Introduction

This guide shows how to set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection on a computer running Microsoft Windows 10.

What you’ll need

These are technical details which are needed to make your VPN connection work. If you don’t have these pieces of information, talk to your IT department or IT service provider.

1. An internet address for your VPN connection – this could be something like vpn.yourcompany.com.
2. Your VPN username and password.
3. You may also need a “pre shared key” – this should be treated like any other password and stored securely.

Steps

1. Go to Start and click on the settings gear icon:

2. In the windows settings screen, select Network and Internet

3. From the left menu select VPN, then select Add a VPN connection

4. Depending on which type of VPN technology your company uses, under VPN Type select either:

• Point to Point Tunnelling Protocol (PPTP)
• L2TP/IPSec with pre shared key

To save your username and password fill in the VPN username and password you were given by your service provider or IT team under Username (optional) and Password (optional), and ensure you tick Remember my sign-in info.

If you don’t fill in your username and password, or you don’t tick Remember my sign-in info, Windows will prompt you every time you connect to the VPN for your username and password.

Your VPN password should be hard to guess – so you probably don’t want to be prompted every time for it, unless you’re using a password manager, in which case you may choose not to save your sign-info.

4. Now, if you click on the network icon which can look like any of these:

You will see your VPN connection at the top of the popout menu which appears like below.

Click Connect to connect to the VPN.

5. When the VPN is connected, you will see the status change to Connected

6. You can now access files, connect to remote desktop servers or access other network resources at your workplace over the VPN.

 

When you’re done, click Disconnect to disconnect the VPN.