Hi Staffan,
The typical cause for this error is Endpoint Security Software (such as security monitoring software, antivirus software, firewall software, some VPN clients, enterprise management software, etc.) attaching to the VPN network interface and blocking it from activating.
We have been seeing this issue crop up more just recently though (despite no changes to Viscosity), so there may be a updated third-party driver or Windows update that has recently come out that is causing more clashes that usual.
I recommend running through the following steps:
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Check installed Endpoint Security Software. Such software includes things like Antivirus software, firewall software, device management software, DNS proxies, certain networking tools and drivers, and some other VPN clients. Some endpoint security software (typically installed on enterprise machines) can be quite aggressive and block or inject itself into system processes, which can cause issues. You mention you have ESET Endpoint Security installed, so I would recommend starting with that.
If any such software is installed, try temporarily disabling it or whitelisting/excluding Viscosity and see whether the issue persists. You may need to uninstall/reinstall Viscosity after uninstalling/disabling any such software.
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Check for any installed Windows filters. Despite the name, Windows network filters are not always about filtering network traffic: basically they’re network add on layers used by some third-party software such as network security software, firewall software, some other VPN clients, some WiFi cards, some cellular and USB ethernet adapter drivers, network packet inspection tools, etc.
Try temporarily uninstalling or otherwise disabling any such software and see if you get the same problem. Depending on the software, you may be able to configure it not to attempt to attach to the VPN network interface.
While a third-party filter isn’t necessarily a problem, generally when a VPN network interface is unable to be activated they are the cause. Some third-party filters may not be correctly designed to handle a virtual network interface, and fail to load, causing problems for the network interface they are attached to.
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See if there is any further information available in Event Viewer: Viewing the Event Viewer - SparkLabs
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Try using the latest beta version of Viscosity. The current beta version has updated signing on its driver, which may aid compatibility if something is blocking the driver due to the prior certificate: Using Viscosity Beta Versions - SparkLabs
If none of that helps, while the VPN connection isn’t in a working state please try the following steps, which may help diagnose what is going on:
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Open the Device Manager control panel. The easiest way to do this is to type “Device Manager” into the Search box in the Start menu, or by typing “devmgmt.msc” into the Run dialog.
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Expand “Network adapters” and find the Viscosity network adapter for the VPN connection (it should be named something like “Viscosity Virtual TUN Adapter”.
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Double-click on it to open up Properties. In the Device status section it should say “This device is disabled (Code 22).
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Click the “Enable Device” and follow the prompts. If an error appears, any pop-up dialogs appear, or the process hangs please let us know what it is. (Please note that this just enables the underlying device, the network adapter will still appear disabled if there is no VPN connection).
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If it enables fine, it should have the status “This device is working properly”. Try connecting the VPN connection again and see how you get on.
If enabling the device allows you to connect again, but it only works once or stops working, then try the following (while the VPN network adapter is still in a broken state):
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Open Device Manager again, and open Properties for the VPN network adapter.
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Go to the Details tab, and then from the Property menu select “Device instance path”, and make note of the Value. It should be something like “ROOT\NET\0000” (the end number may vary).
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Open the Command Prompt as an Administrator. The easiest way to do this is to search for “Command Prompt” in the Start menu, then right-click on the Command Prompt result and select “Run as administrator”.
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Enter the following command and press enter. Replace “ROOT\NET\0000” with the correct “Device instance path” from step 1 if it differs (but leave the @ character).
"C:\Program Files\Viscosity\Resources\Drivers\tapinstall.exe" enable @ROOT\NET\0000 -
If an error message appears or the process appears to hang then please let us know any output. If the process hangs, try leaving it for awhile and see if it’s eventually able to enable the adapter. If you see "1 device(s) are enabled”, try connecting the VPN connection and see if it works.
Regards,
Aaron
