ERROR: Failed to Establish a TCP Connection

ERROR: Failed to Establish a TCP Connection

Document number: 54110

This error may occur when trying to connect using the Cisco VPN client software:

Failed to Establish a TCP Connection

This error has may occur in any one of the following circumstances shown below. The link will provide additional information about each one.

No connection to the internet
Connecting from a PeopleSoft network connection
Deterministic Network Enhancer Not Enabled
Stateful Firewall is Enabled

No connection to the internet

In order to use VPN, you must first be connect to the internet. You should be able to access the internet (such as Yahoo! and other public web sites), and be able to ping the VPN servers. For instructions on how to ping the server, see Eureka! document 55132 — How to ping the PeopleSoft VPN server.

You are responsible for supporting and troubleshooting your internet connection to ensure you can reach the internet. (For more information see Eureka! document 55068 — Responsibilities for making VPN work.

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Connecting from a PeopleSoft network connection

The Cisco VPN client software will not successfully connect any time you are on the PeopleSoft network (either in a PeopleSoft office or using a RAS). This type of connection has been blocked internally for security reasons. You can only use the Cisco VPN client software when you are using a non-PeopleSoft internet connection (for example, personal internet at home, while at a client site, a hotel, at an internet cafe, et cetera.)

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Deterministic Network Enhancer

The "Deterministic Network Enhancer" must be enabled within Network and Dial-Up Connections. To verify this is enabled, follow these steps:

Select Start, Settings
Select Control Panel
Double click on the Network and Dial-Up Connections icon to open it
One by one, review each entry that is a LAN connection type (represented by either a or a icon), by
Double click on the icon for the first entry
A LAN Properties will open
On the General tab, in the "Components checked are used by this connection:" section, make sure you see an option for "Deterministic Network Enhancer" is visible, and that the box to the left of the DNE line has a check mark in it.

If the entry does not have a check mark in the box, check it and click OK.
If the "Deterministic Network Enhancer" entry is not showing, see Eureka! document 54131 — How to reinstall the Deterministic Network Enhancer.

Click OK to close the LAN Properties window
Repeat steps 5 through 8 for each LAN connection type you see.
If you needed to enable the Deterministic Network Enhancer options, you may need to reboot to prevent the error from reoccurring.

If you did not need to make any other changes, the cause of the error is not likely related to the Deterministic Network Enhancer. Click here to return to the top of this page to try another troubleshooting option.

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Stateful Firewall Is Enabled

There is an option for "Stateful Firewall (Always on)" option. The default is that this option is not checked, and this should never be checked. The option being checked with check mark may prevent your machine from reconnecting to the PeopleSoft network from an office connection, or leave your machine inaccessible from other locations on the PeopleSoft network, preventing you from pinging the machine, using PC-Duo to access the machine, accessing personal web server content on that machine, etc.

See Eureka! document 54130 — How to turn off the Cisco VPN stateful firewall for steps to disable (un-check) this option.

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