Difference between revisions of "OpenVPN Guide Windows"

Latest revision as of 14:16, 16 December 2024

Introduction

This guide will explain how to install the OpenVPN client on your PC as well as how to execute it in order to access your virtual machines that aren’t accessible from the Internet.

This guide assumes that you have some experience with Windows and that you have administrative rights on the computer on which the client will be installed.

N.B.: This guide is for a Windows 10 operating system. For other Windows versions, the layout may be different, but the principles remain the same.

OpenVPN Client Installation

The OpenVPN Client Installer can be found at https://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/downloads.html.

Once the download is finished, run the installer. You may get the following warning:

Click on “Yes” to continue. The following screen appears:

Click on “Next >”. The License Agreement screen is displayed:

Click on “I Agree” to continue.

The next screen asks you to choose components to install:

Leave the chosen components unchanged and click on “Next >”.

The next screen asks you for the installation location:

Click on “Install”. The installation starts:

The installer may ask you to confirm the installation of the TAP Virtual Ethernet Adapter:

Click on “Install”.

The installation continues:

Click on “Next >” to finish the installation:

Deselect the “Show Readme” and click on “Finish”.

CipherSpace Configuration Installation

Open a Windows Explorer window, go to C:\Users\<user>\OpenVPN\config\ (where <user> is your Windows username) and copy the file (or files) you have received from us.

Running OpenVPN

(including for the first time)

Double-click on the “OpenVPN GUI” icon on your desktop:

You should now see the following icon at the bottom right of your screen:

If you don’t, follow the instructions described here

When you can see the OpenVPN GUI icon (), double-click on it and the connection will start.

Enter in the Username & Password provided to you

Then type in the encryption passphrase: Type the password we sent you for the corresponding configuration file. If you want, you can store the password in your Keychain by checking the “Save in Keychain” box, so you don’t have to type it each time you use Tunnelblick. Click on OK.

You can also select "Save Password"

The connection continues.

Then the above window closes and you will see a similar message:

And the OpenVPN icon is now green.

You should now test the VPN connection by opening a command window, (Click on “Start” then under “Search programs and files” type “cmd”) and type “ping xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx”, where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is the IP address of a virtual machine, which is not published on the Internet. If you cannot access the virtual machine, please contact us.

To disconnect the VPN connection, double-click on the OpenVPN icon (green):

And click on “Disconnect”.

Make the OpenVPN Icon Visible

Open the “Control Panel”:

In the “Search Control Panel” field, type “Notification area”:

And click on “Taskbar and Navigation”.

Scroll until you find the “Notification area” and click on "Select which icons appear on the taskbar":

Look for "OpenVPN GUI for Windows", move the switch button to "on" and close the "Control Panel". The OpenVPN icon will be now visible at the bottom right of your screen.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+[[Category:OpenVPN]]
+[[Category:How To]]
+[[Category:CloudInfrastructure]]
 ==Introduction==
@@ Line 5: / Line 9: @@
 This guide assumes that you have some experience with Windows and that you have administrative rights on the computer on which the client will be installed.
-N.B.: This guide is for a Windows 7 operating system. For other Windows versions, the layout may be different, but the principles remain the same.
+N.B.: This guide is for a Windows 10 operating system. For other Windows versions, the layout may be different, but the principles remain the same.
-== OpenVPN Client Installation==
+==OpenVPN Client Installation==
-The OpenVPN Client Installer can be found at https://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/downloads.html. Make sure to download the version corresponding to your Windows version as well as architecture (32-bit or 64-bit).
+The OpenVPN Client Installer can be found at https://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/downloads.html.
 Once the download is finished, run the installer. You may get the following warning:
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_1.png|400px]]
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_1.png|400px|border]]
 Click on “Yes” to continue. The following screen appears:
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_2.png|450px]]
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_2.png|500px|border]]
 Click on “Next >”. The License Agreement screen is displayed:
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_3.png|450px]]
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_3.png|500px|border]]
 Click on “I Agree” to continue.
@@ Line 31: / Line 35: @@
 The next screen asks you to choose components to install:
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_4.png|450px]]
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_4.png|500px|border]]
 Leave the chosen components unchanged and click on “Next >”.
 The next screen asks you for the installation location:
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_5.png|450px]]
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_5.png|500px|border]]
-This guide assumes that you will install the OpenVPN client under <code>C:\Program Files\OpenVPN</code>, as it is going to refer to it later on. If you want to change the install location, make sure to remember it afterwards.
+Click on “Install”. The installation starts:
-Click on “Install”. The installation starts:
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_6.png|500px|border]]
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_6.png|450px]]
 The installer may ask you to confirm the installation of the TAP Virtual Ethernet Adapter:
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_7.png|450px]]
-Click on “Install”.
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_7.png|500px|border]]
+Click on “Install”.
 The installation continues:
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_8.png|450px]]
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_8.png|500px|border]]
 Click on “Next >” to finish the installation:
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_9.png|450px]]
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Install_9.png|500px|border]]
-Deselect the “Show Readme” and DO NOT select the “Start OpenVPN GUI” as there are a few more steps to be performed beforehand. Click on “Finish”.
+Deselect the “Show Readme” and click on “Finish”.
-==Configuration File Installation==
+==CipherSpace Configuration Installation==
-At this point, install (copy) the configuration file we sent you into the directory <code>C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\config</code>:
+Open a Windows Explorer window, go to <code>C:\Users\<user>\OpenVPN\config\</code>
+(where <code><user></code> is your Windows username) and copy the file (or files) you have received from us.
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Config_1.png|600px]]
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Config_1.png|600px|border]]
-When installing the file, you may get the following warning:
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Config_2.png|400px]]
+==Running OpenVPN==
+(including for the first time)
-Click on “Continue”:
+Double-click on the “OpenVPN GUI” icon on your desktop:
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Config_3.png|600px]]
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_1.png|37px]]
-Before you can use the OpenVPN client, you must make sure that the program will always be run as an administrator.
+You should now see the following icon at the bottom right of your screen:
-Navigate to the directory <code>C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\bin</code>:
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_3.png|37px]]
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Config_4.png|600px]]
+If you don’t, follow the instructions described [[#Make the OpenVPN Icon Visible|here]]
-Right-click on the file “openvpn-gui.exe”:
+When you can see the OpenVPN GUI icon ([[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_11.png|20px]]), double-click on it and the connection will start.
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Config_5.png|600px]]
+* Enter in the Username & Password provided to you
+* Then type in the encryption passphrase: Type the password we sent you for the corresponding configuration file. If you want, you can store the password in your Keychain by checking the “Save in Keychain” box, so you don’t have to type it each time you use Tunnelblick. Click on OK.
-And select “Properties”.
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_7.png|500px|border]]
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Config_6.png|350px]]
+You can also select "Save Password"
+The connection continues.
-Click on the tab “Compatibility”:
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_8.png|500px|border]]
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Config_7.png|350px]]
-And under “Privilege Level” check the box “Run this program as an administrator”. If there are other users who need to access the OpenVPN client, click on “Change settings for all users”, otherwise click on “OK”.
+Then the above window closes and you will see a similar message:
-You are now ready to run the OpenVPN client.
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_9.png|250px|border]]
-==Running OpenVPN==
+And the OpenVPN icon is now green.
-(including for the first time)
-Double-click on the “OpenVPN GUI” icon on your desktop:
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_1.png|37px]]
+You should now test the VPN connection by opening a command window, (Click on “Start” then under “Search programs and files” type “cmd”) and type “ping xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx”, where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is the IP address of a virtual machine, which is not published on the Internet. If you cannot access the virtual machine, please contact us.
-You may get the following warning:
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_2.png|400px]]
+To disconnect the VPN connection, double-click on the OpenVPN icon (green):
-Click on “Yes” to continue.
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_10.png|500px|border]]
-You should now see the following icon at the bottom right of your screen:
+And click on “Disconnect”.
-[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_3.png|37px]]
-If you don’t,  go to the section [[#Make the OpenVPN Icon Visible]]
+===Make the OpenVPN Icon Visible===
-When you can see the OpenVPN GUI icon ([[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_3.png|25px]]), double-click on it and the connection will start.
+Open the “Control Panel”:
-Type the password you have received from us in the “Enter Password” and click on “OK”.
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_12.png|600px|border]]
-The connection continues.
-Then the above window closes and you will see a similar message:
-And the OpenVPN icon is now green.
+In the “Search Control Panel” field, type “Notification area”:
-You should now test the VPN connection by opening a command window, (Click on “Start” then under “Search programs and files” type “cmd”) and type “ping xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx”, where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is the IP address of a virtual machine, which is not published on the Internet. If you cannot access the virtual machine, please contact us.
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_13.png|600px|border]]
-To disconnect the VPN connection, double-click on the OpenVPN icon (green):
-And click on “Disconnect”.
+And click on “Taskbar and Navigation”.
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_14.png|600px|border]]
-===Make the OpenVPN Icon Visible===
-Open the “Control Panel”:
+Scroll until you find the “Notification area” and click on "Select which icons appear on the taskbar":
-In the “Search Control Panel” field, type “Notification”:
+[[File:OpenVPN_Win_Run_15.png|400px|border]]
-And click on “Notification Area Icons”. Scroll until you find the “OpenVPN GUI for Windows” icon:
-Under “Behaviors”, select “Show icon and notifications” and then "OK". The OpenVPN icon will be now visible at the bottom right of your screen.
+Look for "OpenVPN GUI for Windows",  move the switch button to "on" and close the "Control Panel". The OpenVPN icon will be now visible at the bottom right of your screen.