Windows 8 VPN Setup
The virtual private network (VPN) in Windows 8 has been optimized to use with touch devices. SetUp a new connection and connecting to networks is easier. This could be useful for connecting to your home network on the road, playing LAN games with someone, or securing your web browsing on a public Wi-Fi connection – a few of the many reasons you might want to use a VPN.
Create VPN Connection on Windows 8
In Windows 8, you can use the Get Connected Wizard to create a VPN profile. To launch the wizard, type vpn in Settings, and then click Set up a virtual private network (VPN) connection.
In the wizard, you will provide the Internet address of the Remote Access VPN server to which you will connect, and a name for the new connection. You can use an IP address or the fully qualified domain name of the Remote Access server.
To find your server settings, on a computer running Windows 8 with a VPN already configured, view the connection properties. The destination name is the text that will be used for the VPN connection name (profile name). You can click Remember Credentials to save your credentials on the first successful connection attempt. This creates a new Profile, which the client can use to connect to the VPN.
Discovery Profile by submit information that is needed to create a VPN profile. During the first successful connection attempt, authentication and tunneling protocols are negotiated and configured for user name and password-based VPN deployments. After these protocols are negotiated, you can edit the settings in Connection Properties.
Creating VPN Server on Windows 8
Windows 8 has the built-in ability to function as VPN server, although this option is hidden. The server uses the point-to-point tunneling protocol (PPTP). First, you’ll need to open the Network Connections window. The quickest way to open it is to press the Windows key, type ncpa.cpl, and press Enter.
Press the Alt key, click the File menu that appears, and select New Incoming Connection.
You can now select the user accounts that can connect remotely. To increase security, you may want to create a new, limited user account rather than allow VPN logins from your primary user account. (Click Add someone to create a new user account.) Ensure the user you allow has a very strong password, as a weak password could be cracked by a dictionary attack.
Select the Through the Internet option to allow VPN connections over the Internet. You can also allow incoming connections over a dial-up modem, if you have the dial-up hardware.
You can then select the networking protocols that should be enabled for incoming connections. For example, if you don’t want people connected to the VPN to have access to shared files and printers on your local network, you can uncheck the File and Printer Sharing option.
Click the Allow access button and Windows will set up a VPN server. If you want to disable the VPN server in the future, you can delete the Incoming Connections item from your Network Connections window.
At next spep you will now need to log into your router’s setup page and forward port 1723 to the IP address of the computer where you set up the VPN server. For maximum security, you may want to create a port forwarding rule that forwards a random “external port” – such as 23243 – to “internal port” 1723 on your computer. This will allow you to connect to the VPN server using port 23243, and will protect you from malicious programs that scan and attempt to automatically connect to VPN servers running on the default port. You can also consider using a router or firewall to only allow incoming connections from specific IP addresses.
Edit VPN Connection Properties
To edit a connection that you have already configured, right-click the connection, and then select Connection Properties. To access Connection Properties, in the Networks, click View Connection Properties.
Connection Properties has four tabs. Click each tab to perform the following tasks:
- General - Change the VPN server host name or IP address. Additionally, configure an interface to public network.
- Options - Configure point-to-point protocol (PPP) settings and enable or disable caching of credentials.
- Security - Configure tunnels, authentication, and encryption settings.
- Networking - Configure transports (or protocols). The most common protocols are TCP/IPv4 and TCP/IPv6.
How to Connect Through VPN
Now that you have created and set up your VPN connection it is time to use it and connect to it. Go to the Desktop and bring up the Networks pane (with a click or tap on the Network icon in the notification area of the taskbar). In the Connections section click or tap the VPN connection, then click or tap Connect.
You are asked to enter your user account details. Type the username and password for your VPN connection and click or tap OK.
Windows takes a few seconds to connect and, when done, the Networks pane disappears automatically.
Conclusion
Setting up, configuring and connecting to VPN is done relatively easy, both in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. If you are looking for other networking related tutorials, don’t hesitate to read our recommendations below.