A VPN on a Windows VPS lets you create an encrypted tunnel between your local machine and the remote server. Once connected, you can browse the internet as if you’re sitting at the server’s location, which is useful for secure browsing on public Wi-Fi, testing location-specific content, or accessing resources that are restricted to specific IP ranges.
What you need
- A Windows VPS from any of our data centers (Las Vegas, Dallas, Ashburn, Santa Clara, Amsterdam, or Singapore)
- RDP access to the server
- A local Windows PC or Mac with a VPN client
Setting up the VPN server
On your Windows VPS, open Control Panel, go to Network and Sharing Center, then Change adapter settings. Show the File menu (press Alt), select File > New Incoming Connection. Choose which user accounts can connect via VPN, enable “Through the Internet”, and accept the default protocols.
This creates a basic VPN server that accepts incoming connections. Your local machine can now connect to the VPS via VPN and access local resources on the server.
Routing internet traffic through the VPN
By default, Windows doesn’t route internet traffic from VPN clients through the server. It only provides access to the server’s local network. To use the VPN for all internet browsing (so your traffic appears to come from the VPS IP address), you need to enable NAT (Network Address Translation).
You can enable NAT through Windows Routing and Remote Access, or use a third-party NAT tool. Configure the interface with the public IP as the internet-facing interface and the VPN adapter as the private interface.
When to use this setup
This is useful for remote workers who need to appear as if they’re browsing from a specific location, for securing traffic on untrusted Wi-Fi, or for accessing geo-restricted services. For a dedicated VPN solution with user management, consider OpenVPN or WireGuard instead (see our guide to running a VPN on a Linux or Windows VPS).
If you need help setting up a VPN on your Windows VPS or Linux VPS, contact us.