### Always On VPN Connectivity Stumbles After September Updates **Microsoft** has alerted IT administrators to a significant issue impacting **Always On VPN** connections on **Windows 11** devices after the installation of the September 2026 security updates. **Always On VPN** is a cornerstone remote access technology, replacing the older **DirectAccess**, and is crucial for maintaining secure, automatic connections to enterprise networks for domain-joined, non-domain-joined, and **Microsoft Entra ID**–joined devices across **Windows 10**, **Windows 11**, and **Windows Server** environments. According to a service alert shared by **Microsoft MVP Susan Bradley**, affected systems may find their VPN connections stuck in a 'Connecting' state or repeatedly attempting to connect without success. Users might also encounter the error message: "The specified port is already in use." This issue primarily arises when the VPN is configured for automatic protocol selection, specifically when attempting to switch between **IKEv2** and **SSTP** if the initial connection fails. ### Affected Versions and Temporary Mitigation The problem has been identified across several **Windows 11** versions and their corresponding updates: | Affected Versions | Originating update | | :----------------------- | :----------------- | | **Windows 11**, version 26H1 | **KB5124012** | | **Windows 11**, version 25H2 | **KB5124008** | | **Windows 11**, version 24H2 | **KB5124008** | While **Microsoft** is actively working on a permanent resolution, a temporary workaround has been provided. IT administrators can mitigate the issue by configuring the **Always On VPN** profile to use a single tunneling protocol—either **SSTP** only or **IKEv2** only—instead of automatic protocol selection. The choice of protocol should be based on an organization's specific environment, security requirements, and deployment strategy. ### A Pattern of Post-Update Issues This **Always On VPN** glitch is not an isolated incident. The September 2026 cumulative updates have been linked to a series of other problems affecting both consumer and enterprise **Windows** users. Earlier this month, **Microsoft** released emergency updates to address failures in **Remote Desktop Services**, **Hyper-V** issues, and **USB** audio problems, all stemming from the same update cycle. Furthermore, **Microsoft** has shared workarounds for **Windows 11** users experiencing authentication issues with valid domain credentials and is investigating another bug that disrupts the built-in **File History** backup feature.