How to Configure SonicWALL TZ300 VPN
The security of your home network can be enhanced by a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service. SonicWALL TZ300 is a budget-friendly VPN router that provides all the essential features needed for a safe and efficient network environment. Let’s take a look at how to configure SonicWALL TZ300 VPN to securely access the internet at home.
Step 1: Install SonicWALL TZ300 VPN
The first step is to install SonicWALL TZ300 VPN on your computer or mobile device. Visit the official SonicWALL TZ300 VPN website and download the latest version of the application. From a desktop computer, simply double-click the installer file to begin the installation process. From a mobile device, install the VPN app by tapping the download button on the app’s page. Once the app is installed, you’ll be prompted to create a strong password for the VPN connection. This password will be used to protect all the data that is transmitted through the VPN connection. For security purposes, we recommend that you choose a strong password that contains a mixture of characters, numbers, and special symbols.
Step 2: Add the VPN server’s IP address to your network’s DNS servers
The next step is to add the IP address of the VPN server to your network’s DNS server. You can use the DNS servers built into your broadband modem (usually provided by your ISP) or you can use the free DNS servers offered by CloudFlare.com. For best results, we recommend that you use the DNS servers offered by CloudFlare.com because they are generally faster than the ones provided by your ISP.
Step 3: Open your network’s admin panel
The final step is to open your network’s admin panel. On most SonicWALL TZ300 VPNs, this is accessible through a web browser by entering http://my.home-server.com in the address bar. On some devices, you may need to enter https:// instead of http://. When the admin panel opens, click the gear icon in the upper-right corner of the screen to open the settings menu. From here, you can configure all the basic connection options for the VPN server. You can also monitor the network activity and bandwidth usage of all connected devices (including mobile phones). To set up the VPN server, click the gear icon again and select the option to create a new profile. When the profile menu opens, you’ll be able to select the username and password you created in the previous step.
After creating a VPN profile, you can optionally connect to a VPN server to keep your network secure. Keep in mind that connecting to a VPN server might slow down your internet connection. If you use a mobile device to access the internet, VPN connections can also affect the amount of data you’re able to use because most mobile data quotas are limited by country.
Step 4: Test your new VPN connection
Once you’ve configured your VPN server, you can test the connection to see if it is working. Enter http://www.google.com in the address bar of your web browser to visit the Google website. Once you reach the home page of Google, you should see “Secure” in small letters at the top of your screen. If you don’t see “Secure” at the top of your screen, then your VPN connection is not yet active.
To ensure the security of your network, you’ll need to log back into the SonicWALL TZ300 admin panel and click the option to activate the VPN connection. You’ll also need to configure your other devices (e.g., laptops, mobile phones, etc.) to connect with the VPN server. When you test your new VPN connection, make sure that all your devices (including those used to access the internet) are configured to use the same connection. This way, even if one of your devices is compromised (e.g., by a hacker), the others will be protected too.