Microsoft launches a new edition of its famous Windows operating system every few years. The most current edition of it, Windows 11 has just been launched in 2021 and it claims many promising features over its predecessor Windows 10. In this post, we will walk you through the steps to set up, connect, disconnect, and delete a VPN connection on Windows 11 devices.
On Windows 11, the best VPN services will provide an app to connect quickly to their private networks. However, you may still want to configure the VPN manually if the app isn’t working as expected or you don’t want to install an extra piece of software.
Whatever the reason it might be, Windows 11 provides an option to configure and manage VPN connections from the Settings app, which you can use to connect to virtually any VPN service to improve your online privacy and access other locations’ restricted services.
How to set up a VPN connection on Windows 11
Here are the steps to set up a Windows 11 VPN connection:
- Open Settings.
- Click on Network & internet.
- Click the VPN page from the right side.
- In the “VPN connections” setting, click the Add VPN button.
- Use the “VPN provider” drop-down menu and select the Windows (built-in) option.
- In the “Connection name” setting, enter a name to identify the connection — for example, you can use a service name like IPVanish, Private Internet Access, etc.
- In the “Server name or address” setting, enter the address of the VPN server — for example, vpnserver.com or 122.122.122.122.
- Use the “VPN type” drop-down menu and select the Automatic option or the protocol required to connect to the particular VPN server.
- Use the “Type of sign-in info” drop-down menu and select the authentication method.
Quick note: This option will depend on the VPN provider settings.
- Confirm the username and password if you select the “User name and password” option.
- Click the Save button.
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Once you complete the steps, you can connect to the VPN service from the Settings app or Taskbar.
How to connect a VPN connection on Windows 11
Follow these steps to connect to a VPN server:
- Open Settings.
- Click on Network & internet.
- Click the VPN page from the right side.
- Click the Connect button for the connection
After you complete the steps, the computer will connect to the VPN server.
How to disconnect a VPN connection on Windows 11
Use these steps to disconnect a VPN connection:
- Open Settings.
- Click on Network & internet.
- Click the VPN page from the right side.
- Click the Disconnect button.
- Click the Confirm button.
After you complete the steps, the computer will disconnect from the VPN server.
Connect from Taskbar
To make a VPN connection from the Taskbar, follow these steps:
- Click the network icon in the Taskbar
- Click the VPN button.
- Select the VPN connection.
- Click the Connect button.
Once you complete the steps, like using the Settings app, the device will authenticate and connect to the remote network.
How to remove a VPN connection on Windows 11
To remove and delete a VPN connection, use these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Click on Network & internet.
- Click the VPN page from the right side.
- Click the connection to access its settings.
- Click the Disconnect button (if applicable).
- Click the Remove button.
After you complete the steps, the VPN connection will be removed from the computer.
Disconnect from Taskbar
Follow the listed steps to disconnect a VPN connection from the Taskbar:
- Click the network icon in the Taskbar
- Click the VPN button.
- Select the VPN connection.
- Click the Disconnect button.
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Once you complete the steps, the laptop or desktop will terminate its connection to the remote virtual private network.
Would you like to read more Windows 11-related articles? If so, we invite you to take a look at our other tech topics before you leave!