If you've ever had to manually configure a Windows VPN connection, you know how complex it can be. Should you access it through Settings, Control Panel, or the Network icon in your system tray?


Rasphone is a little built-in Windows software that lets you create new VPN connections, edit existing ones, and connect to them all from a single interface. It doesn't bring anything new - there's no kill switch, no support for WireGuard, and so on - but if you use Windows' native VPN connections frequently, it will speed up and simplify your VPN life.


VPNs for Rasphone and Windows

To open Rasphone, press and hold the Windows key, press R, type RASPHONE, and press Enter, or press and hold the Windows key, press R, type RASPHONE, and press Enter.


The Rasphone interface is simple, yet it has all of the essential capabilities. There's a list of current VPN connections, a Connect button for when you require protection, a Properties button for seeing and editing settings, and a New button for starting over.


Although the different buttons direct you to the usual Windows Connect, Properties, and Setup windows that you're presumably already familiar with, Rasphone makes it much easier to access and utilize these capabilities.


In Windows 10, for example, you may click Start, type Settings, press Enter, scroll down, select Network & Internet, click VPN, click a connection, and then click Advanced Options to get VPN connection settings. Even so, this just shows the connection characteristics and does not allow you to change them.


You may run Rasphone with a single click, pick a connection, then click Properties to examine and adjust everything you want. Much, much quicker.


Connect to a VPN automatically

If you're still not convinced by Rasphone's capabilities (and keep in mind that it's not designed to compete with the best VPN services), it does have one useful bonus feature: you can use it to open the Connect box or close an active connection directly from the command line, a shortcut, or a script. Again, nothing groundbreaking, but it could save you a few of clicks.


To try it out, make a new folder, right-click it, and select New > Shortcut from the menu.

In the Location box, write RASPHONE, click Next, give the shortcut a name, and then click Finish.


When you double-click the shortcut, Rasphone should launch. Choose a name for the connection you want to open automatically.


Select Properties from the shortcut's right-click menu. Click in the Target box, add a space, then write -d "[name]" (replace [name] with your connection's name), then click OK.


Our test machine, for example, had a connection called Windscribe, therefore we changed the Target box wording to C:WindowsSystem32rasphone.exe -d "Windscribe."


When you double-click the shortcut, the Connect box appears, allowing for faster connections.


If you want to create a shortcut to disconnect the connection, repeat the steps above but change -d with -h ('d' means dial, 'h' means hang up). Right-click any shortcut and choose Pin to Taskbar. It will appear with your other favorite programs, ready to connect or disconnect with a single click.