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Sota Connect for Windows: a tour of the app and its settings

Sota Connect is the official Sota VPN app for Windows. We kept it minimal and fast: no ads, no extra windows, no nagging offers, only what a stable and secure connection needs. This tour goes through every screen: what is on it and what each setting does.

What you get

  • Encryption and censorship bypass. The app picks the best connection method on its own.
  • Smart split tunneling. Local banks and government services connect directly, everything else goes through the VPN.
  • Kill Switch. If the connection drops, internet access is blocked so no traffic leaks to the open network.
  • One key, up to 10 devices at the same time.
  • High speed. Servers with up to 10 Gbps links and no traffic limits.
  • Privacy. We keep no activity logs, see the privacy policy.

Home screen

The home screen is the connection control center. Everything you need is at hand, and the numbers on the screenshot match the list.

Sota Connect for Windows home screen: server bar, power button and the "Best servers" block
Sota Connect home screen
  1. Close button minimizes or closes the app window.
  2. Gear opens Settings.
  3. Server bar shows the current location ("Best server" or a country name) and the signal level. Tap it to open the location picker.
  4. Power button turns the VPN on and off. The status below reads "Disconnected" or "Connected".
  5. Best servers gives quick access to popular locations: a flag switches the country in one tap, and the name of the selected country sits under the flags.

Choosing a location

Tapping the server bar opens the list of available locations: over 135 servers in 37 countries.

Location picker in Sota Connect: "Best server" and the list of countries with server counts
Location list
  1. Best server picks the fastest and most stable server automatically.
  2. Country and the number of servers in it.
  3. Star adds the country to favorites.

App settings

The gear on the home screen opens the settings. They are grouped into blocks: account, connection, routing and system.

Sota Connect settings screen: access key, connection mode, DNS server, split tunneling, language and advanced settings
Settings screen
  1. Account: your access key (partly hidden for safety), the time left on the subscription and a copy button. One key works on all ten of your devices.
  2. Connection mode, how the app handles traffic.
  3. DNS server.
  4. Split tunneling settings.
  5. Interface language.
  6. Advanced settings for experienced users.

Connection mode

You choose how the app handles traffic:

  • Tunnel is the main mode. It creates a virtual network adapter that carries all traffic. Recommended for most users.
  • System proxy configures the Windows system proxy settings.
  • Standalone proxy runs a local proxy you can point individual programs at.

DNS server

Which DNS resolves site addresses:

DNS server choice in Sota Connect: Cloudflare, Google, AdGuard, Quad9
DNS server choice
  • Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), fast and private, the default.
  • Google (8.8.8.8).
  • AdGuard (94.140.14.14) blocks ads and trackers.
  • Quad9 (9.9.9.9) adds protection against malicious domains.

Split tunneling

You decide which traffic goes through the VPN and which goes directly. Local banks, government portals and other domestic services can work without the VPN while foreign sites use the secure connection.

Split tunnel screen in Sota Connect: toggle, list mode, "Domains" and "Apps" tabs, the "Russian sites" list and the "Add" button
Split tunnel screen
  1. Toggle turns split tunneling on.
  2. Selected in the list is the list mode, see below.
  3. "Domains" and "Apps" tabs hold separate rules for sites and for programs.
  4. "Russian sites" is a ready-made list you can extend or clear.
  5. "Add" adds any domain or app by hand.

List mode

The mode decides what happens to the selected domains and apps:

Split tunnel list mode choice: "Through the tunnel" or "Bypass the tunnel"
List mode
  • Bypass the tunnel: the selected items go directly, everything else through the VPN. The right choice for banks and government services.
  • Through the tunnel: the selected items go through the VPN, everything else directly.

Interface language

Russian, English, Chinese, German, French, Spanish and Finnish are available. The language switch is in the "System" block of the settings.

Interface language choice in Sota Connect
Language choice

Advanced settings

A block for experienced users, opened from the "System" section.

If you are not sure what an option does, leave it alone: a wrong value can cost you the connection.

Sota Connect advanced settings: network stack, local domains, Kill Switch, launch at login and connect on autostart
Advanced settings screen
  1. Network stack, the traffic processing technology.
  2. Local domains, addresses on your local or corporate network.
  3. Block internet without VPN (Kill Switch).
  4. Launch at system login.
  5. Connect on autostart.

Network stack

Defines how the app processes traffic:

Network stack choice in Sota Connect: System, Mixed, gVisor
Network stack choice
  • System uses the Windows networking mechanisms.
  • Mixed is the mixed mode, the default and the recommended one.
  • gVisor processes network traffic in user space instead of the Windows network stack.

Local domains

Add the domains of your local or corporate network here, for example corp.example.com. DNS queries for them are handled by your network's DNS rather than the app's. The .local, .lan, .corp and .internal zones already work that way by default.

The "Local domains" screen in Sota Connect with the hint and the "Add" button
Local domains screen
  1. A hint listing the zones your network's DNS already handles.
  2. "Add" adds a domain by hand.

Block internet without VPN (Kill Switch)

Blocks outside network traffic when the VPN connection is lost, so no data leaves through the regular connection until the VPN is back. Internet access returns after reconnecting or turning the option off.

Autostart

  • Launch at system login: the app starts together with Windows.
  • Connect on autostart: the VPN connects right after the app launches.

A tool for every day

We built the app so you can press one button and use the internet without restrictions or privacy worries. All the complex technology stays under the hood.

The current site address is sotavpn.com, and the guide "Official Sota VPN site" explains how to tell the real site from a fake. If you have questions, support on Telegram is always there.

Good to know

  • One access key works on every device of the subscription, up to 10 at once: your phone and your computer connect with the same key.
  • For local banks and government services turn on split tunneling in "Bypass the tunnel" mode with the ready-made "Russian sites" list: they work directly while the VPN stays on.
  • Turn on Kill Switch when it matters that no traffic leaks to the open network if the VPN drops, on public Wi-Fi for example.

Frequently asked questions

Which connection mode should I choose in Sota Connect?
"Tunnel". It is the main mode: a virtual network adapter carries all of the computer's traffic. "System proxy" and "Standalone proxy" are for special cases, for example when only certain programs should use the VPN.
What does Kill Switch do in Sota Connect?
It blocks outside traffic when the VPN connection is lost, so no data leaves through the regular connection. Internet access comes back after the VPN reconnects or the option is turned off. It lives in the advanced settings as "Block internet without VPN".
How do I keep local banks and government services working without the VPN?
Open "Split tunneling settings", turn the toggle on, pick the "Bypass the tunnel" mode and keep the ready-made "Russian sites" list. Your own domains or apps are added with the "Add" button.
Which DNS server should I pick?
The default is Cloudflare (1.1.1.1): fast and private. AdGuard also blocks ads and trackers, Quad9 protects against malicious domains, and Google is the universal option.

Updated 12 October 2026

See also