Security

How to Share Your VPN Connection? – Step-By-Step Guide Covering Windows, MacOS, Android & iOS!

By Novak Bozovic / August 26, 2019

As you probably know, every VPN can be installed on a certain number of devices. In other words, every VPN subscription covers a limited range. Depending on a provider, this can range from 3 up to 10 devices (and can be unlimited as well). So, how to be smart about this? How not to exceed this limit while keeping all your devices protected? Well, the best way to do this is by learning how to share your VPN connection.

The most important thing to understand here is that by sharing your VPN, you only use one 'free slot' in your subscription. Therefore, this is the best way to protect all Web-connected devices in your home and still get to use a VPN natively when on-the-go. And also, setting up your VPN connection to be shared is a one-time thing, so it's well worth the effort.

So, here's how to share your VPN connection - depending on the platform you use. We've prepared a series of quick-jump links, so you can easily visit the segment of our article that you're interested in reading.

How to Share Your VPN Connection via a Router?

In case you want to keep all your Web-connected devices secure, the easiest way is to install a VPN on your router. This way, every device you connect to your home router will be covered by your VPN. The most interesting thing about this is that your router counts as one device towards your subscription limit.

So, here are the requirements you need to meet to install a VPN on a router, and then here's how to share your VPN connection with other devices in your home.

How to Share Your VPN Connection on Windows?

In case you've already installed a VPN on your Windows PC, there's an easy way to share that Web connection with other devices in your home. More precisely, you can share your VPN connection in two different ways - by using your computer's Ethernet port or you can share your connection wirelessly.

Share a VPN Connection on Windows - Ethernet

You will be happy to know that sharing a VPN connection from your computer is quite easy. Here’s what you need to know.

Control Panel Windows 10

TAP Adapter Windows 10

Sharing VPN Connection Windows 10

That’s it. Your Windows PC will now share your VPN connection with the device connected via Ethernet. That device should automatically connect to the Web through your computer and it will use the remote server that you previously selected.

Share a VPN Connection on Windows – Wirelessly

Thanks to an old but still quite reliable application called MyPublicWiFi, you can turn your computer into a hotspot. This means that you don’t need an Ethernet cable in this case.

MyPublicWiFi

How to Share Your VPN Connection on macOS?

The best way to share your VPN connection from your MacOS is by creating a custom VPN and sharing it. However, this needs to be a PPTP or IKEv2 VPN. The majority of the most popular VPNs should work but still pay attention to VPN protocols offered by your provider. If you need a quick recommendation, check out ExpressVPN. This is TechNadu’s highest-ranked VPN and the primary choice of our editorial team.

System Preferences macOS

VPN Network Setup macOS

VPN Network Server Setup macOS

VPN Authentication Settings macOS

So far, we have created a new VPN connection on your Mac. The final piece of the puzzle is sharing that VPN connection so that other devices can connect to it.

Internet Sharing macOS

Can You Share a VPN Connection on Android?

While turning your Android device into a hotspot is easy to do, the situation is not the same when it comes to VPN connections. This is because enabling this option requires you to ‘root’ your device. In other words, this means opening up your device to various types of changes that are not enabled by default. As such, this means losing your warranty. On top of that, rooting is not something an average user should do since many things can go wrong and you can even make your device completely unusable.

Therefore, we recommend you to install a native VPN app on your Android device to keep your Web connection secure. While VPN sharing can easily be done on a computer, the best way is to pick one of the best VPNs for Android.

Can You Share a VPN Connection on iOS?

You probably know that Apple’s iOS is quite restrictive. So, if you can’t share your VPN connection on Android phones, you certainly can’t share it on iOS either. Still, you should know that some successful attempts have been made in the past but those require you to turn to ‘jailbreaking’. Similar to rooting on Android, jailbreaking on iOS voids your warranty and can have severe consequences. Therefore, we recommend you to stay clear of those attempts.

You should use a native VPN for iPhone and iPad. This is the best way to protect your data, even while on the go (when you’re using mobile data).

Dear readers, this is where we conclude our article on how to sare your VPN connection. If you made it this far, why not share this article online? Also, you can follow our website on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks!



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