Setup a VPN on Windows 10
Edited by Jay
Using a VPN (virtual private network) is a great way to keep your internet usage and web browsing anonymous. When connected to a VPN, it's not just your web browser that can't see your real IP address; it's also any other application or program that accesses the internet to function. One that immediately comes to mind is uTorrent. Several ISPs (internet service providers) throttle or limit download and upload speeds when they see P2P-style traffic. A good way around this is to use a reliable VPN provider that allows peer-to-peer traffic.
Another practical reason one might need to use a VPN would be to view content that isn't available in their country. Although some services like Netflix have stopped users from using VPNs, there are still millions of sites that can only be accessed from a specific region or IP range. Being able to change the IP of your entire connection is suitable for both versatility and privacy. Combine a VPN with private browsing for example, and websites won't be able to track anything on your computer or real IP.
In this VisiHow tutorial, we're going to show step-by-step the process of setting up a VPN on a laptop running Windows 10, as well as connecting to different IP addresses. Specifically, we're going to use the open source desktop client provided by OpenVPN, and .ovpn configuration files. For this article, we'll be using AirVPN as our provider, but the process will be the same for any provider you choose, whether it's free or paid. The only difference will be the steps involved in obtaining the .ovpn configuration files from your provider. Any decent and reliable VPN service will have easy-to-follow instructions on how to setup and download .ovpn configuration files. We'll include a few free and paid VPN services at the end of this how-to.
Download and Install OpenVPN Client for Windows 10
- 1Scroll down to the download section and click on the latest Windows installer.Open a browser and visit the following link.
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Copying and Importing .ovpn Configuration Files
Depending on the VPN provider you're using, the steps on obtaining configuration files will differ. You'll have to sign in to your account and follow the steps provided. The main thing to remember is the extension, which for OpenVPN is .ovpn.
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- 4If you kept it as default, go to C: > Program Files > OpenVPN > config. Once you're inside the config folder, paste the .ovpn files. Please note that your account will require Administrator privileges to copy files into the config folder.Now, navigate to the directory that you chose during the setup phase.
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Connecting to VPN Profiles
Now that you've either copied or imported .ovpn files, you can connect to the IPs assigned to them.
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Free and Paid VPN Services
Below is a list of a few paid and free VPN providers. Some of the free options have upgrade services if you would like to get more IP variety, data, etc..
Paid Services
Free Services
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.