The Easiest Protection Is the Kind You Don’t Have to Remember
You sit down at a coffee shop, library, or hotel lobby and connect to the free WiFi. A few minutes later, you’re checking your email or bank balance. It isn’t until later that you realize your VPN was never turned on.
It happens to almost everyone. A VPN only protects you when it’s running, and remembering to switch it on every time is one more thing on your already long to-do list. That’s exactly the gap Auto-Connect is designed to close.
What Auto-Connect Does for You
A VPN (virtual private network) creates a private, encrypted connection between your device and the internet. On public WiFi, where you can’t be sure who else is on the network, that keeps your activity private and much harder for anyone nearby to snoop on.
Auto-connect makes sure that protection is there without you having to think about it. With it turned on, PC Matic VPN starts up on its own when your computer does, and reconnects by itself if the connection drops. PC Matic sets this up for you by default, but settings can change after an update or a troubleshooting session, so it’s worth a quick check.
How to Turn On Auto-Connect in PC Matic
These steps are for PC Matic on a Windows computer, where the VPN is built right in. It only takes a minute.
- Open the VPN settings. Open PC Matic, click the VPN tab on the left side of the window, then click VPN Settings.
- Go to Connection and turn on the automatic options. Make sure Auto-connect at Startup and Reconnect after an Interruption are both turned on.
- Connect once to finish. Go back to the VPN tab and click Quick Connect. From now on, your VPN will start on its own each time you turn on your computer.
Optional: Let the VPN Know When You’re Home
If you’d rather have the VPN switch on only when you leave home, you can do that too. With the default Reliability settings and Smart Connection Rules, your VPN turns on automatically when you leave your trusted zone and off again when you return. PC Matic’s Trusted Zoning guide walks through every option.
Protection That’s Ready When You Are
With auto-connect turned on, your VPN is working before you open your first email of the day. You can join public WiFi and know your connection is secure and your browsing will remain private.
For spending just a few minutes in your settings, that’s substantial peace of mind.
