GoKawiilMicrosoft confirms September Windows 11 updates break Always On VPN
Microsoft has told IT administrators that the September 2026 security updates for Windows 11 versions 26H1, 25H2 and 24H2 can cause Always On VPN connections to fail when automatic protocol selection between IKEv2 and SSTP is enabled. Affected connections may get stuck in a 'Connecting' state or throw a 'port already in use' error on retry. Microsoft has not yet issued a permanent fix but recommends administrators manually set the VPN profile to use only SSTP or only IKEv2 as a workaround.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Always On VPN is widely used by enterprises for automatic, background remote access to corporate networks, so a widespread connectivity failure could disrupt work for domain-joined and Entra ID-joined devices until a fix ships. The temporary workaround requires manual reconfiguration by IT staff, which suggests organizations may face added administrative burden while awaiting Microsoft's permanent patch.
- September 2026 updates for Windows 11 24H2, 25H2 and 26H1 can break Always On VPN's automatic protocol selection.
- Symptoms include connections stuck 'Connecting' or failing with a 'port already in use' error.
- Microsoft's interim fix is to manually set VPN profiles to a single protocol (SSTP or IKEv2) rather than automatic selection.
Source: bleepingcomputer.com, 2026-09-23
Published there as: “Microsoft: September Windows updates break Always On VPN connections”
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