Random disconnects from VPN

[highimpedance 0]

I'm having a problem losing my VPN connection randomly from my local Starbucks. (Not the internet connection, just the VPN connection.) This happens quite a lot, roughly between 1 and 4 times per day during a 3- to 8-hour period (yes, I practically live at Starbucks these days).

 

I already spoke with AT&T technical support and learned what the possible problems could be. They said they allow VPN connections, it doesn't matter what port it is (I'm using port 443), and the only timeout they have is a reset at midnight every night.

 

That leaves the following possibilities:

1. It could be related to either bandwidth (not enough BW for the VPN connection, but I don't get kicked off the router);

2. My VPN service has a timeout or other technical issue; or

3. Someone doing something malicious on the network.

 

Here are the details of my experience today:

 

Connected at 10:29am.

Reconnected after losing VPN connection at 11:30am.

Tested download speed at 12:11pm = 546 kbps.

Disconnected from VPN again at 12:31pm.

Download speed after automatic reconnection by Shimo = 92 kbps.

Girls found outside Starbucks in Shopping Mall hallway watching video on iPad mini.

Download test at 12:34pm was 1.3Mbps.

 

According to forums, there is a 4-hr timer that will be fixed in the next release of their software (which I don't use, I use Shimo for Mac with a manual configuration). Yet I have never experienced any problems when using the VPN in the exact same manner from my friends' homes or at my own home.

 

But this hasn't been the problem today (May 30th) because my Starbucks connection began at 10:29am, so the disconnect would happen at 2:30pm, unless they're wrong about the 4 hrs.

 

1st disconnect was 2 hrs, 12 min. after 1st connection of the day.

2nd disconnect was 22 min. after last re-connection.

 

Any clues or information on what possibilities exist that would disconnect the VPN would be greatly appreciated.

[Staff 10014]

Hello,

 

first of all you can safely disregard the timer on the Air client, it has nothing to do with disconnections and does not affect the connection in any way.

 

What do Shimo and OpenVPN logs say?

 

Kind regards