How To Use VPN In Windows 10

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.

Does Windows 10 Have A Built In VPN

Many people dont know that Windows 10 has its own built-in VPN client. But before you rush to cancel your current VPN subscription, its worth taking a closer look at what the Windows option is capable of.

The most important thing to know about the built-in Windows option is that its not really a VPN service – or at least not the kind we’ve become accustomed to from third party providers. Windows doesnt give you access to a secure server network, which is what you pay for when using a VPN service. Instead, the built-in tool is just a desktop client for connecting to a third-party network and it can’t hep you with all the other use cases that we’ve described above and has limited features.

What’s more, it’s rather complicated to get set up and requires a deep dive into your network settings and probably even some tinkering with your router. In contrast, the VPNs listed above can get you protected within seconds, are supremely easy to use and only cost a few dollars a month.

How To Use Built

Windows has a built-in VPN tool that lets you connect to almost any VPN service without using third-party software. Follow the below steps to use the built-in VPN tool in Windows 10.

The built-in Windows VPN has all the options to connect to a VPN network. One of the biggest benefits of using the built-in VPN is that you can connect to the VPN service with a single click.

In fact, most office environments use this tool to let their employees connect to the internal network. Additionally, most major consumer VPN provides also support built-in VPN tool in Windows 10. If you dont like to install yet another software, this is a great option to consider.

Without further ado, let me show you how to configure and use Windows built-in VPN tool.

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Can I Get A Free Windows 10 VPN

Yes, free Windows VPNs are available, but every one comes with some kind of restriction after all, VPNs are businesses and at the end of the day, they need to get paid.

Fifth-place Hotspot Shield probably offers the best free PC VPN option on the market, giving a decent 500MB a day of data. Compare that with a service like TunnelBear, which offers 500MB a month, and it starts to look quite tempting.

However, if you’re going to do anything major with your Windows 10 VPN especially if you’re using it as a streaming VPN we’d thoroughly recommend paying for a service.

If you can’t afford a premium service like ExpressVPN it’d be worth having a read through our cheap VPN list you might be surprised at how little many fully-featured VPNs go for.

Network Settings: How To Choose A VPN Connection Protocol

The Network settings tab of our Microsoft Store VPN app allows you to choose the most suitable VPN protocol for your connection: IKEv2, OpenVPN®, KeepSolid Wise UDP, KeepSolid Wise TCP, or WireGuard®. You can learn more about VPN protocols here.

If youre not sure which VPN protocol to choose, we recommend you enable the Optimal protocol option. In this case, the system will automatically pick the one that will ensure the best performance.

Also, on this tab you can enable DNS Firewall using the toggle button. DNS Firewall performs web filtering and protects you from malware. To activate this solution, download the DNS Firewall application on Microsoft store by clicking Get. If you already have this app, click Open to configure DNS settings.

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Connect To A VPN On Windows : Step

Once youve selected your VPN service and protocol, youre ready to manually connect your VPN on your Windows 10 machine. Follow the steps below to get started

1.) Click the Windows icon and then Settings to get started.

2.) Next, click Network & Internet.

3.) Navigate to the VPN section.

4.) Then click Add a VPN connection to get started with the setup.

5.) Fill in the VPN provider information as prompted if desired).

6.) Select the VPN type drop-down to choose a custom protocol if required.

7.) You can customize the login type under Type of sign-in info based on your preference and provider.

8.) Click Save and Connect to start your VPN session, or click Advanced options for more options.

9.) Under Advanced options, you can edit general connection info or add proxy settings if needed for your network.

Crer La Connexion VPN

Dans Windows 10, vous pouvez configurer plusieurs connexion VPN.Pour cela, on saisit les informations et paramètres de la connexion VPN pour ajouter la connexion VPN dans le système.En général, il sagit :

• de ladresse du serveur VPN : soit sous la forme dune adresse littérale soit sous la forme dune adresse IP
• dun port de connexion réseau : Il nest pas forcément indiqué puisque les protocoles PPP, L2TP ont des ports par défaut
• dune méthode dauthentification : Un nom dutilisateur et mot de passe, un fichier de certificat, carte à puce ou un fichier de clé

A partir de là, il est possible de se connecter à celle-ci.

En général, il sagit de connexion VPN pour les entreprises, si vous souhaitez vous connecter à des VPN comme NordVPN, CyberGhost, suivez plutôt ce dossier complet :

Temps nécessaire : 10 minutes.

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What You Need To Configure A VPN On Windows 10

So, what will you need to configure a VPN connection on Windows 10? Well, Windows 10 of course, along with a subscription to a VPN service including ExpressVPN, NordVPN, CyberGhost VPN, or the many others on the market. Once you’ve picked a service, you’ll need an IP address of the server locations your VPN service provides to manually add and connect a VPN, which means you get to pick the spot that’s best suited for you. You can get this information via the VPN service’s web page.Now, onto becoming a VPN configuration expert.

How To Set Up & Use Windows 10s Built

The built-in Windows 10 VPN service is a rather interesting feature and one that comes with a few limitations. These limitations may make the process not very ideal for what you need a VPN for. As previously stated, a bit of tech knowledge is almost essential to move forward.

To get things rolling, it will take some network and port configuring on your end. The ability to forward ports from your router will be necessary. You also run the risk of exposing Windows and the port you choose for the server to malicious entry.

To help avoid this, youll want to consider using a different port than the default one used for PPTP. A strong password is also a must and should contain a mix of numbers, letters, and special characters.

The VPN Server

Creating a Windows 10 VPN server will take you into areas of which you may not be familiar.

• Begin by typing ncpa.cpl into the taskbar search and opening Network Connections. It may appear as a Control Panel item.
• With the Network Connections window opened, press the Alt key on your keyboard to reveal the menu tabs.
• Click the File tab to pull up the menu, and then select New Incoming Connection.

• Choose which user accounts you want to provide access to the VPN connection.
• From a security perspective, it may be wise to create a completely new, limited user account. This way you can protect your primary user account from potential exposure. To do this, click Add someone and fill out the username and password fields.

Configuring The Router

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How To Install A VPN Using Windows 10 Settings

The first step to configuring a VPN for PC is subscribing to a VPN service. There are plenty of good options out there. After signing up, the VPN service should provide a list of servers they own. You will need them to complete the manual installation.

Follow these steps:

1. Open the Network and Internet window by right-clicking on the network icon in the system tray on the taskbar and selecting it. Alternatively, click on the Start icon and go to Settings in the right-hand menu. From there, navigate to the Network and Internet tab.

2. Click on the VPN option and select Add a VPN Connection. A new window will appear.

3. In the drop-down menu under VPN Provider, select the Windows option.

4. In the next field under Connection name type in a name for the connection. The given name doesnt matter. It allows the PC user to identify it later on when they want to connect to the VPN.

5. Remember those server addresses mentioned earlier? Now, choose one of those and type it into the Server Name or Address field.

6. Then select a connection protocol in the VPN type drop-down menu. Those who prefer OpenVPN might have to download a configuration file to make this work. Otherwise, choose one of the other protocol options. But try to avoid PPTP as its the least secure option. The experts dont recommend it for security purposes.

8. Click Save. Then select the VPN it will now appear under the VPN list in the Network and Internet settings window.

Why Use Two VPNs At The Same Time

As we explain in our article on what VPNs are, a VPN connects you from your ISPs server to the VPN server, and from there to the server of the site you want to visit. The connection between the VPN and the site is encrypted in the process, creating something called a secure tunnel. This tunnel makes it so your ISP cant see what youre up to, nor can the site youre connected to trace back to your location.

Simultaneous VPN connectionsalso called double-hop,multi-hop or double VPNis when you connect to a VPN server and then connect to another one. This effectively creates a double-encrypted connection which should be doubly safe, or at least thats how its advertised by the VPN providers that offer themNordVPN is one that springs to mind.

However, a double-encrypted connection might sound like its safer, but theres really no reason to think that. After all, if one connection can be tracked, why not another? There is a case to be made that a double connection could keep a VPN service from logging your data when you double up, but if you trust a service so little, you may ask yourself why youre even using it.

When using a double- VPN connection, be it one you make yourself or one offered by a VPN provider, expect speeds to slow to a crawl.

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How To Disconnect From A VPN In Windows 10

If you want to disconnect from a running VPN connection, click or tap on its Disconnect button from the Settings app, and the connection is shut down immediately.

Disconnecting from a VPN in Windows 10

If you prefer a faster way to do it, you can also disconnect from the VPN directly from your desktop. Click or tap on the network icon from your system tray, and, in the network flyout that is displayed, you should see the VPN connection to which you are presently connected. Click or tap on it, and then press the Disconnect button.

Disconnecting from a VPN from the networks flyout

Configure The Router For Incoming VPN

Router Configuration: Enable PPTP and Generic Route Encapsulation on the Router. Depending on the type of router, you need to either enable PPTP or create a port forward to port 1723.

If your router has an additional setting for PPTP or VPN, make sure its enabled. Its usually called a pass-through setting .

Thats All Now your VPN Server Is Ready for Incoming Connections.

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How To Set Up A VPN On Macos

Setting up a VPN in your Mac is also relatively simple. Similar to the PC instructions, you can install a dedicated application from the VPN website, or you can set one up in the settings. Heres how:

Now, the set up of your VPN is complete on your macOS device.

How To Get A VPN On Multiple Devices

You can connect up to six devices with one NordVPN account. While there are dedicated NordVPN apps for most popular operating systems, some gadgets will need to be configured manually .

You can also install a VPN on your Wi-Fi router to protect every device connected to it. This way, you can share your account with family members, turn on a VPN on their gadgets, and protect them from online threats.

Some of NordVPNs features might vary across different platforms, but the basic principles are the same high-speed security and privacy.

NordVPN supports 8 different platforms and can be configured for even more. You won’t go wrong.

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Connect To A VPN In Windows

Whether it’s for work or personal use, you can connect to a virtual private network on your Windows PC. A VPN connection can help provide a more secure connection and access to your company’s network and the internet, for example, when youre working from a coffee shop or similar public place.

Note: This feature is not available in Windows 11 SE. Learn more

Can I Get A Free VPN For Windows 10

We think that when you use a VPN you should expect several things from your provider: good performance, minimal logging, a reliable service, responsive support, and secure encryption.

Unfortunately, its very hard to find a free VPN that offers all these things. It can be difficult to find a VPN that offers any of these things.

There are, however, a few free VPNs that we do recommend. We keep an updated list of the top free VPNs to make sure you dont get caught out by any dangerous services.

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To Add A VPN Connection In Network And Sharing Center

Control Panel Network and Sharing CenterSet up a new connection or networkConnect to a workplaceNextUse my Internet connection Create

• Internet address – You will need to get this from your VPN provider.
• Destination name – Usually this can be any name you want, but some VPN providers may require a specific name.
• Remember my credentials – Check or uncheck based on if you want to automatically sign in to the VPN whenever you connect to the VPN.

The Easy Way: Use A VPN Client

Note that some VPN providers offer their own desktop clients, which means you wont need the setup process described in this guide. All of our favorite VPNsStrongVPN for advanced users, and ExpressVPN and TunnelBear for basic usersoffer their own desktop application for connecting to their VPNs and selecting VPN server locations.

Windows 10 supports PPTP, L2TP/IPsec, SSTP, and IKEv2 connections without any third-party software.

To connect to a VPN on Windows 10, head to Settings > Network & Internet > VPN. Click the Add a VPN connection button to set up a new VPN connection.

Provide the connection details for your VPN. You can enter any name you like under Connection Name. This name is just used on your computer to help you identify the VPN connection.

Your VPN provider should be able to provide you with these details. If the VPN is provided by your employer, your employers IT department should provide you with the details youll need to connect.

Once youve set up a VPN, youll see it in the network popup menu next to any nearby Wi-Fi networks.

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