How to set up a VPN connection on Windows 11

2 min read · 6 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Short answer

Open Settings, click Network & internet, then VPN, then Add VPN. Choose Windows (built-in) as the provider, give the connection a name, enter the server address, the VPN type and your sign-in details, and click Save. Then click Connect next to the new entry.

Windows 11 can connect to a VPN without extra software, which is what you need for a company or university network. You get the details from the organisation that runs the VPN. Commercial VPN services usually come with their own app, which sets all of this up for you.

These steps are for Windows 11. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the Settings window, not screenshots, so colours and spacing on your PC look a little different.

Step by step

  1. Collect the details

    You need the server name or address, the VPN type (the protocol), and how you sign in: user name and password, a certificate or a one-time code. Your IT department or the VPN provider gives you these.

  2. – ▢ ✕SettingsSystemBluetooth & devicesNetwork & internetAppsAccountsTime & languageAccessibilityWindows UpdateNetwork & internetWi-FiEthernetVPNMobile hotspot

    Open Settings, Network & internet, VPN

    Click Add VPN.

  3. Fill in the form

    VPN provider: Windows (built-in). Connection name: any name you will recognise, for example Work VPN. Server name or address: as given to you. VPN type: the protocol you were told, or Automatic. Type of sign-in info: as given. User name and password are optional here. You can enter them each time you connect.

  4. Click Save

    The connection appears in the VPN list. Under Advanced options you can change the details or add a proxy later.

  5. Connect

    Click Connect next to the entry and enter your sign-in details if asked. When it says Connected under the name, the VPN is up.

  6. Connect from the taskbar next time

    Click the network, volume and battery icons at the right of the taskbar and click VPN. With one VPN set up, this switches it on. With several, choose one and click Connect. A shield on the network icon shows that the VPN is active.

Good to know

A VPN from your employer sends your traffic through the company network. Use it for work, and disconnect for private browsing if your employer's rules say so.

If the connection fails, check the server address and VPN type first. A wrong protocol is the most common mistake.

On public Wi-Fi a VPN protects what you send from others on the same network. It does not make you anonymous to the VPN provider.

Connection trouble in general: Windows 11 Wi-Fi not working: 8 fixes to try.

In short: Settings, Network & internet, VPN, Add VPN, Windows (built-in), name, server, type, sign-in info, Save, Connect.

Sources
  • Microsoft Support: Connect to a VPN in Windows

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