# Can't connect to VPN **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 4, 2017, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-vpn/803545 "2017-12-04T15:25:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-vpn/803545/1 "2017-12-04T15:25:01Z")
This should be resolved when IT starts working. (It’s annoying to _me_ though, because I like to start at 0630.) Yesterday I tried to connect to VPN and my browser told me the certificate expired. I told my browser to trust the site. When I again tried to connect I received this error: **Unexpected error: DynamicClientBase: Trust problem: dynamic profile is trusted by None but parent is trusted by u’vpn.[domain name]'** I just want to be sure: There’s nothing I can do as a user to resolve this, right? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-vpn/803545/2 "2017-12-04T16:24:43Z")
No familiarity with the products you’re using, but my suspicion on general principles is that no, you can’t fix this unless you can find and install current certs from a trusted source. You can tell the browser to disregard the certificate issue, although it will kvetch a bit. But that doesn’t extend to the VPN client, which (rightly) can’t be told to disregard a cert problem. Because certificate-authenticated encryption is the whole reason for the VPN to exist. Logically, you can’t allow users to handwave a security issue in a security product And since “find and install current certs” has to involve a secure data path (so you don’t install Trojan certificates from an untrusted source), if your current cert is bad, you can’t use it to download a good certificate. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-vpn/803545/3 "2017-12-04T16:33:10Z")
I just called the office (after sending an email to the ‘Help’ mailing list – I can access our webmail, so I know it’s not my password) and the person on the Help list I wanted to talk to is also having a problem connecting. It’s 0830, and I’ve lost two hours of work! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-vpn/803545/4 "2017-12-04T16:45:23Z")
It does sound like you’re dealing with an expired cert on the server this time. Someone’s Security Officer slipped up. I have encountered the same problem when the time on the local computer has been far enough out of sync. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-vpn/803545/5 "2017-12-04T16:47:42Z")
Just got an SMS to try logging in. No joy. Other people are also unable to connect. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-vpn/803545/6 "2017-12-04T17:24:31Z")
Just got a message saying IT is renewing the certificate – and they’ve put in a three weeks in advance reminder for next year. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-vpn/803545/7 "2017-12-04T20:13:49Z")
Ah, an expired server cert. That’s definitely “not user serviceable.” Sorry 'bout the productivity loss. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-vpn/803545/8 "2017-12-04T20:17:19Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Sorry 'bout the productivity loss. Four freakin’ hours! :mad: (It’s the first of the month, so I’m being bombarded with November month-end data.)