Joining a Twingate network fails with "Unable to join network"

 

Symptoms

• On a Windows operating system, joining the Twingate network fails
• No other VPN is installed
• No other TAP adaptor is present
• The Twingate TAP adaptor is present and listed on the interface list but in the description it lists something other than Twingate TAP-Windows Adapter V9 
• Usually another software using TAP adaptors will have been installed or still be installed
• The Twingate.log shows:
  

  2022-09-12 [ERROR] ClientPreconnectionChecksRunner.CallService ClientPreconnectionChecksRunner.Start failed. TapAdapterExistence details: Twingate System.ServiceModel.FaultException`1[Twingate.Client.Common.PipeService.Contracts.ConnectionFaults.PreconnectionFault]: Twingate (Fault Detail is equal to Twingate.Client.Common.PipeService.Contracts.ConnectionFaults.PreconnectionFault).

• The Twingate.Service.log will show errors like this one:
  

  [ERROR] ConnectionService.RunPreconnectionChecks Connect preconnection check failed Twingate.Client.Common.PreconnectionChecks.Exceptions.PreconnectionException: Twingate adapter is missing from the computer
     at Twingate.Client.Common.PreconnectionChecks.TapAdapterExistenceCheck.d__6.MoveNext()

• Reinstalling Twingate and even cleaning the registry will not help

Cause

• The Twingate service cannot locate the TAP adaptor and the connection fails.

Resolution

• If the other VPN is still installed, uninstall it as cleanly as possible.
• Back up the registry, just as recommended best practice, before making any changes to it.
• In the the registry, locate the key for our TAP adaptor (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\ROOT\NET\0000) and change the value for FriendlyName toTwingate TAP-Windows Adapter V9.
• Reboot the computer.