Windows 7: How to change your IP Address using a VPN service

There are probably many reasons why a computer user might want to change his IP address. Personally, for me, I normally change it in order to get access to some useful websites that restrict my Nigerian IP. Some people also change their IP in order to have some security and privacy when using a public WiFi hotspot.

Whatever the reason one might have, a situation mostly arises when there is a need to change your IP and you can do this easily as long as you can connect to another computer globally which allows you to use it as though you were located there.

This is what VPN service providers normally do - They offer people a service that allows them to change their IP whenever they are connected to the internet.

There are many VPN providers online and after having referred a friend to one of them, he was a bit confused at to how he would manually setup the connection on his computer after having received the VPN settings from the provider.

Well, this is basically a helpful guideline on how to connect to your VPN service and this is how I do it on my Windows 7 powered laptop. It might be a bit different if using a different version of Windows but it is basically the same principle. You just need to create a sort of dial up connection from your control panel using the VPN settings that were given to you.

Things needed
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- A VPN service
- Computer
- Internet access

How to do it
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- Sign up for a VPN service
- Receive the settings in your email and account. This would include your username, password and Host IP
- Go to Windows > Control panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing center
- Click to Setup a new connection or network
- Select to Connect to workplace (or VPN connection)
- Click on next
- Select "No, Create a new connection"
- When asked, "How do you want to connect", select "Use my internet connection".
- Under internet address, enter the Host IP
- Under Destination name, enter any name e.g. US IP or UK VPN.
- Click on Next
- Enter the username and password given to you by your VPN provider
- Select to "Remember Password"
- Click on Connect to test your VPN connection (You need to be connected to the internet first)

If it works, then it's a success.

VPN connections normally work with your internet connection. You would need to be online first and then dial the VPN connection just as you use a dial up connection. Your IP will immediately be changed once that VPN connection is live.

To confirm your new IP address, you can as well go to an IP address checker website and you'd see that it would show you are on a different IP different from what your internet connection originally was.

Sign up to change your IP today