OpenVPN Setup

The latest build of OpenVPN Connect is always available at the official website. Go to the VPN Server Resources(opens in new tab) page, click 'Connecting', and you'll find links explaining how to get connected on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and Linux.

The Windows(opens in new tab) page has links for OpenVPN Connect, the older OpenVPN GUI and a handful of other alternative clients.

At the time of writing, the page includes links for the current version of OpenVPN Connect 2.7, and the beta of OpenVPN Connect 3. We're covering the beta here, so grab either the 32-bit or 64-bit version, depending on your Windows build. If you're unsure of what version you need, try 64-bit first. If you're wrong, you won't harm your system, the installer just won't run.

Although we're going to discuss Windows, the app works much the same with other operating systems. Check out the Android(opens in new tab) build and the iOS(opens in new tab) version for more.

Launching the installer displays a very standard setup wizard. Agree to the license, accept the default settings unless you need to do otherwise, and click 'Install' to complete the process.

Import VPN profiles

Launch OpenVPN Connect and it prompts you to import a profile containing information on the server you'd like to use (server name, username, password and maybe port).

The opening screen asks if you'd like to import data direct from OpenVPN Access Server. That's something a business might use to simplify managing its own server, for example, but it's not relevant to the average user.

Click 'Import from File' instead, then click 'Browse' and choose one of the OVPN configuration files you downloaded earlier. If all is well, OpenVPN Connect displays a message telling you the profile has been successfully imported.

OpenVPN Connect gives the profile a title based on the IP address and the name of your file. This is often less than readable – our first title was '198.50.134.146 [vpnbook-ovh-udp53-Canada]' – but you can freely edit this to make it simpler ('Canada', 'Montreal', 'VPNBook: Montreal', whatever you like.)

At a minimum, you must also enter the username you'll need to log in to this server. Some VPN providers generate a random username when you sign up, others accept your email address, but your provider's support pages should tell you more.

Check the 'Save password' box and you can optionally enter and save your password in the profile. That means you won’t have to enter it every time you log on, but of course is also less secure, as anyone with access to the device will also be able to use your VPN.

Once you've entered all the details you need, click 'Add' to import the profile.

If your provider's profiles have a certificate bundled with them, you're able to import that, too, by clicking the menu button top-left and selecting 'Import Certificates'.

And that's it, your first profile is imported and hopefully ready to go. But the chances are you'll want to add more, so click the orange '+' button (or Menu > Import Profile) to import as many other profiles as you're intending to use.

Getting connected

As you add profiles, they appear in a simple list on OpenVPN's Access Server Profiles page. Tap the profile name, you're prompted for your password (unless you've saved it in the profile), and the client should get connected within a few seconds.

OpenVPN Connect's simple but good-looking interface plots incoming and outgoing data on a real-time Connection Stats graph. It's not the most essential element you need from a VPN client, but it does at least confirm that the system is working as it should.

To verify the connection, point your browser at IPLocation.net(opens in new tab), too. The site will display your new IP address and tell you where it thinks it's located.

When you've finished testing the profile, click the profile name to disconnect. By default, OpenVPN displays an 'are you sure?' dialog to reduce the chance of accidental disconnections, but if that seems like a hassle, checking the 'Don't show again' box ensures you won't see it in future.