So you've updated your system to Windows 11. Everything seems good. The new interface looks slick. You haven't seen any major problems. Everything seems too good to be true for a Microsoft operating system upgrade until you try to connect to your office VPN.
You click on the Network icon in the system tray down near to the clock in the bottom right corner, a new little pop-out window appears allowing you to adjust networks, system volume, screen brightness (called the 'Control Centre') and .... no VPN. You go into Settings > Network > VPN and your connection is there. You can click connect and it works but it isn't somewhere easy to get to. Why has it been hidden away? Why so many clicks to do something that was so easy in Windows 10? Well, have no fear. We can bring that functionality back for you. Here's how to do it:
First you have to already have a VPN connection setup on the machine or this option won’t be available to you. (Right click on the Network icon, click on Network and Internet Settings, click VPN, click Add VPN, setup and save your VPN connection)
Now that you have a VPN connection ready and waiting, click on the network icon in the System Tray
In the little pop-out 'Control Centre' window that appears, click on the Edit icon at the bottom (the pencil – just be careful not to let John Wick get near it)
Click on Add
Select the VPN option
Click Save
You’re done!
The option to connect to a VPN is now added back into Windows 11 system tray and you can go back to making easy connections whenever you need to work from home.