When a Windows VPN connection fails with error 720, the message reads “A connection to the remote computer could not be established. You might need to change the network settings for this connection.” The underlying code is ERROR_PPP_NO_PROTOCOLS_CONFIGURED, which means the VPN could not set up the protocols it needs, usually because the WAN Miniport adapters are broken or misbound.
The fix, in order
Restart the PC and try again. A temporary driver state can cause error 720, and a restart clears it.
Reinstall the WAN Miniport (IP) drivers. Open Device Manager, choose View, Show hidden devices, expand Network adapters, right-click each WAN Miniport (IP) entry, choose Uninstall device, then choose Action, Scan for hardware changes to reinstall them.
Re-enable the Remote Access IP ARP driver binding. In an admin PowerShell window, check the binding with Get-NetAdapterBinding and re-enable the ms_wanarp binding on the VPN adapter if it is disabled.
Remove third-party filter drivers. Some security or VPN software adds filter drivers that break the WAN Miniport binding. Uninstall the conflicting software or remove its filter from the adapter properties.
Reset the network stack. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run netsh winsock reset and netsh int ip reset, then restart.
Check the VPN protocol settings. Open the VPN connection properties, go to the Security tab, and make sure the VPN type and allowed protocols match what the server expects.
Do not edit the registry to fix error 720 unless a specific trusted guide tells you exactly which key to change. Wrong registry edits can break networking further, so back up the registry first if you do touch it.
If it still happens
If error 720 persists after reinstalling the WAN Miniport drivers, the problem may be on the server side, such as an exhausted IP address pool, so check with the VPN administrator. If the VPN worked before a Windows update, rolling back the update or reinstalling the VPN client is worth trying.
Common questions
What does VPN error 720 mean? It means the VPN client could not configure the PPP protocols needed for the connection, usually because the WAN Miniport (IP) adapter is not bound correctly or its driver is damaged.
Is error 720 a problem with my internet? No. The internet connection is fine. Error 720 is a problem with the VPN components on the PC, not with the underlying internet link.