Milan Stanojevic – deputy editor-in-chief

• ESET is one of the leading antivirus and anti-virus solutions for businesses and individuals.
• There are reports that ESET sometimes blocks VPNs, but that shouldn’t bother you too much.
• In general, security software always tries to find a way to block anything unknown on your PC.
• If ESET is blocking your VPN solution, check out the solutions below and get back up and running.

ESET is a very powerful security software, in fact one of the best for Windows 10, with full protection for your daily online activities at home or at work.

Benefits include multi-layered protection against all online and offline threats, privacy protection, safer login and browsing, password management, encryption of data and files – all based on three decades of innovations developed and implemented by security enthusiasts.

With such strong protection, you can imagine what happens if you try to use your VPN with ESET and it gets blocked.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed. There are solutions to lift the blockage and resume VPN services as soon as possible. See the patches below.

How can I restore a VPN that has been blocked by ESET?

1. Granting access to VPN

1. Remove all usage rules
2. Make sure that all 192.168.1.0/24 and 10.1.1.0/24 subnets are marked as home or office networks in the known network setup.

If this doesn’t work, start the Firewall Diagnostic Wizard, which displays a list of recently blocked connections and allows you to create the appropriate authorization rule with a few clicks.

2. Firewall Pause ESET

1. Launch ESET to open the program’s main window.
2. Press configuration
3. Choosing network security
4. Click with the cursor next to the firewall
5. Select Pause to Recharge, and then click Apply. This stops ESET Firewall until you restart your computer.

VPNs blocked by ESET can be restored by suspending the ESET firewall until the system is rebooted. Once the firewall is disabled, you can try to reconnect the blocked VPN.

When ESET Firewall is disabled, the protection status changes to RED, which means that maximum protection is not provided and your PC is now vulnerable to threats.

To diagnose possible firewall problems, connect a VPN that is blocked. If it works, the problem is related to the firewall. Reconnect the firewall and follow these steps to resolve connection issues. To do that:

1. Launch ESET to open the program’s main window.
2. Click on Configure and select Network Security
3. Click the slider next to the firewall to activate the firewall status.
4. Try reconnecting your VPN.

3. Use of private Internet access

If your current VPN client is blocked by ESET, the simplest solution is to switch to another provider. Private Internet access is a reliable and ESET compatible VPN service that works in conjunction with antivirus software to provide the highest level of protection.

While ESET protects your PC from malware infections, PIA creates a secure tunnel between your computer and the target server. This way you reduce the risk of infection of your PC and have the added advantage that all your data is encrypted and safely stored.

It only takes a few minutes to register with AIP: Just register your account, download the client and choose the server you want to connect to. Moreover, once you have used the private Internet access, you can use all the other functionalities offered:

• Protects up to 10 devices simultaneously
• Blocks ads, trackers and malware.
• Unlimited bandwidth for worldwide streaming content delivery
• More than 3,300 servers in over 45 countries
• Support for multiple platforms (Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS)
• Support for Wireguard, PPTP, OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec.
• P2P support
• Compatible with other software, including ESET.

Private Internet access

Private Internet Access works with all software, including ESET and other antivirus solutions. Benefit now from an exceptional discount!

4. Prevent ESET Firewall from interrupting web browsing

1. Launch ESET to open the program’s main window.
2. Press F5 to access advanced configuration
3. Click on the Firewall button and expand Advanced
4. Select the interactive mode from the Filter Mode drop-down menu.
5. Click on Edit next to the rules
6. Click on Add
7. Enter a name for your rule in the Name field.
8. From the Direction drop-down menu, choose Both.
9. From the Action drop-down menu, select Allow and click OK.
10. Check the Show embedded (predefined) rules box and in the Name field select the rule you created
11. Click the up arrow to move your ruler up and make sure it is applied
12. Press OK to save the changes

You can do this without exposing your system to any security risk. If an intrusion is detected, the system is always protected by this method. You can create a rule to permanently authorize all network traffic.

5. Disable the firewall before re-enabling it.

1. Launch ESET to open the program’s main window.
2. Press configuration
3. Choosing network security
4. Click with the cursor next to the firewall
5. Select Permanent Connection and click Apply.

This could potentially expose your system to attacks and is not recommended unless ESET technical support advises you to disable the firewall completely. To disable HTTP, POP3 and IMAP scanning, proceed as described above.

When you are finished, re-enable the firewall. The protection status does not change to RED even if your PC is at risk when the firewall is disabled.

6. Add firewall exception

1. Launch ESET to open the program’s main window.
2. Press configuration
3. Choosing network security
4. Click on the Troubleshooting Wizard
5. Find your VPN in the list and click Unblock. If it is not on the list, check the blacklist of temporary IP addresses. You may see other blocked connections unrelated to your problem, which is normal and has nothing to do with the security of your system.
6. Click on Finish. You can also press Unlock Other and repeat these steps to unlock the other connection.

The Troubleshooting wizard helps you resolve home network connection issues caused by an ESET firewall with an ESET-blocked VPN. This solution allows your VPN to work on your home network.

Check if the VPN can connect after performing the above steps.

7. Check the temporary IP blacklist and allow direct communication.

1. Launch ESET to open the program’s main window.
2. Press configuration
3. Choosing network security
4. Click on the blacklist for temporary IP addresses
5. Select the blocked IP address you want to allow and click Add Exception.
6. The IP address has been removed from the temporary IP blacklist and is now on the IDS exception list. The IP address you resolved can now connect to your home network.

Your VPN’s IP address may be added to a temporary blacklist of IP addresses, and if so, the connection will be allowed directly from this list.

8. Using the firewall in interactive mode

In this mode, you can create custom firewall rules to allow your devices to connect to your home network. Network communication is based on predefined rules.

If no existing rules apply to the detected connection, you are asked to allow or deny the connection. You can make this decision by registering it as a new rule for the firewall.

When a new rule is created, all future connections of this type are allowed or blocked based on this rule.

In interactive mode, you can create a customizable ruleset. However, this mode is not intended for long-term use. Deactivate it after setting the rules for use in your environment.

Be careful, especially in businesses, because inattentive users can inadvertently make rules that can put them at risk or interfere with their ability to communicate over the network.

To create a firewall exception interactively, you must do the following:

1. Launch ESET to open the program’s main window.
2. Press F5 to access advanced configuration
3. Click on the Firewall button and expand Advanced
4. Select the interactive mode from the Filter Mode drop-down menu and click OK.
5. Start the VPN that was blocked. You will be asked to allow or deny any connection not covered by an existing rule. To create the rules you need to unlock your VPN or device, select Create a rule and Remember forever, and then click Allow.
6. Press the F5 key on the keyboard to open the advanced configuration.
7. Click on Firewall, expand Advanced
8. Click on IDS and advanced options
9. Expand the authorized services and make sure all cursors are enabled. Do not change the settings for intrusion detection and packet inspection. Press OK when you are finished.
10. When you are done creating rules, reset the filter mode to automatic mode. Click on Firewall, expand Advanced and select Automatic mode (in the Filter mode drop-down menu).
11. Press OK.

9. Create a firewall rule to allow certain connections

1. Launch ESET to open the program’s main window.
2. Press F5 to access advanced configuration
3. Click on the Firewall button and expand Advanced
4. Click on Edit (next to the rules)
5. Click on Add
6. Enter a name for the ruler in the Name field and select the desired options from the Direction and Action drop-down menus.
7. Click on the tab Local and select Browse (…).
8. Go to your VPN and click Open
9. Press OK>OK to save your changes.

10. Create a rule to allow/deny a connection from a remote IP address

1. Launch ESET to open the program’s main window.
2. Press F5 to access advanced configuration
3. Click on Personal firewall and expand Advanced
4. Click on Edit (next to the rules)
5. Click on Add
6. Enter a name for the rule in the Name field and select either Allow or Deny from the Direction menu and Allow or Deny from the Action drop-down menu, depending on whether you want to block or allow a particular IP address.
7. Click the Remote tab and in the IP field, enter the IP address, range or subnet you want to allow/deny and click OK.
8. Select the Show enclosed (predefined) rules check box.
9. Scroll down and select the newly added line, then click the icon at the top to move it up.
10. Press OK twice to save the changes and exit.

Did any of these solutions help? Let us know in the comment section below.

FAQ: UsingVPN with ESET

• Does ESET Smart Security block VPN connections?

It was reported that ESET blocks VPN clients. This problem can be easily solved by using a trusted VPN service like PIA and running the firewall troubleshooting wizard. You can also remove all custom rules and manually add trusted addresses to ESET Firewall.

ESET does not currently have its own VPN implementation, but works with VPN clients.

No, ESET is a security suite and does not currently offer a VPN solution. For example, ESET can be used in conjunction with a VPN client. B. Private Internet access, and adds an additional layer of security without having to reconfigure the VPN.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in April 2018 and revised and updated to be current, accurate and complete in February 2021.

frequently asked questions

DoesESET disable Windows Defender?

Windows 10 : Windows Defender Antivirus is disabled by default if a compatible version of ESET is installed on the system. … Windows Defender does not include an antivirus feature, so you do not need to uninstall or disable Microsoft Windows Defender when you install an ESET product.

How can I prevent ESET Smart Security from blocking websites?

KB2960] Excluding a protected site from blocking Web access …

How can I temporarily deactivate ESET Nod32 Antivirus 10?

Open your ESET Windows product. Click Settings → Computer Security. Click Suspend virus and spyware protection. Select the period for which you want to disable protection from the drop-down menu and click Apply.

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