How to Setup PPTP L2TP VPN Tunnel in Android

People use VPN (virtual private networking) for a myriad of reasons – securing their online connection through the encrypted connection, hiding their online identity, changing their IP address, accessing websites blocked in their countries, prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and many more. VPN tunnels or proxies (as they are sometimes called) are available both as free services and paid subscription services. You have to be careful when selecting a good VPN, as security researchers have found some of the free VPN servers to be malicious in nature. You can reap any of the above mentioned benefits of using a VPN tunnel in your Android smartphone and it is extremely easy to setup too. If you want to configure the VPN network in your Android smartphone, then you can follow these simple instructions:

1. First of all you have to open the Android settings. There are many ways to do this, e.g., you can press the menu button in your Android home screen and then select settings icon, or you can find the settings icon in the all apps list and tap on it.
2. In the Settings screen, tap on More… under the Wireless and Networks section. Then tap on VPN when the next screen shows up.
3. Tap on the plus icon to add a new VPN connection profile. You have to enter the VPN name – you can enter anything you like, but typically you should use the name of the VPN provider like HideMyAss or CyberGhost. You have to select the VPN type – this can be PPTP or L2TP (ask your VPN provider). You have to enter the VPN server address (again contact your VPN provider). Do not forget to select the PPP encryption option. And finally tap on the Save button.
4. Now you will be able to see the new VPN connection profile in the VPN section of Wireless and Networks in Android Settings. Tap on this newly added VPN profile once and supply the login password (get it from your VPN provider). Tapping on the Connect button will connect you to the VPN tunnel and after this all your internet traffic will be routed through the VPN server.
5. Any time you want to turn off the VPN tunnel, you can open the VPN profile from the Android settings and tap on the Disconnect button.

Adding a PPTP or L2TP VPN profile is very easy and allows you to use the VPN tunnel right away without having to install any apps. But many of the VPN service providers do not supply you with PPTP/L2TP access, as such you should first ask them if they supply this type of access before you buy a paid subscription.