Troubleshooting WireGuard Connection Issues

This guide helps you fix the most common problems with a dedicated WireGuard® server: not connecting, connected with no internet, port forwards not working, slow speeds and dropouts.

Start here: check the server page

In the portal sidebar, click WireGuard, then Manage Server.
Check the server status next to its name. It should say Active. If it says Maintenance or Offline, open a support ticket.
Activate the tunnel on your device, wait a few seconds, then refresh the page. Your device should show Online. That means it has completed a handshake with the server in the last 3 minutes.

If your device shows Online, the tunnel itself is working and the problem is further along. If it stays Offline, start with the next section.

Can't connect at all

Check the tunnel is active. In the WireGuard app, the tunnel should be switched on or show Active.
Re-import the config. Download the .conf again from the server page and import it. This rules out a damaged or edited file.
Check the user still exists. If the user was removed, its config no longer works. Create a new user and import its config.
Try another network. Some workplace, school and public Wi-Fi networks block VPN traffic. Try a mobile hotspot. If that works, the original network is blocking UDP on your server's WireGuard port (shown under Server Info › WireGuard Port).

Connected but no internet

Check DNS. If websites don't load but the device shows Online, the DNS line may be the problem. Use the Custom Config Builder (under Keys) to download a config with Cloudflare or Google DNS, and import it.
Check AllowedIPs. If you've changed AllowedIPs from 0.0.0.0/0, ::/0, only some traffic goes through the tunnel. That's fine for split tunnelling, but put it back if you want everything to use the VPN.
Restart the tunnel. Turn it off and on again to force a fresh handshake.
Linux: if wg-quick fails with resolvconf: command not found, install the resolvconf or openresolv package, or remove the DNS line and set DNS another way.

Port forwarding not working

Is the device connected? Forwards only work while the device's tunnel is up and it shows Online.
Check the ports. Make sure players or users connect to the external port, and that your service listens on the internal port.
Check the protocol. A TCP forward won't carry UDP traffic, and the other way round. Use Both if you're unsure.
Check the device's firewall. Windows Defender Firewall and the macOS firewall can block incoming connections that arrive through the tunnel. Allow your app or port.
Test from outside. Use a device that isn't connected to your WireGuard server, such as a phone on mobile data. Tests from the same device or another device on the same server may fail even when the forward is correct.
Check the port isn't blocked. Ports 22, 25, 51820, 56561 and your server's WireGuard port can't be forwarded.

More detail is in Setting Up Port Forwarding.

Slow speeds

Test without the VPN. Run a speed test with WireGuard off. The VPN can't be faster than your own connection.
Distance matters. A server far from you adds latency and can lower speeds.
Try a lower MTU. Add MTU = 1380 under [Interface] in your config and test again. If that doesn't help, try 1280.
Check for a bandwidth limit. If you or your developer set a per-user bandwidth limit through the REST API, that user can't go faster than the limit.

Disconnects often

Check PersistentKeepalive. Your config should include PersistentKeepalive = 25. It keeps the connection open through routers and firewalls.
Don't share a config. Two devices using the same config keep knocking each other off. Create a user for each device.
Switching networks. Moving between Wi-Fi and mobile data can pause the tunnel briefly. WireGuard reconnects by itself.

Getting help

If none of this fixes it, open a ticket. It helps if you include:

the device and operating system, and the WireGuard app version
the user name and whether it shows Online or Offline on the server page
any error message you see
what you've already tried

Never send us your private key or full config file. We don't need it.

Still stuck? Open a support ticket and tell us your device, app version and what you've tried.

Something out of date or unclear? Let us know.