- TunnelBear is one of the best free VPN services you can find on the market, but it does have some major limitations.
- If TunnelBear won’t connect, check if you haven’t exceeded your account limits. Check if the service has no scheduled maintenance and enable BearGuard if necessary.
- Visit the VPN Errors page in case your customer is throwing up specific error codes and needs help.
- See other similar articles in the VPN Guides section.
TunnelBear is one of the best free VPN services you can find on the market, and just like the bear, it’s cute on the outside, but tough on the inside.
This VPN offers a secure service with good connection speeds and many server locations in different countries, plus limited data usage, it’s a fantastic option for anyone looking for a VPN to start or use with Skype or even Hulu.
However, it is not always that this VPN, which is also one of the fastest VPN services for Windows 10, offers amazing speeds. There are times when you encounter a TunnelBear error when connecting to the server .
This happens when the VPN disconnects after it has just connected to the server, randomly. This leaves you exposed to cyber threats and your privacy is compromised, so it may not make sense to use it again; however, this is a matter of design, as the VPN uses an Internet connection to route all data to the server.
Whether or not you have multiple internet connections, the bear will only use one of all, using a single socket, so your connection will be slower as all data sent must go through the server first, for encryption, to through a channel.
So you end up using more bandwidth while making your connection vulnerable – it’s worse when traveling when you go between multiple networks and towers.
See some solutions that can help you reconnect after TunnelBear internet connection appears disconnected, below.
Contents index
- FIX: TunnelBear server connection errors
- Solution 1: confirm your connection
- Solution 2: perform quick troubleshooting solutions
- Private internet access
- Solution 3: enable TCP Override
- Solution 4: disable the TunnelBear browser extension
- Solution 5: turn on GhostBear
- FAQ: Learn more about TunnelBear
FIX: TunnelBear server connection errors
Solution 1: confirm your connection
Go to bearsmyip to confirm that you are connected correctly. If the location shown matches the location in TunnelBear, that’s fine. But be sure to check their Twitter page for updates on scheduled maintenance, as this affects the connection as well.
If there is no update and you cannot confirm the connection in bearsmyip, turn off the VPN, restart your device, and try connecting TunnelBear again.
Solution 2: perform quick troubleshooting solutions
Check that other apps are not interfering with your VPN service as they can affect connectivity. These include third-party security software, which you can temporarily disable to see if it affects TunnelBear’s connection to the server.
Try a different network by connecting TunnelBear and see if it works so you can determine if the problem is related to the router or your network.
Uninstall and reinstall TunnelBear, then restart your device and get the latest version of the VPN app. Also, make sure you can access your network or router settings and that the ports used by TunnelBear to connect are open.
If you continue to experience problems with TunnelBear, we recommend that you change your VPN provider.
Since TunnelBear is already a pretty good service, we must recommend something really good to you. Our top recommendation is Private Internet Access or PIA for short.
Owned by Kape Technologies, they are also a privacy-focused company, but with a much larger and more widespread server network around the world. This means that there is less chance of connecting to a full server and experiencing slow speeds.
These are the main features of PIA:
- large network of more than 3000 servers
- privacy centric: no logs policy and strong encryption protocols
- WireGuard support on all servers
- Allowed P2P connections
- a single subscription can be used up to 10 simultaneous devices
Private internet access
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Solution 3: enable TCP Override
If you get a TunnelBear error connecting to the server, your connection may be slow or unstable, so turn on TCP override for better performance. You can find this feature in TunnelBear preferences under the General tab . If it’s already on, turn it off and see if anything changes.
Solution 4: disable the TunnelBear browser extension
Make sure you are not running the TunnelBear browser extension simultaneously with the TunnelBear application, as they can interfere with the operations of others, causing the failure to connect to the server.
Did you know that 20% of VPNs are leaking your IP address? Do you want something better?
Solution 5: turn on GhostBear
GhostBear helps when connecting from a country with strict rules or censorship laws. Go to TunnelBear preferences on the Security tab and search for GhostBear.
It makes it difficult to detect and / or block your VPN connection, but only enable it where there is censorship, otherwise keep it turned off.
TunnelBear connection tips
- Connect to WiFi only when there is a strong and stable signal and no one else is sharing the connection
- Don’t move while connected to TunnelBear VPN
- Use TunnelBear VPN for short periods of time
- If you must connect using mobile data, go to a location with the strongest possible signal
- Limit data usage while on TunnelBear VPN
We would love to hear from you. Do share in the comments section below if these solutions helped with the TunnelBear error connecting to the server.
FAQ: Learn more about TunnelBear
- Where are the TunnelBear servers located?
TunnelBear servers are located in 20 countries around the world. Most of their servers are in France, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, followed by Australia and Asia.
- Does TunnelBear hide your IP address?
TunnelBear is a powerful VPN that can successfully hide your IP address by preventing third parties from identifying your real location. The VPN uses an encrypted tunnel connection to protect your privacy and bypass internet censorship.
- Does TunnelBear give free data?
Tunnelbear offers users 500MB of free data per month for trial purposes. This free VPN option is available to all unpaid users.
- Why won’t my TunnelBear connect?
There can be several root causes why your Tunnelbear connection may not work: your ISP is throttling VPN connections, your internet connection is not stable, the proper ports are not open, and more.
