the current server.

Step 3. Choose another server from a different region; the closer to home, the better.

Step 4. Restart Outlook and see if this works.

Enable Split Tunneling

Split tunneling is an option VPNs have that allows certain apps and services to connect directly without the VPN, while leaving the service running. Every VPN is different, but you should be able to find this option in the Advanced Settings of your VPN. Enable it and specify Outlook.

Update Everything

Update your VPN, update Outlook, and while you’re at it, update Windows too. To ensure that everything is running at its best, you’ll need to have everything on the same page.

Check Your Ports

To ensure that the ports Outlook is using are correct, you can confirm in its Settings. Here’s how:

Step 1. Click the “File” tab and click “Account Settings.”

Step 2. Click “Manage Profiles” from the dropdown list.

Step 3. Choose your email from the list provided.

Step 4. Confirm in the POP and IMAP account settings that your SMTP server is correct.

Change the DNS Settings

If you think your VPN may have overridden the DNS settings, you can go and manually change them yourself. Here’s how:

Step 1. Open the “Run Dialogue” (Win + R) and type “ncpa.cpl” and click “Enter.”

Step 2. Right-click the network you’re using and select “Properties” from the context menu. You must have Admin privileges.

Step 3. Select “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/Pv4)” and click “Properties.”

Step 4. Select “Use the following DNS server addresses” and input “8.8.8.8” and “8.8.4.4” respectively.

Step 5. Click “OK” to finalize and try Outlook again.