VPN Setup
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is an encrypted connection between you and an endpoint (in this case, a provider). People typically use VPNs for a sense of security and privacy from their ISPs, or to mask where their traffic is originating from. For the use case of playing Dragon Quest X, you will want to do the latter.
For players within Japan, China and the United States, a VPN is not required to play. Otherwise, you may experience the following error message when logging in:
Which loosely translates to:
Error Code: DQ-100-106-X You can only connect from the service area (in Japan). Depending on the customer's environment, an error may occur even from within Japan, so if you have any questions, please visit the Dragon Quest X Support Center. https://sqex.to/eh6
If you see this message, continue reading on.
Picking a VPN
There are several VPN providers that provide anonymity to users. Assuming you're not focusing on privacy and only looking to play Dragon Quest X, there are several to choose from - both free and paid. As each VPN client is different, this guide will not go over configuring each one, but will give you several options to choose from. Do your research and find the one that fits your specific needs and budget. Below are a few popular ones.
Note that you will typically have a better experience paying for a VPN versus using a free service.
Free
Free VPNs tend to be unreliable (though I have heard good things about Softether), riddled with ads and may disconnect you at certain intervals, but they are VPNs nonetheless. They are options if you are on a tight budget.
- ProtonVPN has both a free and paid service. The free version has three countries you can connect to (United States, Netherlands and Japan). This would fit the criteria of making your internet traffic look like it's coming from one of the three supported countries).
- Softether is a free and open source VPN client that is able to connect to several types of endpoints around the world. You can use VPNGate to find an endpoint to configure Softether to connect to.
- Tunnelbear is another option with both a free and paid service. The free plan allows up to 500MB of traffic per month. For a reference point, a user on the Hiroba site stated they tested their bandwidth usage over the course of an hour and averaged about 8.5MB/hour, or about 59~ hours per month.
Paid
These VPNs require a monthly subscription, but have several benefits. Usually boasts a friendly, ad free interface, reliable connection along with hundreds of countries to choose from and no connection time limitations. Some also provide split tunneling, which is an option that allows you to choose what goes over the VPN and what doesn't.
How do I know it's working?
Once you've connected using whichever VPN client you've chosen, you can confirm it works by going to a website like ifconfig and looking at your public IP address and country you're coming from. You should notice that you're no longer coming from your country's IP address and that your public IP address has changed (if you took note of what it was before you connected).
Setting up your VPN
PC
If you play using the Dragon Quest X client, there's nothing more to do. Connect to Dragon Quest X and have fun.
NOTE: You may login and be asked to reset your password due to suspicious activity. This is simply because when you reconnect to your vpn to play the game, it won't connect you to the exact same IP each time. A workaround is to launch vpn->open the launcher->close the launcher->reopen the launcher->login and run the game (tested by Gremlin on discord).
Nintendo Switch/PS4/3DS/Wii U
Playing on a console requires a bit more work as you can't natively install a VPN client on gaming hardware. You do have options though:
- If you have custom firmware installed on your router (DD-WRT, Tomato, etc.) or have a router that supports setting up a VPN connection, you can pass all of your internet (WAN) traffic to the VPN provider.
This type of set up is usually supported for paid VPNs, but a handful of free ones should work too. This guide will not cover how to do this, but it's being listed an as option if you're interested in going this route. Note that this is an advanced setup and typically not recommended for people who aren't technically savvy.
- Setting up a VPN connection on your computer and sharing it either via an additional ethernet port on your computer (if your console has an ethernet port or you have an adapter for it) or broadcasting the VPN connection wirelessly.
This option will require you to keep your PC on during the duration of your connection to your VPN. There are several guides on the internet on how to set this up, so we won't replicate the work, but here are some places to look:
WindowsReport (Look at the first option. Although it references a Nintendo Switch, similar instructions apply for any console you're connecting with)
Digital Trends (Look at method two. Similar instructions, but for a PS4.)
- Using your mobile phone, download the VPN client you signed up with on the app store and broadcast it for your console to connect to.
This option also requires you to leave your phone on and connected (and of course uses your phone's data if you aren't on WiFi), but you would connect to the VPN service you signed up with and make your phone a mobile hotspot. From there, have your console connect to your hotspot's WiFi connection.
