How do I use the PC Matic VPN for Windows?
To use PC Matic VPN for Windows, you will first need to download and install the application on your computer. See the instructions for how to install PC Matic VPN for Windows here.
GUIDE CONTENTS
- 1 - Logging Into the PC Matic VPN App
- 2 - Connecting to a PC Matic Server
- 3 - Configuring PC Matic VPN Settings
- 3.1 - General tab
- 3.1.1 - Language
- 3.1.2 - System Startup
- 3.1.3 - Application Startup
- 3.1.4 - Closing
- 3.1.5 - Keyboard Shortcuts
- 3.2 - Connection Tab
- 4 - Help, Information, and Diagnostics
1 - Logging Into the PC Matic VPN App
- Enter the email address associated with your PC Matic account.
- Enter the password for your PC Matic account.
- Click the Log In button.
2 - Connecting to a PC Matic Server
2.1 - Using Quick Connect
Quick Connect will automatically connect you to the best available server.
To use Quick Connect, simply click the white Quick Connect button at the top of the window.
2.2 - Manually Selecting a PC Matic Server
You can also view a list of all available PC Matic Servers and select the one that you want to connect to.
- Scroll through the list of available servers, or enter a server location in the search box.
- Double-click the server to connect.
3 - Configuring PC Matic VPN Settings
You will find the configuration options for the PC Matic VPN on the Settings page. There are two tabs, General and Connection, with different configuration options. Below we will explain all of the options in detail.
3.1 - General tab
The General Tab contains language, startup, and closing options; as well as keyboard shortcuts.
3.1.1 - Language
Language Choice. Here you can change the language of the application. Choose English, Spanish, Hindi, Japanese, Portuguese, and Russian.
Enable Speech Feedback. Toggle audio speech feedback to hear audio indicators of the VPN status changes.
3.1.2 - System Startup
If you have the System Startup option set to Start application when user logs in, the application will automatically start once you login to Windows. With this option on, you can also hide the PC Matic VPN application window on startup, minimizing it in the system tray.
3.1.3 - Application Startup
Here you can choose whether to automatically connect to the last connected server or the fastest server when the application starts.
3.1.4 - Closing
Here you can configure what will happen when you close the PC Matic VPN window (clicking the X). By default, this is set to hide the application to the system tray, keeping the VPN active.
3.1.5 - Keyboard Shortcuts
Here you can enable/disable keyboard shortcuts. To view the available keyboard shortcuts, open the Help page.
3.2 - Connection Tab
The Connection Tab contains settings for VPN protocols and connectivity options.
3.2.1 - VPN Protocol
You can select a the VPN protocol for the PC Matic VPN to use. The WireGuard® protocol provides the fastest speeds. When OpenVPN is selected you will also be able to select the TCP or UDP protocol option and be able to enable the Scramble option, which will mask the VPN traffic and help make it possible to connect if the network you are on is blocking VPN connectivity.
3.2.2 - OpenVPN Tap Adapter
Install the OpenVPN TAP Adapter driver if you receive TAP device errors when using the OpenVPN protocol.
3.2.3 - Connectivity
Turn on Auto Reconnect to allow the PC Matic VPN to automatically attempt to reconnect to the server if it loses connection. Set the number of retries to limit the number of times the app will try to automatically reconnect (recommended: 5).
By turning on the Kill Switch, if the VPN unexpectedly loses connection, the PC Matic VPN will disconnect your computer from the network. This will cause you internet connection to be unavailable until the VPN reconnects, potentially keeping your data more secure.
4 - Help, Information, and Diagnostics
You can find information for support on the Information page. There are three tabs, Help, Licenses, and Diagnostics.
4.1 - Help Tab
The Help Tab contains a link to PC Matic Support, as well as the keyboard shortcuts that are available if toggled on (see 3.1.5).
4.2 - Licenses Tab
Contains information about the various licenses used in developing the PC Matic VPN.
4.3 - Diagnostics Tab
Diagnostic Log Window: Highlight, copy and paste the contents of this log in a reply to a PC Matic support ticket.
View Diagnostic Files: Clicking this button will open the folder containing the PC Matic VPN diagnostic log files. You can attach these logs to a reply to our support team.
4.4 - VPN Status
VPN Status Page: Using the link below, you can check the status of our VPN, including the severs, support, and API. If you're having trouble connecting to the VPN, check this page to ensure there are no performance issues from PC Matic's side.