Today we will learn how to Configure WireGuard VPN on Windows. Wireguard is one of the most popular VPN protocols out there today. It is an open-source VPN protocol that uses cryptography tools to create a secure VPN tunnel. While there are several VPN protocols available, WireGuard stands out for several reasons. The protocol has incredible speed, making it faster than most other VPNs. Installing and configuring WireGuard is also easy. It can maintain a connection even when the Internet is unstable. Thanks to the ability to continue working between IP addresses.
Because WireGuard is implemented in a few lines of code. It is small. So it’s easy to monitor for security vulnerabilities. The protocol is very agile and reconnects quickly even when you change networks, ensuring your connection is always secure and your privacy and security are not compromised by downtime.
Why do we use WireGuard VPN?
While there are several VPN protocols available, such as OpenVPN, you need to consider your needs to identify a suitable protocol. Compared to other reliable options like OpenVPN, Wireguard is preferred by users looking for speed, data usage, and mobility.
It is important to note that the protocol offers twice the speed of OpenVPN when properly implemented, making it a good option in this category. When it comes to data efficiency, WireGuard also wins as its overhead is around 4.5%, which is significantly lower than the industry standard of 17%-20%. If you’re looking for a VPN protocol that uses the least amount of data, Wireguard would be great.
Compared to other VPN protocols, WireGuard performs better when it comes to mobility because it can handle network changes better.
How to configure Wireguard VPN on Windows
WireGuard VPN is a cross-platform protocol compatible with multiple operating systems including Windows. Here are the instructions for setting up Wireguard Windows.
Download and Install WireGuard
As mentioned above, WireGuard is relatively easy to deploy. The process starts with a download. All you need to do is visit the WireGuard website and click on the “Installation” tab A new window will pop up with several download options. Select “Download Windows Installer”. When the download is complete, click on the file, and you will be prompted to open the .exe file and render it administrative rights. After that, it will download WireGuard and install it on your Windows PC or laptop.
Configure WireGuard in Windows
Once the installation is complete, the next step is configuration (WireGuard Configuration). The process involves establishing endpoints for the tunnel and exchanging public keys.
Open WireGuard and under the “Tunnels” tab, select “Add Tunnel” and click “Add Empty Tunnel”. The WireGuard client will then be prompted to generate a private and public key, which will be displayed on the screen.
The “Name” field in this window will be empty; So, so name the tunnel and proceed to write the configuration in the file under the private key. The information you need to configure includes the private key, your internal IP address, DNS, public key, authorized IP, and endpoint.
To break it down further, the secret key field should be configured with the secret key that your Wireguard Windows client will provide. The address will be your internal IP and DNS should be the IP of a DNS server. On the other hand, the public key should be the public key of the virtual private server.
You also need to provide a list of IPs that should be allowed to route through the VPN under the “Allowed IPs” section. The endpoint is the listening port and external IP of the virtual private server.
Configure WireGuard Server
At the end of the tunnel you are creating in the Wireguard Windows configuration file, you need to add a “Peer” section. Here, you will provide a public key that the Windows WireGuard VPN client will provide. You should provide authorized IP. This configuration will dictate which IPs should be allowed through the tunnel; Here, you will provide your internal IP address.
Blocking Untunneled Traffic
After adding the peer section configuration, you can save the configuration file. At the bottom left of the screen, there is a box labeled “Block in tunneled traffic (kill-switch)”. You can tick the box if your configuration file only has a “Peer” section and you set allowed IPs to “0.0.0.0./0”.
The WireGuard Windows client will enable firewall rules to block any traffic that does not cross the tunnel by ticking the box.
Activate the VPN
At this point, you’ve completed the tricky parts of the setup and what’s left is pretty simple. All you need to do now is enable WireGuard by clicking the “Activate” button, and the VPN’s status will change to “Active”.
Sometimes, users are challenged to enable VPN If this fails for you. Go to the “Logs” tab of the Wireguard client and make sure the server and Wireguard Windows client configurations are aligned. If VPN is enabled, you need to make sure it is working.
You can do this by simply typing “What is my IP” into Google or the browser you are using. In this case, the IP address that appears in the results as your public IP will be the IP of your virtual private server.
Conclusion
VPN protocols determine how data is routed over VPN connections. Therefore, the protocols used by different VPN protocols present different strengths and weaknesses across different options. To get the best VPN experience, you need to be objective when choosing a VPN protocol.
Things you should keep in mind are speed, mobility, security and encryption, data usage, and device compatibility. Wireguard is one of the best VPN protocols and is preferred for its fast speed and ease of configuration. Wireguard setup and configuration can be intimidating if you have no prior experience with the process. However, with a comprehensive guide, you will be able to successfully activate it. The guide above provides a simple step-by-step guide to WireGuard setup. Hopefully, now we can configure WireGuard VPN. If you want to know about Rocky Linux then you can read this article.
