How To Set Up VPN with Built-in VPN Client on Windows 10

This article shows how you can use the built-in VPN client in Windows to connect to any VPN service in simple and easy steps.

Though most don’t know, Windows has a built-in VPN client that allows you to connect to any VPN service you want, as long as the target VPN service supports it. One of the biggest benefits of using the built-in VPN is that you don’t have to install yet another application to connect to the VPN. Additionally, you can establish a VPN connection with a single click in the Quick Settings panel.

In fact, most office environments require using the built-in Windows VPN client to connect to the corporate VPN to secure the internet connection and access the internal network. Additionally, most major consumer VPN providers also support the Windows built-in VPN client.

If you don’t want to install yet another application, you can set up and use the built-in VPN client in Windows to connect to your favorite VPN service.

Table of contents:

1. Advantages of using the built-in VPN client
2. Windows VPN client requirements
3. How to set up a VPN on Windows

Advantages of using the built-in VPN client

The built-in VPN client has a few advantages over a third-party VPN application. Here are a few of those potential advantages:

Ease of use: The built-in VPN client in Windows is easy to use and can be accessed directly from the Quick Settings panel. This makes it convenient for users who need to connect to a VPN frequently.

Compatibility: The built-in VPN client in Windows is compatible with a wide range of VPN protocols, making it easy to connect to various VPN servers.

Integration with Windows: The built-in VPN client in Windows is integrated with the operating system, which means that other applications can recognize and control the VPN as and when required.

Zero installation: With the built-in VPN client, you don’t have to install yet another application that can potentially slow down the system due to its system resource usage.

Windows VPN client requirements

Before you can set up the VPN in Windows, you need to know a few things. They are as follows.

1. Ensure your VPN provider supports using the Windows VPN client.
2. You need to know the server address of the VPN connection. Typically, it will be an IP address or a domain name.
3. Know the authentication type. In most cases, you only need a username and password to authenticate the connection. However, some organizations might require other types of authentication methods, such as a smart card, certificate, or one-time password. You can consult the VPN service provider or organization to know the authentication type.
4. Have the authentication details ready. For example, if your VPN service uses a username and password, then keep those details ready.

You can generally find all the details from the VPN service provider or the system administrator. Once you have the required information, proceed to the next section.

The steps below work the same in Windows 10 and 11.

How to set up VPN on Windows

You can use the “VPN Settings” page in the Settings app to set up the VPN in Windows.

Here’s how to set up the built-in VPN on Windows:

1. Press the “Start” key.
2. Search and open “VPN Settings.”
3. Click the “Add VPN” button.
4. Select “Windows (built-in)” from the VPN provider dropdown.
5. Type a name in the “Connection name” field.
6. Type the IP address or domain address in the “Server name or address” field.
7. Set “VPN type” to “Automatic.”
8. Select the “Username and password” from the “Type of sign-in info” dropdown.
9. Type the username in the “Username” field.
10. Type the password in the “Password” field.
11. Press the “Save” button.
12. With that, you are done setting up the VPN in Windows.
13. Press the “Connect” button.
14. If the VPN details are correct, your computer should be connected to the VPN network.

Steps with more details:

First, we need to open the “VPN Settings” page. You can search for it in the Start menu. Alternatively, open the Settings app with the “Win + I” keyboard shortcut and go to the “Network & Internet -> VPN” page.

On the VPN page, click the “Add VPN” button next to “VPN Connections.” On Windows 10, click the “Add a VPN Connection” button.

As soon as you do that, you will see the VPN configuration page. Select and fill in the details as follows and click the “Save” button.

• VPN Provider: Windows (built-in)
• Connection name: Name of your choice. This is the name you will see in the network connections pop-up.
• Server name or address: Enter the IP address or domain name of the VPN server.
• VPN Type: Select Automatic.
• Type of sign-in info: Select the authentication method used by your VPN service provider. In my case, it is the regular username and password.
• Username & Password: Enter the authentication details.
• Select the “Remember my sign-in info” checkbox if you don’t want to enter the login details every time.

After saving the changes, you will see a new VPN connection on the VPN Settings page. With that, you have successfully set up a new VPN connection in Windows using the built-in VPN client.

If you want, you can connect to the VPN right away. To do that, click the “Connect” button.

If all the details are correct, the VPN connection will be successful, and you will see “Connected” under the VPN connection name.

Since the VPN connection is saved, you can access it from the Network Connections flyout menu in Windows 10 and the Quick Settings panel in Windows 11.

Just click on the network icon on the taskbar, and you will see the VPN connection. Windows 11 users must click the arrow icon next to “VPN.” From here, you can either connect or disconnect.

Wrapping Up

As you can see, setting up and using the built-in VPN is pretty easy.

One thing to keep in mind while using the built-in VPN client is that you won’t have access to the feature provided by a third-party VPN client. For example, you cannot switch between countries; access VPN-specific features like the kill switch, multi-hoping, and more.

That is all. It is that simple to set up the built-in VPN client in Windows.

I hope this simple and easy Windows how-to guide helped you.

If you are stuck or need help, send an email, and I will try to help as much as possible.