Cybercrimes can be scary because they have evolved from simple spamming and malware infection to complicated identity theft and computer hijacking. Using a VPN or a virtual private network helps eliminate the risk brought by the Internet. Using a VPN helps protect your data whenever you connect to the Internet, keeping it safe from the eyes of malicious third-party users. You can securely do your online shopping or banking without having to worry about other people snooping into your online activities.
Most VPN companies provide apps to help you set up their service quickly and hassle-free. But that’s not the only way to do it. You can set up Windows 10/11 VPN manually, which we will discuss in detail below.
What is a VPN?
The Internet is probably man’s greatest invention because it has enabled the exchange of information regardless of distance. However, security and privacy have been a problem ever since. Even several decades after the more secure HTTPS was introduced as the standard for web browsing, there is still not enough protection for Internet users against threats lurking on the web. Installing a professional VPN, such as Outbyte VPN, minimizes the risks brought by Internet use, so you can go about your business safely and securely.
How does a VPN work? When you connect to the Internet, the usual route is from your device to the world wide web. However, when you use a VPN, an encrypted tunnel is created through which your connection passes through before it goes out to your destination on the web. So even if there’s someone snooping on your network or your device has been infected with spyware designed to monitor your activities, they will not be able to see even a glimpse of what you’re doing. Even your ISP provider or your government’s monitoring agencies won’t be able to track your activities.
How to Set Up VPN On Windows 10/11
Most VPN companies have their own VPN client, but for this tutorial, we’ll start with the generally-supported Microsoft’s built-in VPN client. This client is perfect when the VPN you are subscribed to does not have its own VPN client or when you’re planning to use a protocol that is not supported by your VPN client.
To set up your VPN, Microsoft’s VPN client, do the following:
- Click Start and type vpn in the search bar.
- Choose Change virtual private networks (VPN) from the search results.
- Next, open Settings and go to Network & Internet > VPN.
- At the top of the window, click Add a VPN connection.
- Type in the details for your VPN connection. Click the dropdown menu under VPN provider and choose Windows (built-in).
- The VPN type will be automatically set to Automatic and the Type of sign-in info to Username and password.
- Next, fill out the Connection name and Server name or address.
- Scroll down and type in your VPN account’s username and password, then click Save.
- Close the Settings
- Click your Wi-Fi icon. You should be able to connect to your VPN network from there.
This method works for VPNs that use PPTP and L2TP because these connection types are easy to set up. However, if you want to use IKEv2, you need to install a root certificate from your VPN provider first.
Setting up VPN on Windows 10/11, Using IKEv2 Configuration
As mentioned above, IKEv2 is more complicated than other connection types. One reason is because you need to install a root certificate to be provided by your VPN company, and two, not every service supports IKEv2 connections.
But if you have what you need for the installation and you know what you’re doing, follow these Windows 10/11 VPN setup instructions:
- First, you need to download the IKEv2 certificate from your VPN provider. Save the file to any folder you can easily access.
- Double-click on the file and click Open when a security warning appears.
- Next, click Install certificate.
- The Certificate Import Wizard will open.
- Click the Local Machine radio button, then click Next.
- Select Place all certificates in the following store, then click Browse.
- On the new window that opens, choose Trusted Root Certification Authorities, then click OK.
- You’ll be sent back to the Certificate Import Wizard Click Next.
- Click Finish, then OK.
Once this is done, the certificate has been installed, and you can proceed to setting up VPN on Windows 10/11 by following the steps above. The only difference is that you should select IKEv2 under VPN type.
How do you know if your VPN works?
To check whether your VPN is working, visit IPleak.net and check the IP address of the DNS servers reflected there. It should be different from your non-VPN details. If you don’t see any difference, restart your computer for the changes to take effect.