Setting up your VPN under Windows Vista

Setting up PublicVPN access under Windows Vista is simple. The following instructions go step-by-step through the creation process. These instructions work under all the client side variations of Windows Vista, namely Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate.

The things to click and places to type your information are hilighted in red, yellow, green, and/or blue.

System Requirements

Before setting up your VPN connection, make sure your version of Windows Vista is up to date by running Windows Update.

Make sure your system is up-to-date

Be sure that you run Windows Update before setting up your VPN connection.

Open the Control Panels

First, click on the Start button and click Control Panels. This opens up the Control Panel Home.

Go to the Network and Internet panel

Next, click on the Network and Internet control panel, which is circled in red below.

Connect To A Network

Next, click on Connect to a network.

Set up the VPN connection

The next screen may not look quite like this if you have networks already defined. In any case, click on Set up a connection or Network.

Choose the Connection Type

On the next screen, click on Connect to a workplace then click Next.

Select the Internet connection

Next click Use my Internet connection (VPN).

Enter the server information

Now, enter the server information.

In the text box labelled Internet address ( hilighted in blue) enter your VPN server address. This is the Internet address of your server as assigned by your network administrator.

In the text box labelled Destination name (hilighted in green) type enter a friendly name for your connection. This is the name of the connection, and will show up in the Connect to a network screen when we’re done.

Lastly, make sure that the checkbox labelled Don’t connect now; just set it up so I can connect later (hilighted in yellow) is checked.

Then click the Next button.

Enter your VPN username and password

In this screen, enter your VPN username and password.

In the text box labelled User name: (hilighted in blue), enter your username.

In the text box labelled Password: (hilighted in yellow), enter your password.

Optionally, check the Remember this password checkbox (hilighted in green) and you won’t have to enter your password when you connect to your VPN.

Then, click the Create button.

Connection Ready

You should see this screen next. Click the Close button to return to the Network and Internet screen.

Go to the connection

Now click on Connect to a network again.

Select the connection properties

In the Connect to a network screen, you should see the VPN connection that we set just up. Right-click on the VPN connection document (circled in red), and choose Properties (circled in green) from the menu.

If your administrator has set up specific VPN types or options, you may need to change them here. Otherwise, you may now connect to your VPN.