Windows 8 How-To: Set Up VPN Connection

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VPN is a widely adopted network protocol especially in business environment that provide remote office or user a secure and encrypted access to a central organization network. It’s a fairly complicated technology that requires both ends to follow the same method and setup in order to build the communication channel.

This how-to tutorial uses the built-in network setup in Windows 8 to create a VPN connection that connects to the remote VPN server built in Windows Server technology, namely Routing and Remote Access (RRAS). The steps described in this post is quite similar to the way in Windows 7, with only a few changes mostly because of the Metro UI.

To set up:

1. Open Network and Sharing Center.

You can open it from Control Panel or search “Network” from Settings Search panel (Win+W).

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2. Go to Set up a new connection or network

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3. Choose Connect to a workplace, and click Next.

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4. Click the first option Use my Internet connection (VPN).

5. Type in the Internet address, either a valid domain or IP address of the remote server, and a name you want to name this connection.

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6. Click Create and Done. You can now safely close the Network and Sharing Center.

To use the VPN connection:

Press Win + I (letter i) or click Settings from Charms menu to open up the Settings panel, click the network icon at the bottom part of the panel to open up the Network Connection side panel.

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You will see the created VPN connection listed there. Simply click or tap it and Connect.

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How to change the properties of the VPN connection

Right click the VPN connection from the Network Panel shown as above, and choose Properties.

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Or, open the Properties of the connection from Network Connections, which you can open through Change adapter settings from the left panel of Network and Sharing Center. Through Network Connections window, you can launch, rename, delete, and change settings of the connection.

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There are a lot of settings you can change but they all depend on the settings on the remote VPN server. Settings have to be matched in order to build the connection. We will be covering more in the future once we have more chances playing with the new VPN server in Windows Server 8.

Hope this tutorial helps in some way to make your life easier.

9 COMMENTS

  1. I have a VPN in Ireland and my Windows 8 is nothing like yours particularly the bottom three windows on your page just are not the on my Windows 8.  Where you have “StonyCreek” I have the “Network” icon.   https://my-private-network.co.uk/windows/windows-7/pptp.html has instructions for Windows 7, but when the VPN is created there is no window to enter the name and password.  When I click “Network” and click “VPN” and “Connect” in Windows 8 I can enter a name and password.  However, the attempt at connected has already begun and failed.

  2. Helpful article, Heh, now about how to delete one? Can’t find Manage Network Connections. For some reason it looks like windows now thinks (even after successfully connecting once) that this is a dial up number. Can’t delete it now. Ugh.

    • “Manage Network Connections” is in the “Control Panel” -> “Network Sharing Center” -> on the Left Pane: Network Adapters, select the VPN with the mouse pointer and “right click” with the mouse: Remove/Delete.
      That is basicly it, not that difficult, and its the same as in Windows 7 / Windows Vista.

  3. The only thing i did with my VPN connection setup is i downloaded .exe file for windows and connect it and somehow it gets a New IP and works fine.

    Every time i connect to the “Hotspot Shield” vpn i get a new ip which indicates that i am totally secured and anonymous. Moreover my all online activities will remain private because it encrypts my data on any desired network either at public wifi hotspots. Check it out here – http://www.hotspotshield.com/en

  4. Excellent guide more windows8. Many users who have recently switched from Windows 7 desktop to Win8 or its upgraded version (Windows 8.1) might face troubles to setup a VPN on their device. I also setup VPN on Windows 8 successfully but the other part of success remains on the service offering by VPN providers. I found the list of to VPN services for Windows8, recommended services are selected because of their performance and frequent acceptance by users around the globe. http://www.vpnranks.com/windows-vpn/

  5. I am using FastestVPN now and it works conveniently in China. ExpressVPN on the other hand is what I used earlier because they advertise and claim that they are the only working VPN in China that is not blocked. It is definitely not true. Sadly it has gotten worse so I switched. https://fastestvpn.com

  6. Very informative and to the point guide above By Kent Chen, feels so lucky that got simple steps and with images its more easy to learn, hy Kent will you pls share a guide for Windows 10?? I recently switched my laptop from 8 to 10 Version… Thanks in Advance Kent. you can contact me here: https://www.bestvpn.co/fastest-vpn/

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