How good is the built-in Windows 10 VPN — and are there any limitations?

Windows 10 (Image credit: Shutterstock / rvlsoft) Many people don’t know that Windows 10 has its own built-in VPN client. But before you rush to cancel your current VPN subscription, it’s worth taking a closer look at what the Windows option is capable of. That's because there are quite a few restrictions on what you can do with the dedicated Windows 10 virtual private network. We explain everything you need to know to decide if it’s worth using. See also: high on quality and value - the best cheap VPNs You'll still need a separate VPN network The most important thing to know about the built-in Windows 10 option is that it’s not really a VPN service at all. At least not the kind we've become accustomed to from third party providers. Windows doesn’t give you access to a secure server network, which is what you pay for when using a VPN service. Instead, the built-in tool is just a desktop client for connecting to a third-party VPN network. Basically, even if you use the Microsoft's VPN client, you still need to subscribe to a proper VPN service. You can opt for either a free VPN (although we wouldn't generally recommend it) or a paid service, like ExpressVPN or NordVPN - Windows isn’t picky. Just make sure you can get the URL addresses of the servers in the provider’s network, since you’ll need this information to connect through the Windows client. VPN connection profiles Once you have a network in place, there’s another big hurdle to using the Windows 10 client: connecting to the VPN network. Windows requires you to set up connection profiles, which are essentially saved connection presets. Each connection profile can only have one server address and one connection protocol. The net result of this approach is that if you use it, you’re probably going to connect to the same one or two servers for every session. Conversely, the best Windows 10 VPN providers’ desktop apps automatically route you to the fastest server based on current bandwidth. With the Windows VPN, instead of having a list of hundreds of available connections, you only have a few connection profiles that are already configured. That might be fine in most cases. But if you’re using a China VPN to get past the so-called Great Firewall or a Netflix VPN to increase your streaming capabilities, for example, you might find that the pre-configured server connections in Windows don’t work some of the time. In this situation, it’s a 10-minute process to set up another connection profile in Windows, compared to the 30 seconds it takes to connect to another server through your VPN provider’s desktop software. How good is the built-in Windows 10 VPN? While it’s interesting that Windows 10 has a built-in VPN client, it’s hardly a replacement for a VPN subscription. Since Windows only provides a connection client and not the underlying server network, you still need to sign up with one of the best VPN providers. Almost every VPN provider offers a desktop app that’s easier to use and more flexible than the Windows 10 client, which requires you to set up a profile for each individual server connection.

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