How to configure VPN in Windows 10

Introduction

This article defines Virtual Private Network (VPN) and the three basic connection types of VPN: remote user, third-party to mask source IP and user activities, and site-to-site-VPN. It also illustrates how remote user VPN is established using in-built Windows 10 VPN client.

This article is designed for professionals and self-starters who want to understand from basics to the setup and requirements for VPN. We’ll also give a practical description of how to use Windows 10 to connect to a Mikrotik VPN server.

What is a Virtual Private Network (VPN)?

A VPN is a private network that uses a public network (usually the internet) to connect remote sites or users together. 

Even though VPN was initially used to establish secure remote connections to an organization’s network, it’s now being used by users to conceal their online activities and geographic location. It sometimes poses as a security threat when users are able to access restricted content by using VPN to bypass firewall rules set within an organization’s network.

Types of VPN

VPN connections can be classified into three basic types:

1. Remote user VPN
2. Third-party VPN to mask source IP and user activities
3. Site-to-site VPN

Remote user VPN

One common form of VPN enables a remote user, whether an employee, student or other authorized user, to access a private local network across the internet. Users establishing this type of connection require a VPN client in the form of software or an application such as the built-in Windows 10 VPN tool configured to connect to a VPN gateway on the local network.

Third-party VPN

This type of VPN also gives users the ability to remotely connect to other systems or networks, but with the intention to particularly mask their source and destination IPs by connecting to a third-party VPN provider, thus bypassing (Read more...)