How to set up a VPN on Windows 10.A virtual private network (VPN) allows users to send and receive data over public or public networks as if the devices were directly connected to the private network. VPN is also used to hide traffic from the ISP when the user does not want to share with the ISP the details of activities on the network, be it surfing, downloading, downloading, etc. A VPN can help keep your work and personal traffic confidential.
Regardless of your use case, setting up a VPN on a Windows 10 computer is straightforward. First, you need to select and create a VPN profile for Windows 10.
How to set up a VPN on Windows 10
VPN selection
Setting up a VPN in Windows 10 is often as simple as finding a VPN app in the Windows Store or searching the Internet for available offers. In this case, it is advisable to study a particular service or application in advance, and then make your choice. There are many free VPNs out there. Their use is often safe, but only paid services that provide access to virtual private networks can provide security.
Some browsers, like Opera, offer a built-in free VPN service. But only setting up your own virtual private network can ensure that all Internet-connected devices running Windows 10 will be reliably protected. After choosing a suitable VPN service, you need to go to the PC settings and make some changes.
Creating a VPN connection
To create a VPN connection, you need to follow these five steps:
- Open the start menu.
- Launch the Settingsutility (gear icon).
- In the window that opens, go to the ” Network and Internet” category.
- In the left part of the window, click on the ” VPN” item .
- In the central part of the window, click on the ” Add VPN connection” button .
As a result, a pop-up window will appear in which you need to fill in the appropriate fields with the data provided by the selected VPN provider.
In the VPN Provider field , select Windows (Built-in) – the only option available. In the ” Connection name ” line, create and enter a name for the profile of the future VPN connection, which will then be displayed in the list of options for available networks. In the blank line ” Server name or address ” you need to enter the address obtained from the VPN provider. In the item titled ” VPN Type ” select the appropriate type of VPN connection to be created from the drop-down list.
Minutes of the PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) is the fastest and easy to set up, but it is not very reliable and less secure compared to other VPN-server protocols. If in doubt, you can leave the choice of the best option to the discretion of the operating system by clicking on the ” Automatic ” item .
To complete the setup and start using the private virtual network, you must enter the data used by the VPN provider in the fields that are not filled in. In the line ” Login data type ” select the required item from the available ones:
- Username and password;
- One-time password;
- Smart card;
- Certificate.
If you select one of the latter two, no other data will need to be entered.
For automatic authorization in the created VPN-network, after entering the username and password (optional), check the ” Remember my login information ” item and click the ” Save ” button .
If you leave these fields blank, you will need to enter your registration information each time you connect to the VPN. It is advisable to leave these lines blank in the case when several users work at the computer.
In the future, you may need to make changes to the connection settings, for example, change the proxy settings for the VPN connection. To do this, go to the settings of the previously created VPN connection and go to ” Advanced options “. Now you can change the VPN settings (connection name, server address, login information type, username and password). Advanced settings also allow you to change proxy settings.
VPN connection
After you set up and save your VPN profile, connect to it using the following steps and you can start browsing the web using the VPN:
- Go to the ” Start ” menu ;
- Select ” Settings “, then ” Network and Internet “, and then ” VPN “;
- Select the saved VPN connection and click the ” Connect ” button ;
- If you have not previously saved your credentials, enter them when prompted by Windows.
To check the connection to the created and configured virtual private network, left-click on the ” Internet Access ” icon on the right side of the taskbar and check the status of the VPN connection.
Finally
There are many VPN providers out there, so pick the one that best suits your needs and budget. Review the reviews about this or that service and choose the fastest and safest one.
How to create a VPN on Windows 10
The new Windows 10 operating system has facilitated the creation, configuration and use of these virtual point-to-point connections that allow secure extensions of the local network over a public network such as the Internet. To make a VPN connection in Windows 10, whether it is owned by the company where we work or by our own personalized connection, we will need to know :
- The IP address of the VPN server – VPN Service Provider.
- The name of the connection and the VPN account details (username and password).
- Any technical settings you may need to successfully establish a secure connection.
Knowing these data, connecting a VPN in Windows 10 is easy by following these steps :
- Sign in to Windows 10 with an administrator account.
- Access the System Configuration tool – Network and Internet.
- Add a VPN connection.
- Enter the information required to create the VPN.
- VPN provider
- Connection name
- Server name or IP address
- VPN type
- Login information type
- Optionally, you can access advanced settings to manage other VPN-related settings, such as proxy settings, automatic detection, or manual entry.
- Once created, we only have to access the connections available on the computer and there we will see the newly created VPN that we can access as we do with a Wi-Fi network.
As we can see, it is easy to create and use these virtual point-to-point connections that allow secure extensions of the local network over a public network such as the Internet.
Beware of free providers
The data of the business VPNs will be provided by the corresponding department, but if you are a professional or user who wants to start using these virtual private networks, you can try some services that offer free access up to a certain limit of benefits or bandwidth before to contract a premium paid service.
These free services should only be used for testing or consumption level because several studies have revealed potential insecurities when it comes to safeguarding information by exposing our history, with vulnerabilities to DNS Hijacking attacks or, what is worse, as a claim for hacker access.
