Introduction
This guide covers how to connect to a server with the
OpenVPN Connect app. With OpenVPN
Connect v3, you can connect to:
OpenVPN Access Server. OpenVPN Cloud.
- Almost any other open-source based OpenVPN server, including OpenVPN
- .
OpenVPN Connect v3 downloads You can download the OpenVPN Connect v3 installation files
for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS here: OpenVPN Connect Client, our official VPN client
.
For the Linux operating system, a command-line client is available.
You can also download the app for your
OpenVPN Access Server or OpenVPN Cloud connection:
- OpenVPN Access Server: Download OpenVPN Connect from Client Web UI
- OpenVPN Cloud: Download the Connect app and retrieve a profile.
.
Starting OpenVPN Connect
v3
After downloading OpenVPN Connect, install the program on your device. After installing the
program on your respective operating system, you will receive some unique messages about the onboarding, license agreement, and deprecated features the first time you launch it
. Connecting to the OpenVPN Access
Server
To connect to an OpenVPN access server with a Windows or macOS computer, we recommend a direct download. You can do this by logging into the OpenVPN Access Server client web UI. When you download and install the OpenVPN Connect v3 client from the client’s web UI, it is preinstalled with the required configuration profile. You or your user can initiate the connection immediately after installation.
If you prefer to download the Connect app directly from our site, please follow the instructions below to import a configuration profile.
To connect with an already installed client, simply import a configuration profile directly from your server or use a file on your computer.
Connecting to OpenVPN Cloud
Download the client from our website, then use the instructions below to import a configuration profile directly from the server. When a new user receives an invitation to OpenVPN Cloud, they can follow the instructions in their email to connect.
Import a configuration profile from the server You can import a
configuration profile
directly from a server for our official enterprise VPN products, OpenVPN Access Server, and OpenVPN Cloud. To do this, open the program and click on the + icon on the main screen.
In the Import Profile window, enter the server address. For Access Server, this might be https://vpn.yourcompany.com/. For OpenVPN Cloud, this is your cloud tenant ID with ‘openvpn.com’ as https://yourcompany.openvpn.com/.
Note: When you create a new user from your OpenVPN Cloud portal, you receive an email invitation with instructions to download the client and connect with your assigned username and temporary password.
Click Next and you will be prompted to sign in with your credentials. If you receive a certificate error message, this is because the Access server uses a self-signed certificate. We recommend installing a valid SSL web certificate and using a fully qualified domain name.
A new cloud user who authenticates with a temporary password is prompted to create a new password within OpenVPN Connect.
After successful authentication, the new profile is added to the list of profiles on the main screen. Now you can easily connect and disconnect at any time.
Starting
a connection
The OpenVPN Connect main screen displays any configuration profiles that have already been loaded
.
By clicking the switch next to a profile, you can start or stop a connection at any time. After the connection is established, statistics and information about the connection are displayed.
You can easily disconnect at any time and return to the main screen.
Connecting
to OpenVPN Open Source
If you are connecting to an OpenVPN open source server, you can download the client from our website and follow the instructions below to import
a configuration profile from a file on your computer. Import a configuration profile from a file Importing a
configuration profile from a file
works for almost any OpenVPN server. You simply need the necessary files saved on your device. Start by clicking the + icon, then choose File.
Drag the profile file to the window or point the program to it by clicking Browse, and then clicking Open.
Make sure you click Add and the profile is displayed on the main screen, where you can easily connect or disconnect.