How To Set Up A VPN On Your System? [A Complete Guide]

As you roam around the streets of the Internet, you must take care of your safety and security from the prying eyes ready to snatch away your personal information.

Hackers and sniffers keep on waiting for a mistake from your side so that they can steal your credentials. Your Internet service provider also keeps an eye on your activities so that it can stop you from accessing any blocked content.

To protect your data and enhance your privacy measures, you must take precautions by getting a VPN (Virtual Private Network). A VPN is a service that takes care of your Internet security and lets you browse anonymously.

Since using a VPN is mandatory to browse safely, in this article, we’ve curated a guide on how to set up a VPN for your different devices on different operating systems. But before that let’s know how a VPN works and what are the benefits of a VPN. Have a look.

How Does a VPN Work?

Every year millions of accounts are hacked, many Internet frauds are detected, and several users are stopped from using websites blocked in their region or country. If you are worried about your online security and want to browse anonymously without anyone knowing what you are accessing, you need a virtual private network.

This is an amazing tool to protect your credentials and your data, especially when you access sensitive information or financial services from your devices. Many people use public Wi-Fi in schools, canteens, colleges, airports, etc., which puts them at risk. A VPN saves you from it. This is how a VPN works:

Your IP address works as your footsteps on the Internet. Whatever you access can be tracked with the help of your IP address. A VPN encrypts your IP address, i.e., it turns it into a code that can only be decrypted by VPN servers so that when you access anything on the Internet, no one gets to know about it.
A VPN has dedicated servers. Everything that you send or receive passes through these servers. A VPN encrypts your traffic and makes you anonymous over the Internet. Whatever you browse on the Internet is hidden from your ISP, local authorities, and the government.
A VPN shows a hoax IP address to the websites you access so that you cannot be tracked back from a back route as well.
Also, certain websites can only be accessed from certain locations. If you want to access those websites and other restricted content, a VPN proves to be very helpful. It makes you anonymous and provides you with several dedicated servers to help you change your location and choose a country where the data is available.

Isn’t it amazing? Now that you know what a VPN can do for you, you must know how to set up a VPN on your devices.

Benefits of a VPN

A perfect digital world should be free of malware, website trackers, ISP data throttling, or prying eyes. A good VPN can help you overcome many such challenges.

Let’s have a look at the benefits of a VPN:

Blocks malware to keep you safe online. Many VPNs come with the malware blocking feature to add an extra protective layer to your network.

Access public Wi-Fi in a secure environment. If you need to connect to the Internet through public Wi-Fi, you should use a VPN to stay safe. Public Wi-Fi networks are unsecured and can be easily used by cybercriminals to steal sensitive information like your credit card number and passwords.

Prevent bandwidth throttling by ISP. VPNs can stop your Internet service provider from throttling your bandwidth or data. Without throttling, you can enjoy maximum Internet speeds even after the completion of your data or bandwidth limit.

Avoid website trackers. Your online activity can be tracked and recorded by mobile apps and websites. If you want to avoid this, you need a VPN to keep your online activities private.

Setting Up a VPN on Your System

Setting up a VPN is different for various platforms such as Windows 10, Linux, macOS, and iOS. Let’s see how you can set up a VPN for your work or office use in the following sections.

1. Setting Up a VPN on Windows 10

To set up a VPN on Windows 10, you must have a VPN profile or your company profile. If it is for your personal use, you can add a VPN in these simple steps.

Step 1: Click on the “Start” button, then go to “Settings”.

Note: Alternatively, you can press the Windows key + I button to open Windows Settings.

Step 2: Next, click on “Network & Internet”, then “VPN”, and finally click on “Add a VPN connection”.
Step 3: In this section, navigate to the “VPN Provider” section, and choose “Windows Built-in”.
Step 4: Then enter a name in the connection name. You can name your connection whatever you want.
Step 5: In the server name or address field, enter your VPN server name.
Step 6: Choose the VPN service type you need.
Step 7: In the “sign-in” info, you can choose any option you find suitable, like a username and password, smart card, certificate, and one-time password. Whenever you try to connect to the VPN, you will need this information.

Note: You can also go to the “Advanced options” settings to specify additional settings.

That’s all! You are good to go. Whenever you want to connect, you can simply click on the “Network”, enter your sign-in info, click on “Connect”, and you’re connected.

2. Setting Up a VPN on macOS

In macOS, you can directly import the VPN settings, or you can set them manually. Here’s how to do it manually:

Step 1: Go to the Apple menu, and then “System Preferences”.
Step 2: Next, click on “Network”.
Step 3: Click on the “Add” button, then the “Interface” menu, and choose “VPN.”
Step 4: Now click on the “VPN Type” and choose an option as per your preferences.
Step 5: Then give your VPN a name.
Step 6: Enter the VPN details, like the server address and VPN name.
Step 7: Your network administrator provides you with VPN information. Click on “Authentication Settings” and enter the details given.
Step 8: If you want to add any additional details, enter them. It solely depends on the VPN connection you are trying to set up.
Step 9: You are done. Just click on “Apply,” and there you go!

3. Setting Up a VPN on Android

Not only for computers and laptops, but your phone also needs a VPN as you spend most of the time on it. Follow the below-given steps to set up a VPN on your Android phone:

Step 1: First, you need to get VPN information from your administrator and set it up in the app, available from the Play Store.
Step 2: Secondly, you need to open “Settings”.
Step 3: Tap on the “Network and Internet” option, then go to “Advanced” and then tap on “VPN”.
Step 4: You can search for VPN if you can’t find it here.
Step 5: Click on “Add” in the top right corner.
Step 6: Enter the information about your VPN, and click on “Save”.

4. Setting Up a VPN on Your iPhone or iPad

First of all, you need to obtain configuration details, like server address, server name, username, and password from your system administrator. If you are setting up the VPN on your iPhone or iPad manually, you need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to the “Settings” of your device first and then tap on “General”.
Step 2: Then tap on VPN and choose “Add VPN Configuration”.
Step 3: Tap on “Type” and select your “VPN Type” from IKEv2, IPSec, or L2TP as per your preference.
Step 4: Enter the “VPN Settings Information” like server address, description, etc.
Step 5: Authenticate yourself by entering your username and password, or certificate, etc., whatever you have chosen.
Step 6: Tap on “Done”.
Step 7: Click on the toggle button to switch your VPN on, and you are done.

Whichever operating system you use and whatever device you want to install a VPN for, it is always this easy. These are step-by-step instructions, which will help you set up your VPN in mere minutes.

Conclusion

You had no idea that it would be so easy to install a VPN, right? It is even easier than accessing those geo-blocked websites you want to access. But you may notice a slower speed after installing it as encryption takes time, but safety and security are more important.

If you get a good VPN like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, or Kaspersky, you may not even encounter the problem of a slower connection. So, set up a VPN now and enjoy anonymous browsing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to set up a VPN for free at the home router?

Follow the below-given steps to set up your home router as a VPN server:

Open up your preferred web browser.
Enter your router’s LAN (internal) IP address into the search bar.
Enter the router’s username and password.
Go into Settings (or Advanced Settings) > VPN Service.
Enable the VPN Service.

2. Can you use a VPN on mobile devices?

Yes, you can use a VPN on your mobile devices also. No matter whether it is a smartphone or tablet.

3. Is it worth having a VPN at home?

Yes, a VPN at home can help you to keep your online activities private. When you switch on the VPN, even your ISP won’t be able to track your online activities.

4. When should you not use VPN?

If you are using your PC or mobile device for gaming or downloading, you should not use a VPN as the VPN can sometimes slow down your Internet speed. Therefore, it is recommended to pause the VPN while performing these two activities or if you notice some reduction in your connection speed.

5. Does VPN drain the battery of my mobile device?

The battery consumption of a VPN is similar to that consumed by other apps. We recommend you turn off the VPN on your device if it is not required.