Use The Dedicated App
Most VPN services these days have a dedicated Windows application that you can install on your computer. This is probably the simplest method for setting up a VPN on your Windows 10 device.
More Great VPN Services
Are you not buying what ExpressVPN is selling? Check out these other excellent VPN services we recommend. You can also have a look at our roundup of the current best VPN deals if you’re looking to save some money.
Surfshark VPN
Surfshark puts no limit on how many devices can connect, making it a great VPN option for the whole family.
CyberGhost VPN
Tons of servers, rock-solid security, and affordable long-term plans make CyberGhost an excellent option for a lot of people.
Configuring L2tp/ipsec Or Pptp
OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec are newer technologies that create secure VPN connections. L2TP/IPSec and PPTP are older and widely considered less secure. In fact, many VPN companies include notes on their tutorials for these protocols indicating that users should not, if they can help it, use them.
That said, because of their age these protocols are widely supported. If nothing else works, you could give them a try, but we’re not going to detail their workings here, because we don’t recommend them.
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How To Manually Configure A VPN On Windows 10
The beauty of the best VPN services is that they have an intuitive Windows 10 app that makes setting up a connection as easy as clicking a big green button that says “connect.” However, if you’re running Windows 10 in S mode and can’t install apps from outside the Store, or you’re using a VPN without a client, you can still configure a VPN manually. This is especially important as many people continue working from home and require a VPN. Here’s everything you need to know.
For The Openvpn Option

- Install the tool using default settings
- Right-click on the OpenVPN GUI systray symbol and click Import file
- From your router, choose the OpenVPN configuration file
- Right-click on the OpenVPN GUI systray symbol and select Connect
- In case OpenVPN GUI fails on your computer. You can establish the problem and fix it with ease.
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Connect To A VPN In Windows 10 Using Rasdial
The console rasdial tool connects or disconnects a dial-up or virtual private network connection. When you run the command without parameters, the status of current network connections is displayed.
rasdial "Name" "User name" "Password"
Replace the Name portion with your VPN connection’s name. Use your actual user name and password for the VPN instead of “User name” and “Password”.
Configure The L2tp Connection
To prepare a Windows 10 computer to make an L2TP VPN connection, you must configure the L2TP;connection in the network settings.
The procedure in this topic is an example only. The steps you must follow might differ because of your Control Panel view and existing configuration. For more information about L2TP VPN connections in Windows, see the Microsoft documentation.
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How To Allow VPN Connections Through Firewall
While configuring the Incoming Connection feature on Windows 10 should automatically open the necessary Windows Firewall ports, you want to make sure the firewall is properly configured.
To allow VPN connections through the firewall on Windows 10, use these steps:
Open Start on Windows 10.
Search for Allow an app through Windows Firewall, and click the top result to open the experience.
Click the Change settings button.
Scroll down and make sure Routing and Remote Access is allowed on Private and Public.
Click the OK button.
After you complete the steps, the Windows 10 VPN server will now be able to receive connections remotely from other computers.
Check Your Regular Network Connection
The first basic troubleshooting step is to make sure your regular network connection is working well. If your network connection has problems, you can troubleshoot Internet connection problems like reboot rooter and modem, reset TCP/IP, flush DNS, run Windows network troubleshooter, conduct a Netsh Winsock reset, etc.
You can also update or reinstall your network drivers, update your Windows 10 system to the latest version to see it they can fix the VPN issues.
If your regular network connection is working well, you can then continue to check the solutions below to fix VPN not connecting Windows 10 problem.
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How To Manually Add And Connect To A VPN On Windows 10
Once you subscribe to a VPN service keep in mind there are plenty of great VPN options out there you should have access to a list of servers that you can connect to. It will differ depending on the VPN service you’re using, but you should have access to a webpage or desktop app section that lists the server’s location, the address needed to create a manual connection, and the current load of the server.
Your VPN provider should also provide manual sign-in information that can be used as credentials. This might be some sort of username and password or certificate depending on the service, and it will vary from provider to provider.
Once you have the required information to make a connection, you can jump into settings and get everything running.
Click the dropdown menu below VPN provider.
Click the Connection name field.
Click the Server name or address field.
Click the dropdown menu below VPN type.
Click the dropdown menu below Type of sign-in info.
Click Save.
Click Connect.
Get The Right Login Details
To set up a VPN connection with Windows 10, you need the right login details. Otherwise you wont be able to access the VPN server. If your VPN connection is arranged through your work, youll need to ask your boss for the correct login information. Do you work with a VPN for private use? Then you created these details yourself when setting up your account. With this information, often consisting of a username and password and possibly a specific server address to connect to, you can follow the three steps below to connect to the VPN.
If you dont have a VPN account and login details yet and are looking for a good VPN to protect your internet connection, you could always try CyberGhost. This provider is very cheap, but still of great quality. Moreover, they have a 45 days money-back guarantee, allowing you to try out the service first.
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How To Setup A VPN On A Windows 10 Pc Or Mac
Tom Bedford Tom is fresh-faced to the world of tech journalism but has a keen eye and passion for technology, film, travel, games, and more. He currently writes freelance for Alphr, and spends his time exploring old technology . Read more August 12, 2021
Disclaimer: Some pages on this site may include an affiliate link. This does not effect our editorial in any way.
When you want to set up a virtual private network for personal security or to stream the far superior films of American Netflix, it can often be hard to find a trustworthy provider or work out how to get your Windows 10 or Mac device to recognize the network. Thankfully, were here to help.
Before you set up a VPN, youll want to find a safe VPN. There are a lot of VPN providers available today; for the purposes of this article, were using ExpressVPN since its compatible with a wide variety of devices, including your Mac and PC, although the instructions are the same for whichever VPN youve chosen.
How To Connect To VPN On Laptop

- Using a VPN on a laptop shouldn’t be different than using it on a desktop PC.
- However, if you’re a novice, you might find it difficult to configure your network settings.
- Third-party VPN providers are the most popular choice among laptop users.
- On the other hand, Windows 10 also has a built-in VPN feature that is quite effective.
Do you need to connect your Windows 10 laptop to VPN? Having a good and reliable VPN is important, and in todays article, well show you how to connect your PC to a VPN network on Windows 10.
When you want to connect your Windows 10 laptop to a VPN , there are a few things you need to do to get to that point.
Whether its for work purposes, or your own personal use, a VPN or virtual private network, gives you a more secure connection to your network and the Internet, like if youre working from a public place.
In order to successfully connect your Windows 10 laptop to VPN, you need to have a VPN profile on your laptop, either by creating one by yourself, or setting up an office or work account so as to get a VPN profile from your workplace.
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By Step: How To Set Up A VPN In Windows 10
Step 1 Click on the Cortana search bar or button on the taskbar and type vpn.
Step 2 The top choice should be Change virtual private networks . Alternatively, open the Settings app and go to Network & Internet > VPN.
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Windows 10s built-in VPN client settings.
Step 3 At the top of the VPN screen in the Settings app, click Add a VPN connection.
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Windows 10s built-in VPN client configuration window.
Step 4 In the screen that appears, enter the details for your VPN connection. Under VPN provider click on the drop-down menu, and select Windows . This will also change VPN type to Automatic, and Type of sign-in info to User name and password.
Step 5 Next fill out the Connection name and Server name or address. These vary based on your VPN providerwhether a third-party service or an employer. For this example, were using Acevpn, a clientless VPN service that supports various connection types such as IKEv2, L2TP, and PPTP.
Step 6 Scroll down this screen and youll see a spot to enter your username and password for the VPNagain provided by your VPN service. Once the information is entered, click Save, and close the Settings app.
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An IKEv2 VPN connection ready to go in Windows 10.
Step 7 Click the Wi-Fi icon in the system tray on your taskbar, and select your newly created VPN connection, which should be right at the top of the list. It should automatically start to connect, and if all goes well the connection process should happen relatively quickly.
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How To Add Expressvpn To My Windows 10 VPN List
I notice that Microsoft Windows 10 includes support for VPNs. Very nice. How can I hook ExpressVPN, my VPN of choice, into Win10 so its my default?
Im also a fan of ExpressVPN and find it a solid balance of affordability, speed and reliability. I think its one of the best VPNs available. Dont have a VPN yet? You might want to check out ExpressVPN. Not sure of the benefits? Privacy. Virtual Private Networks allow you a lot more privacy and anonymity on the Internet by using a point-to-point encryption system. This means that even if the wifi network youre using is monitored, youll be in the clear with your communication to and from the rest of the Internet being encrypted from your browser to the VPN server itself. Helpful even if you just dont want people snooping on your Amazon purchases.
VPNs, however, can be a bit tricky to work with which is why its so darn helpful that Microsoft has tucked VPN support directly into Windows 10 and even lets you automatically start it up every time you boot. A lot of big corporations have their own VPN servers too, ensuring that sales and support staff in the field can safely and privately communication with HQ. Even then, though, do you really want the boss knowing every Web page you visit, every email you get, every time you pop over to Netflix?
Now, go to the Windows Start Menu and search for VPN as a shortcut to get to the Win10 VPN configuration screen:
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How To Use VPN In Windows 10
Last Updated on by Stephen Brown
The Internet has become a vital part of our daily life. It is surrounding our daily life. So it is very necessary to have a safe internet connection. That safety is provided with a VPN. VPN stands for the virtual private network. This provides a secure and versatile environment in the World Wide Web. Here, we will talk about how to use VPN in Windows 10.
When you use a VPN in your windows 10 pc or laptop, it creates a path through which your internet usages remain safe and secure and so outsiders can not be able to locate your IP address and can not get your internet information.
Again, by using a VPN you can easily change your location and can access any internet platform which is not accessible in your country. So you can get these very useful features by only using VPN in your windows 10 pc or laptop.
There is another feature in a VPN that can give an extra benefit. That is its ad-blocking capacity. When you enable your VPN connection, you will get this feature free. Thus you do not need to block adds manually. For this reason, your net connection will be faster enough. So you should give a try and can be able to use it on your windows 10 pc or laptop.
For using VPN effectively, you need to know the procedure of its use. Here you will get the step by step procedure of enabling and disabling your VPN according to your net. So lets start the journey.
Open VPN Settings In Windows
Do you want to install a VPN on Windows 10? First of all, you need to make sure youre using a Windows account with administration rights. Usually the owner of the computer has these rights. He or she can also distribute them to others. If you only have one user account on the device youre working with, youll automatically have these rights.
Go to the start menu and click Settings. This button often looks like a small cogwheel. Once the Settings screen opens, click Network and Internet from the menu. Then choose VPN from the list on the left side of the screen. The image on the right of this text shows what this looks like. Youve now found the VPN settings screen on Windows and are ready to add a VPN connection to your operating system.
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What You Need To Get Started
First, you need to choose and sign up for a VPN service. No, you’re not going to be using its apps, but you still need to access its servers. Ideally, you already have a VPN service that you are signed up for and using on all your other devices, be they PCs, phones, or tablets. But the truth is, PCMag’s research shows that many of you aren’t using a VPN. That’s bad, but there’s no judgment here, because you’re reading this piece because you’re about to start, right? If you do need to choose a VPN service, click the link in the first paragraph of this piece, read a few reviews, and pick the one that sounds right for you. Once that’s done, come back here and continue.
The second thing you have to do is decide which VPN protocol you want to use. This is the setup that creates the encrypted tunnel. There are four main protocols supported by VPN companies: IKEv2/IPsec, L2TP/IPSec, OpenVPN, and PPTP.
Our preferred protocol is OpenVPN, which is newer and has a reputation for reliability and speed. IKEv2/IPSec is a solid second option and uses new, secure technology. Many VPN companies warn against L2TP/IPSec, which is not as secure as newer protocols. Generally, it’s supported only for use on older, legacy systems. The same is true for PPTP, which you should avoid using if at all possible.