How to manually set up and use ExpressVPN on Windows Vista, 7, and 8

This tutorial will show you how to manually set up a VPN for Windows Vista, 7, and 8 using the L2TP/IPsec protocol.

1. Download the Windows dialer

Go to the ExpressVPN setup page. If prompted, enter your ExpressVPN credentials and click Sign In.

Enter the verification code that is sent to your email.

On the right, select PPTP & L2TP/IPsec.

This will show you your username, password, and a list of server addresses around the world.

Scroll down and click Download Windows Dialers.

When prompted, click Save.

Keep this browser window open. You will need this information for the setup later.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

Back to top

2. Configure the VPN

On your Windows computer, open the folder where the ZIP file is saved. (By default, the file is saved in the Downloads folder.)

Locate the ZIP file called expressvpn_dialers. Right-click it, then click Extract All…

In the prompt window, click Extract to extract the ZIP file.

Right-click the unzipped file, then click Open.

Right-click ExpressVPN Windows L2TP, then click Open.

Click Properties.

At the top, click the Security tab.

Make sure Microsoft CHAP Version 2 (MS-Chap v2) is checked. This ensures the connection will be encrypted. For Data encryption, select Require encryption or Maximum strength encryption so that the connection will be encrypted.

Next, click Advanced settings.

Check Use preshared key for authentication. For Key, type 12345678. Click OK.

Click OK.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

Back to top

3. Connect to a VPN server location

Under Choose a network connection, select a VPN server location you want to use. Click Connect.

Enter the following information:

• User name: Enter the manual configuration username you found earlier.
• Password: Enter the manual configuration password you found earlier.

Click Connect.

You are now connected to ExpressVPN.

To verify your connection, you can use ExpressVPN’s IP Address Checker to check your IP address. If you are connected properly, the IP address shown will correlate to the location you are connected to via the VPN.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

Back to top

Disconnect from a VPN server location

On your computer, locate ExpressVPN Windows L2TP, click Open.

In the Network Connections window, click Hang Up.

You are now disconnected from ExpressVPN.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

Back to top