Error messages

You may need to uninstall the old VPN clients if you see the message "AnyConnect was not able to establish a connection to the specified secure gateway. Please try connecting again."

While trying to install the VPN you may also get the error "A more recent version of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is already installed on this computer."

Windows

Windows 7

1. Click the Start Menu.
2. Type View network connections in the search bar, then click that item in the results list.
3. In the window that appears, right-click the old VPN item you want to remove and choose Delete. You may need to delete two items:
   1. CITES VPN with the subheading WAN Miniport (PPTP)
   2. Aventail VPN with the subheading Aventail VPN Adapter
4. (If you had an Aventail VPN client installed:)
   Go to the Start Menu- > Control Panel -> Uninstall Program.
5. In the list of programs that appears, select Aventail Connect, then click the Uninstall button above the list.
6. Click Yes when prompted to uninstall.
7. If the Aventail icon remains on your desktop after uninstallation, you can drag it into your Recycle Bin.

Windows 8

1. Right-click the Start Menu.
2. Select Network Connections from the list of options.
3. In the window that appears, right-click the old VPN item you want to remove and choose Delete. You may need to delete two items:
   1. CITES VPN with the subheading WAN Miniport (PPTP)
   2. Aventail VPN with the subheading Aventail VPN Adapter
4. (If you had an Aventail VPN client installed:)
   Go to the Start Menu- > Control Panel -> Uninstall Program.
5. In the list of programs that appears, select Aventail Connect, then click the Uninstall button above the list.
6. Click Yes when prompted to uninstall.
7. If the Aventail icon remains on your desktop after uninstallation, you can drag it into your Recycle Bin.

Windows 10 is unlikely to have the Nortel or Aventail VPN installed from use with the prior versions of the Tech Services VPN. If you need to uninstall them because they were installed for a different VPN, please refer to that group's documentation.

VPN is not listed under Programs but the installer says another version of the VPN is installed:

Note: You must have admin permissions on the machine to follow this section. If you do not have these privileges, please contact your local IT to complete this troubleshooting.

If you cannot find the Cisco AnyConnect program in the Control Panel, you can use the following tool from Microsoft. Run the troubleshooter and select the option for help with Uninstalling. Next, choose the AnyConnect program and have the troubleshooter attempt to remove it. Repeat this process if there are multiple entries for the program. You should now be able to run the installer.

On Mac

Removing the old CITES VPN (aka Nortel)

1. Under System Preferences, choose Network
2. In the left hand list of connections, choose the old VPN that you want to remove. (If it says vpn3.near.uiuc.edu in the Server Address line, it's an old connection and should be removed.)
3. Uncheck the box that says "Show VPN status in the menu bar."
4. Click the minus button below the left hand column.
5. Click Apply.

Removing the Aventail VPN client

1. With your Finder open to Applications, find Aventail Connect in your applications list.
2. Right click on it and choose Move to Trash.
3. If prompted, enter the computer's administrator user name and password.

More help

If you need further assistance with this error, please contact the Help Desk.