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How to fix FortiClient getting stuck at ‘Connecting’

By: Author Alex Lim

Posted on

Categories Troubleshooting

This article describes the steps to troubleshoot the VPN connection issues when FortiClient gets stuck in Connecting without any error.

Scope

FortiClient.

Solution

When FortiClient is stuck at ‘connecting’ the reason could be reachability to the gateway. The FortiClient is not able to reach the VPN gateway.

It is necessary to check the following steps when FortiClient is stuck at ‘connecting’.

  1. Check if the internet connection is stable from the user’s machine without any interruptions.
  2. Verify the configuration on the FortiClient and match it with the configuration on the FortiGate. Check the gateway IP address or domain name and port number that is used for a VPN connection.
  3. Test it by connecting to the web mode from the user machine, if possible, to isolate the problem from the FortiClient.
  4. Try restarting the user machine and FortiClient.
  5. Make sure to use the latest version of the FortiClient but refer to the release notes for that version for known issues.
  6. Try reinstalling the FortiClient and test or try using a different version of the FortiClient. Make sure to uninstall the previous version completely from the device before using the new version.
  7. Temporarily try disabling any Antivirus software running on the user’s device and disabling the Windows firewall.
  8. Test it by connecting to a different network to verify if the ISP is blocking the traffic for the VPN connection.
  9. Try Pinging and perform a traceroute to the VPN gateway to check for possible routing problems in the network.
  10. If it is still impossible to connect, collect logs from the FortiClient for further troubleshooting.