Introduction
Using a VPN on a laptop provides privacy, security, and the freedom to access content that might be restricted in your region. However, there are times when you might need to disconnect from the VPN—whether for gaming, streaming services, or to troubleshoot network issues. If you’re wondering how to turn off vpn on laptop, you’re not alone. Many users across the United States, Canada, and Europe face this exact question each time a VPN blocks a local service or slows down a high‑bandwidth task.
In this guide, we will cover the precise steps to disable a VPN on Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS, Linux, and even routers. By the end, you will know the quickest way to disable vpn on laptop without compromising your network settings. We’ll also share tips on how to keep your system safe after turning off the VPN.
Whether you’re a casual gamer in the UK, a professional in India needing to access a corporate site, or a student in Australia working on research, these instructions will help you manage your VPN connection effectively. The same methods apply to any VPN client—OpenVPN, WireGuard, or a commercial service like NordVPN.
Remember, the act of turning off a VPN is not the same as uninstalling it. The VPN software remains installed, and you can re‑enable it whenever you need secure tunneling again. By understanding the difference, you avoid accidental exposure of your traffic.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Windows 10 – Using the Settings App
Open the Start menu and click the Settings gear icon. Navigate to Network & Internet, then select VPN from the left sidebar. You’ll see a list of VPN connections; click on the one you wish to disable.
Click the Disconnect button. If the VPN is set to auto‑connect on startup, toggle the switch to Off. This ensures that the VPN won’t reconnect the next time you log in.
To fully disable vpn on laptop, you can also go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center, find the VPN adapter, right‑click it, and choose Disable. This removes the adapter from the network list until re‑enabled.
After disabling, open a web browser and verify that your public IP matches your local network IP. This confirms that the VPN tunnel has been severed.
Windows 11 – Using the Quick Settings Panel
Click the network icon in the taskbar to open Quick Settings. Find the VPN icon and click the arrow next to it. Choose Disconnect from the menu that appears.
If your VPN client (such as NordVPN) runs as a system tray application, right‑click the icon and select Exit or Disconnect. This terminates the active tunnel.
For a more thorough approach, open Settings > Network & internet > VPN and toggle Start automatically off. Then remove the VPN from the list or use Manage VPN connections to delete it entirely.
To confirm that the VPN is disabled, navigate to a site like whatismyip.com and ensure your IP reflects your local ISP rather than the VPN server.
macOS – Using the System Preferences
Open System Settings (or Settings on newer macOS releases) and select Network. In the left pane, locate the VPN connection you want to disable.
Select the VPN and click the minus – button to remove it. Alternatively, if you wish to keep the profile but stop it from running, click the Disconnect button next to the VPN name.
To prevent auto‑connection, check the Connect automatically box and uncheck it. This stops the system from reconnecting when you start the computer.
Verify that your connection is back to your normal ISP by opening iplocation.net and ensuring the displayed location matches your geographic location.
Linux – Using the Network Manager
Open the Network Manager icon in the system tray and click VPN Connections. Choose the connection you want to disable and select Disconnect.
To permanently remove the VPN configuration, go to Settings > Network > VPN, select the profile, and click the Remove button.
For command‑line control, use nmcli con down id <vpn‑name> to disconnect and nmcli con delete <vpn‑name> to delete the profile.
After disabling, run curl ifconfig.me in a terminal to verify that your IP is no longer from the VPN provider.
Router‑Level VPN Disabling
Access your router’s web interface (commonly at 192.168.1.1). Navigate to the VPN section, which may be under Advanced Settings or Security. Disable the VPN server or client and save changes.
Some routers allow you to toggle VPN passthrough instead. Turning this off will prevent devices from establishing a VPN connection through the router.
After updating, restart the router. Devices on your network should now use the ISP’s IP address directly.
To confirm router‑level disabling, connect a device to the network and check the IP on a site like ipchicken.com.
Third‑Party VPN Clients – General Disabling Process
Launch the VPN application (e.g., ExpressVPN, ProtonVPN, or your own custom OpenVPN profile). Click the Disconnect button. If the app offers an auto‑start option, disable it in the settings.
For VPNs that create a virtual network adapter, open the Device Manager, locate Network Adapters, right‑click the VPN adapter, and choose Disable.
Some VPN services provide a system tray icon with a Quit option. Selecting this will fully terminate the service.
After closing the client, open a new browser window and verify that the IP address matches your local network or ISP.
Using PowerShell to Disable VPN on Windows 10/11
Open PowerShell as an administrator. To disconnect a specific VPN, run rasdial <VPN‑Name> /disconnect. Replace <VPN‑Name> with your actual VPN profile name.
To disable the VPN adapter entirely, run Disable-NetAdapter -Name <Adapter‑Name>. Replace <Adapter‑Name> with the name from Get-NetAdapter.
To re‑enable later, use Enable-NetAdapter -Name <Adapter‑Name>.
After executing these commands, check your IP to ensure the VPN is no longer active.
Using Terminal on macOS or Linux to Disable VPN
Open the terminal and list the VPN interfaces with ifconfig (macOS) or ip link show (Linux). Identify the interface that corresponds to your VPN.
To bring the interface down, run sudo ifconfig <vpn‑interface> down on macOS or sudo ip link set <vpn‑interface> down on Linux.
Alternatively, use the VPN client’s command‑line tool (e.g., openvpn --config /path/to/config.ovpn --remote vpn.example.com --proto udp with --remote none to stop).
Verify the VPN has stopped by running curl https://ipinfo.io/ip and comparing the result to your ISP’s IP.
Mobile Devices – Turning Off VPN on iPhone/iPad
Open Settings > General > VPN. Toggle the VPN switch to Off. If multiple profiles exist, remove the specific one.
For iOS 15 and newer, you can also swipe up from the bottom right corner, pull down the Quick Settings panel, and toggle VPN if available.
To confirm, open Safari and visit whatismyipaddress.com to see your current IP.
Repeat the process on Android devices: Settings > Network & internet > VPN, then tap the gear icon to disable or remove the VPN profile.
Using a Dedicated VPN Router to Disable VPN
Enter the router’s admin page. Navigate to the VPN section and toggle off the VPN feature. For OpenVPN, disable the server; for PPTP/L2TP, disable the client.
Save the changes and reboot the router. All devices connected to this router will now use the direct ISP connection.
If you have a mesh Wi‑Fi system (e.g., Google Nest Wi‑Fi or Eero), disable VPN in the cloud management portal for each device.
After the reboot, connect a laptop and check the external IP to verify the VPN is disabled.
Checking VPN Status After Disabling
Use a trusted IP‑lookup service to confirm your current IP. If it matches your ISP’s location, the VPN is disabled.
Some VPN clients show a status icon on the system tray or menu bar. Ensure it no longer indicates an active connection.
Running netstat -an | grep 0.0.0.0:443 on Linux or netstat -an | findstr 0.0.0.0:443 on Windows can reveal open VPN tunnels. No entries should appear after disabling.
Lastly, test a high‑bandwidth application (like a video stream) to ensure it no longer routes through the VPN.
Using Third‑Party Software to Manage VPNs
Software such as Tor Browser or OpenVPN GUI often includes a disconnect button.
For corporate VPNs, your IT department may provide a script or utility that toggles the VPN status. Consult your internal VPN guide for specifics.
Some users create a shortcut that runs a command to disable the VPN. For example, on Windows, create a .bat file containing rasdial "VPN Name" /disconnect and double‑click to disconnect.
Always ensure the script or shortcut is stored in a secure location to prevent unauthorized use.
Managing VPN Profiles in the Cloud
Many VPN services now offer cloud‑based profile management. Log into your provider’s dashboard, locate the Devices or Profiles section, and remove the laptop’s profile.
When a profile is removed from the cloud, the next time the client attempts to connect, it will be denied authentication.
This method is especially useful if you have multiple laptops or want to enforce a corporate security policy.
After deletion, re‑install the client if you wish to re‑connect in the future.
Disabling Automatic Reconnection
Some VPN clients automatically reconnect if the connection drops. Check the settings for an option like Auto‑Reconnect and disable it.
On Windows, open the client’s Preferences, find Network Settings, and uncheck Reconnect on Startup.
macOS clients often have a Keep Alive toggle. Turn it off to prevent background reconnections.
After disabling, restart your laptop to confirm the VPN does not reconnect on boot.
Using Windows Security Features to Disable VPN
Open the Control Panel and navigate to Network and Sharing Center. Click on Change adapter settings. Right‑click the VPN adapter and choose Disable.
Alternatively, use Device Manager to disable the VPN network adapter. Expand Network adapters, right‑click the VPN adapter, and select Disable device.
To re‑enable, right‑click the same adapter and select Enable.
These methods remove the VPN from the network stack without uninstalling the software.
Turning Off VPN in Virtual Machines
If your laptop runs a virtual machine (VM) like VirtualBox or VMware, the VM might be configured to use the host’s VPN. Open the VM’s settings and navigate to Network Adapter.
Change the network mode from Bridged Adapter (which inherits the host’s VPN) to Host‑Only Adapter or NAT to isolate the VM.
Apply the changes and restart the VM. Verify the VM’s IP address via ipconfig or ifconfig inside the guest OS.
Now the VM will no longer use the host’s VPN connection.
Using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to Disable VPN
Open WSL terminal and check for VPN routes with ip route show. VPN routes typically route all traffic through a tun/tap interface.
Delete the VPN route with sudo ip route delete 0.0.0.0/1 via <gateway>. Replace <gateway> with the VPN gateway.
Alternatively, stop the VPN service running inside WSL using sudo systemctl stop openvpn@client if you installed it there.
Verify the exit IP by running curl https://ipinfo.io/ip in the WSL terminal.
Using the Command Prompt to Disconnect VPN
Open Command Prompt as administrator. To disconnect a VPN connection named “Work VPN”, type rasdial Work VPN /disconnect and press Enter.
For multiple VPN connections, list them with rasdial alone and then disconnect each as needed.
Confirm the disconnection by typing ipconfig /all and checking that no VPN adapter appears.
Remember to remove any scheduled tasks that may attempt to reconnect the VPN at startup.
Using the System Tray Icon for Quick Disable
Most VPN clients display an icon in the system tray. Right‑click the icon to see options like Disconnect or Exit.
For advanced users, double‑click the icon to bring up the client UI and manually disconnect.
When you exit the client, the VPN will no longer run. If you have auto‑start enabled, disable that setting in the client’s preferences.
Check this Microsoft article for additional Windows 11 specifics on disabling VPNs.
Using the VPN Provider’s Help Center
Many commercial VPNs like NordVPN provide dedicated support articles. For instance, NordVPN’s guide on disabling the VPN can be found on their blog.
These articles often include screenshots and step‑by‑step instructions that match the client’s interface.
If you’re unsure, search the provider’s help center for “disconnect” or “disable VPN.”
Use the official documentation to avoid misconfigurations that may leave your traffic routed through the VPN unintentionally.
Re‑enabling VPN After Disabling
To re‑enable the VPN, simply open the client application and click Connect again.
If you disabled the VPN adapter in the Device Manager, right‑click it and select Enable.
For routers, navigate back to the VPN section and toggle the service back on. Save and reboot if required.
Verify the re‑connection by checking the IP address again and ensuring it matches your VPN provider’s location.
Common Pitfalls When Turning Off VPN
Some users forget to disable auto‑connect settings, causing the VPN to reconnect automatically after a reboot.
In corporate environments, policy scripts may automatically reconnect the VPN. Check with IT before disabling.
Disabling the VPN adapter may not remove all routing tables. Use route print on Windows or netstat -rn on macOS/Linux to verify.
Always remember to clear any VPN cache or temporary files that might persist in the client’s settings directory.
Testing After Disabling VPN for Gaming
Many online games require specific ports to be open. After turning off the VPN, launch the game to see if it connects without lag.
Use netstat -an | findstr LISTENING on Windows to confirm the game is listening on the required ports.
For multiplayer games that use UDP, ensure the VPN configurations you disabled did not block those ports.
Test again after restarting your laptop to confirm the settings persist.
Disabling VPN for Streaming Services
Streaming sites like Netflix or Hulu often block VPN traffic. After disabling your VPN, check if the stream loads normally.
If you’re in the US and accessing a European Netflix library, you may still need a VPN. In that case, disable the VPN only for local content.
Some streaming services offer a “region override” feature. Use it if you prefer not to switch VPN servers.
Check your IP again on whatismyipaddress.com to confirm the stream is served from the local region.
Disabling VPN for Web Development
Developers may need to test local endpoints that are blocked when using a VPN. After disabling, clear browser cache to avoid stale DNS entries.
Use nslookup example.com to verify that the domain resolves to the intended internal IP.
When working with Docker containers, ensure the host’s VPN is off; otherwise, containers might inherit the VPN routes.
Test API endpoints by sending curl requests and checking the response headers for correct IP addresses.
Disabling VPN for Corporate VPNs
Corporate VPNs often have policies that enforce connectivity. Contact your IT department to request a temporary disable if needed for troubleshooting.
Use the corporate VPN client’s “Disconnect” button. If you’re on a Windows domain, you may need administrative rights to change network adapters.
Some organizations provide a “policy override” command; use it only if instructed by IT.
Always document the steps taken, so you can re‑enable the VPN promptly after completing your tasks.
Disabling VPN for Cloud Services
If you access AWS or Azure through a VPN, you may want to route specific traffic outside the tunnel. Use split tunneling features.
In the VPN client, look for a “split tunnel” or “exclude apps” option. Add your cloud provider’s IP ranges to the whitelist.
Alternatively, configure your local firewall to bypass the VPN for those IP ranges.
Test connectivity by pinging ec2.amazonaws.com to confirm direct routing.
Disabling VPN for Security Audits
During a security audit, auditors might require traffic to be routed directly to assess network latency. Disable VPN to capture real traffic.
Use a packet sniffer like Wireshark to monitor traffic before and after disabling.
Verify that no VPN packets are present in the capture.
Document the audit trail so you can re‑enable the VPN afterward.
Disabling VPN for Remote Desktop Access
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) may experience latency when routed through a VPN. Disable VPN to improve performance.
Configure the RDP client to connect only after the VPN disconnects.
Test the connection by opening Remote Desktop and verifying the latency drop.
Remember to re‑enable VPN once the session ends to maintain secure access.
Disabling VPN for VPN‑Enabled IoT Devices
Smart home devices may route through a VPN for privacy. If you need to access them locally, disable the VPN.
Use the device’s mobile app to check its IP address. If it shows the VPN IP, disable the VPN on your laptop or router.
After disabling, ensure the device’s firmware is updated to avoid security holes.
Test by streaming a video from the device to confirm local access.
Disabling VPN for Cloud Gaming
Services like GeForce Now may have better performance when not routed through a VPN.
Disable VPN before launching the gaming session.
Use the proxy or VPN configuration to fine‑tune the route.
Check latency via ping geonow.nvidia.com after disabling.
Disabling VPN for Financial Transactions
Some banking apps restrict VPN usage to prevent fraud. If your banking app complains about a VPN, disable the VPN before logging in.
Open the banking app after disconnecting and verify the login proceeds without error.
Remember to re‑enable VPN afterward to protect sensitive data when you’re not actively using the app.
Use the client’s “auto‑disconnect” feature if it offers one for secure sessions.
Disabling VPN for Email Clients
Corporate email clients may not accept messages when a VPN is active due to port restrictions.
Disable the VPN, then restart the email client.
Check for any error messages about blocked ports and re‑enable VPN once the email server confirms connectivity.
Use telnet mail.example.com 587 to test SMTP connectivity outside the VPN.
Disabling VPN for Online Banking and Shopping
Some e‑commerce sites block VPN traffic to protect against fraud. Disable VPN before making a purchase.
Clear your browser cache and cookies after disconnecting.
Confirm that your IP is local by visiting iplocation.net.
After completing the transaction, re‑enable VPN for future browsing safety.
Disabling VPN for Social Media Platforms
Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter may throttle or block VPN traffic. Disable VPN to enjoy uninterrupted service.
Check if you can view the feed normally after turning off the VPN.
Use the Network Diagnostics tool in your browser to verify no VPN routes are active.
Re‑enable the VPN if you need to hide your IP for privacy reasons.
Disabling VPN for Online Education Platforms
Learning management systems (LMS) like Coursera or Udemy may not load properly when VPN is active.
Turn off VPN, clear the LMS cache, and refresh the page.
Ensure the video stream loads at the expected quality level.
Re‑enable VPN after the session to protect your browsing activity.
Disabling VPN for Virtual Reality (VR) Applications
VR apps may require high bandwidth and low latency, which a VPN can hamper.
Disable VPN before launching the VR application.
Test the application’s performance and frame rate.
Once done, reconnect to VPN if you need secure Wi‑Fi usage.
Disabling VPN for Telemedicine Services
Medical platforms often enforce strict data privacy laws and may reject VPN traffic.
Disable VPN before logging into telemedicine portals.
Verify that the video call connects without delays.
After the appointment, reconnect to VPN to protect patient data.
Disabling VPN for Audio Streaming
Music services like Spotify or Apple Music may buffer if routed through VPN.
Disable VPN to achieve smoother playback.
Check that the streaming quality matches the service’s standard settings.
Re‑enable VPN when you need to protect your location data.
Disabling VPN for File Sharing (P2P)
P2P protocols often rely on direct peer connections; VPN can disrupt this.
Turn off VPN before initiating a torrent or direct transfer.
Use a local network or a dedicated P2P port if you must maintain privacy.
Re‑enable VPN afterward for secure browsing.
Disabling VPN for Remote Monitoring Tools
Systems monitoring tools like Grafana or Kibana may block VPN traffic for security reasons.
Disable VPN before accessing dashboards.
Confirm that the tool loads all data without errors.
Re‑enable VPN when you leave the monitoring session.
Disabling VPN for Digital Marketing Tools
Marketing automation platforms often detect VPN usage and block access.
Disconnect VPN before logging in.
Verify that your email campaigns load correctly.
Reconnect VPN after the session for privacy.
Disabling VPN for Development Environments
When working with microservices, a VPN can interfere with inter‑service communication.
Turn off VPN, rebuild the containers, and test the connectivity.
Use docker network ls to ensure networks are not tunneled.
Re‑enable VPN after completing the development cycle.
Disabling VPN for Cloud Storage Services
Services like Google Drive or Dropbox may restrict VPN traffic to prevent unauthorized access.
Disable VPN before syncing large files.
Confirm the sync progress appears normal in the client app.
Reconnect VPN afterward to protect your data on public Wi‑Fi.
