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Knowledge document #202

FRITZ!Box reports "VPN connection to [...] has been cleared"

The IPSec VPN connection to the FRITZ!Box is automatically disconnected. One of the following error messages is displayed in the event log of the FRITZ!Box:

  • "VPN connection to [...] has been cleared. Cause: 1 Lifetime expired"
  • "VPN connection to [...] has been cleared. Cause: 3 IKE server"
  • "VPN connection to [...] has been cleared. Cause: 4 Decapsulation error"
  • "VPN connection to [...] has been cleared. Cause: 5 IP address change"
  • "VPN connection to [...] has been cleared. Cause: 7 Datapipe flush"
  • "VPN connection to [...] has been cleared. Cause: 8"
  • "VPN connection to [...] has been cleared. Cause: 9 Dead Peer Detection"
  • "VPN connection to [...] has been cleared. Cause: 12 SA loss"

Follow the instructions in the section that describes the error you observe.

1 Error occurs occasionally

The message is displayed by the FRITZ!Box when the VPN connection is automatically disconnected. The number in the error message indicates why the VPN connection was disconnected:

  • Cause 1: The VPN connection was terminated after an hour of inactivity.
  • Cause 3: The remote site (for example FRITZ!VPN) terminated the VPN connection.
  • Cause 4: The data sent from the VPN remote site could not be decrypted.
  • Cause 5: The public IP address of the FRITZ!Box or the remote site changed while the VPN connection was active, for example after the internet connection was cleared.
  • Cause 7: The remote VPN site is no longer reachable.
  • Cause 8: The remote site (for example FRITZ!VPN) terminated the VPN connection.
  • Cause 9: The remote VPN site is no longer reachable.
  • Cause 12: The Security Associations (SA) for the VPN connection are no longer valid, for example due to changes in the internet connection.

If you are using the FRITZ!VPN software, a smartphone, or another VPN client for VPN connections, you can always re-establish the connection manually, for example by clicking the "Establish" button in FRITZ!VPN.

With VPN connections between two FRITZ!Boxes (LAN-LAN linkup), the connection is automatically re-established as soon as one of the networks accesses the other network. If the VPN connection should be permanently maintained and automatically re-established if it is terminated, configure the following settings in both of the FRITZ!Boxes:

  1. Click "Internet" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Permit Access" in the "Internet" menu.
  3. Click on the "VPN (IPSec)" tab.
  4. Click the (Edit) button for the respective VPN connection.
  5. Enter the password required to establish the VPN connection in the field "VPN password (pre-shared key)".
  6. Enable the option "Hold VPN connection permanently".
  7. Click "Apply" to save the settings and on the FRITZ!Box, confirm that the procedure may be executed, if you are asked to do so.

2 Error is permanent

If the VPN connection cannot be established, there is an error in the VPN settings. Such errors usually occur right after configuring the VPN connection or editing the VPN configurations files. To fix such an error, reconfigure the VPN connection:

  1. Delete the VPN connection in the FRITZ!Box or both of the FRITZ!Boxes.
  2. If you are establishing a VPN connection between two FRITZ!Boxes, reconfigure the VPN connection between the FRITZ!Boxes.
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