VPN or Virtual Private Network allows to hide your real identity and access the internet anonymously. Though proxy servers also do the same function, VPN offers highly secured and private connection to the network you use. VPN is a mandatory requirement for anyone who travels frequently or live as an expat in countries like China. Also, people use VPN in schools and offices to access blocked sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter (X), etc. Whether it’s your personal network or for work, VPN connection should be the priority for making safe payments and accessing the internet anonymously.
Windows 10 provides you a built-in option for connecting to VPN. So, with Windows 10 desktop or laptop, you can connect to any VPN service provider without hassle. The process is same in Windows 11 though the interface may look bit different.
How to Get VPN Account?
Before setting up a connection, you should have a proper VPN account or access to a server with credentials. Avoid using free VPN services as all network activities can be logged or traced by the VPN company including the passwords you use for payments. To have a safe browsing, always go for premium VPN services like ExpressVPN. Most of the time you will get a decent discount while purchasing a premium VPN service.
1. Building a VPN Profile in Windows 10
You can set up a work account or a personal VPN profile. If it’s for the personal use, as mentioned above you can purchase a service from any of the trusted companies. If it’s for work, then ask for the server credentials from your company administrator.
Follow the steps to create a VPN profile in Windows 10:
- Go to Search box in Taskbar and type “settings”.
- Press “Enter” key to open Windows 10 Settings app.
- Head over to “Network & Internet > VPN” section and click on “Add a VPN connection” button.
- Choose “VPN Provider” as “Windows (built-in)” from the dropdown.
- Type any easy name that you can remember in “Connection name” box, for example: MyVPN.
- In the “Server name or address” field, enter the IP address allotted from your company (Work) or from any website you have purchased VPN service for personal use.
- If you notice, “VPN type” field will be set to “Automatic” by default. Click on it to find all available protocols and select the one you prefer. If you don’t know the type, ask your VPN service provider which kind of VPN types they offer or you may need to try on iteration.
- For “Type of sign-in info”, select user name and password or one-time password option. You can choose Smart card or certificate option if you have the details.
- Now, enter your VPN server’s user name and password in their input fields.
- Check on “Remember my sign-in info” and click on “Save”. Your VPN profile is now ready to use.
In office networks, people generally call it as a “token” and use USB or secure password generator to connect to the VPN server. In that case, the setup is pre-configured by the network administrator and you may not have access to setup the VPN profile as explained above.
2. Connecting to a VPN Network
Once the profile is set up, it’s time to connect the VPN and use it.
- Again, go to “Network & Internet > VPN” section in “Settings” app and you should be able to see your recently created VPN connection.
- Click on the connection name and choose “Connect”.
- Click on “Remove” to delete the VPN profile, if you don’t need it anymore.
- Alternatively, you can click the “Network” icon showing in Taskbar system tray section and connect your VPN profile.
3. Configuring Advanced Options
Advanced options allow you to edit the current connection properties and set VPN proxy settings.
- Open your recently created VPN network from the “Settings” app as explained in the previous section.
- Click on the connection name to expand the option and select “Advanced options”.
- Under “Connection properties” section, click “Edit” button to change the details.
- Click the “VPN proxy settings” dropdown to view the available options.
- If you have any proxy setup currently in your PC, then the “Automatically detect settings” option will detect and use them for the current VPN network.
- If you choose “Use setup script”, then you will be asked to enter the script address here.
- “Manual setup” option ask you to enter the address, port and an exception for any specific address.
- Select your option, enter the details and then click on “Apply”.
Conclusion
Though this is a standard way to setup VPN in Windows 10 you have many other options depending upon the service provider. Nowadays, all providers offer browser extensions which you can install and connect from the browser. Also, you can use separate VPN apps to connect which will basically configure the profile and connect through the app. You can modify the connection type, server location, etc., all within the app making your life much easier.
