How to Fix AmneziaVPN Connection Drops on Windows

AmneziaVPN with Self-Hosting on VPS from adminpvs: Connection Drop Issues on Desktop Computers

AmneziaVPN with self-hosting on VPS from adminpvs often faces the problem of connection drops on desktop computers, while mobile devices work stably. This is related to the features of the AmneziaWG protocol implementation on Windows and server settings. To solve the problem, it is necessary to check version compatibility, configure keepalive parameters, and perform several troubleshooting steps.

Table of Contents

• Basic Connection Issues
• Version Compatibility Check
• Keepalive and Timeout Configuration
• Windows Troubleshooting
• Server Configuration
• Alternative Solutions

Basic Connection Issues

Problems with connection drops after several minutes on desktop computers when working with self-hosted AmneziaWG are a common problem. Research shows several key causes:

• Handshake issues: as noted in issue #1041, sometimes AmneziaWG doesn’t complete the handshake, which leads to connection drops
• Instability after reconnection: according to issue #832, after the first reconnection something “breaks” so much that it disrupts all programs requiring loopback
• Differences between desktop and mobile devices: on mobile devices the protocol works stably, indicating specific implementation problems for Windows

Important: The problem only manifests on Windows, while mobile devices work without interruption, which indicates specific features of the AmneziaWG implementation for the desktop platform.

Version Compatibility Check

Incompatibility of protocol and application versions is one of the common causes of problems:

• Check the application version: AmneziaWG is only supported in application versions 3.0 and above. Older versions will not work with this protocol
• Check the server side: make sure that the latest version of AmneziaWG is installed on your VPS
• Check configuration format: configurations from Amnezia Free do not work in the native application - use only with AmneziaVPN

As stated in documentation:

Check if the protocol is supported by your version of the application. For example, AmneziaWG is not supported by versions of the application older than 3, and OpenVPN over Cloak installed on versions of your application older than 2.1.2 will not work on newer versions.

Keepalive and Timeout Configuration

Keepalive settings are critically important for stable VPN connection:

• Use keepalive: in AmneziaWG, a special keepalive-packet (“Under-Load”) is used to bypass NAT timeouts
• Header randomization: AmneziaWG replaces the fixed header with a randomized one, the value of which can be configured via GUI
• itime parameter: when using Windows, make sure the itime parameter is set to 0 during configuration

According to documentation:

In WireGuard, a special keep-alive packet (“Under-Load”) is used to bypass NAT timeouts. AmneziaWG replaces its fixed header with a randomized one, the value of which can be set manually via GUI.

Windows Troubleshooting

To solve problems with unstable connection on Windows, perform the following steps:

1. Restart the tunnel

If the application doesn’t close the tunnel when exiting, it can cause problems after system restart. As noted in issue #1258:

App didn’t close tunnel, when its quit anyting but its tray icon close button, which makes tunnel to persist after system restart and makes it unable to connect to the server again due to unterminated “tun2socks” process

2. Manage network adapters

• Go to “Network adapters”
• Disable the TAP Adapter V9 (created by Amnezia)
• Delete it
• Restart the application

3. Run as administrator

Sometimes administrator rights are required for the tunnel to work correctly.

Server Configuration

Problems may be on your VPS server side:

• Periodic handshake drops: as described in issue #30, the connection may drop every 0.5-1.5 hours
• Check server logs: analyze logs for handshake errors
• Check server resources: insufficient CPU or RAM can cause instability

Recommended server settings:

# Example server configuration
[Interface]
Address = 10.0.0.1/24
PrivateKey = <server_private_key>
ListenPort = 51820

[Peer]
PublicKey = <client_public_key>
AllowedIPs = 10.0.0.2/32
PersistentKeepalive = 25

Alternative Solutions

If the main methods didn’t help, consider alternative approaches:

1. Using other protocols

• Try OpenVPN over Cloak instead of AmneziaWG
• Experiment with different ports and obfuscation

2. External clients

Use alternative clients for Windows:

• AmneziaWG Windows Client - full-featured client for Windows using Wintun
• Make sure you have the necessary rights to work with registry

3. Windows registry configuration

For advanced users, you can configure the registry:

# Commands for service management
amneziawg /installmanagerservice
amneziawg /uninstallmanagerservice

Sources

1. AmneziaWG Documentation - Error codes and troubleshooting
2. GitHub Issue #832 - Windows client unstable with AmneziaWG protocol
3. GitHub Issue #1041 - Handshake completion problems
4. GitHub Issue #1344 - Backend failure with AmneziaWG
5. GitHub Issue #30 - Periodic handshake failures
6. GitHub - AmneziaWG Windows Client
7. Reddit - Connection to VPS problem
8. Documentation - AmneziaWG protocol overview
9. EDIS Global - Install AmneziaWG client on Windows
10. Xeovo Hub - How to install AmneziaWG on Windows

Conclusion

To solve the unstable connection problem of AmneziaVPN on your VPS from adminpvs on a desktop computer, perform the following steps:

1. Check version compatibility - make sure the application and protocol support each other
2. Configure keepalive parameters - set the correct values to prevent drops
3. Perform Windows troubleshooting - restart the tunnel, check network adapters
4. Check server configuration - analyze logs for handshake errors
5. Consider alternative solutions - try other protocols or external clients

The problem is most likely related to the specific features of the AmneziaWG implementation for Windows, so sequential execution of these steps should help stabilize the connection. If the problem persists, it is recommended to contact your VPS provider’s support to check the server configuration.