Difference between revisions of "OpenVPN server on Windows"
PauliusRug (talk | contribs) |
|||
(32 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown) | |||
Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
'''Prerequisites''': | '''Prerequisites''': | ||
− | + | * A PC or Laptop running on Windows 7 or a later version | |
− | *A PC or Laptop running on Windows 7 or a later version | + | * The computer in question must have a '''[[Private_and_Public_IP_Addresses#Public_IP_address|Public IP address]]''' |
− | *The computer in question must have a '''[[Private_and_Public_IP_Addresses#Public_IP_address|Public IP address]]''' | + | * And an active Internet connection |
− | *And an active Internet connection | ||
− | |||
---- | ---- | ||
'''Objective''': | '''Objective''': | ||
Line 26: | Line 24: | ||
==Step 4: OpenVPN server configuration== | ==Step 4: OpenVPN server configuration== | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
− | <li> | + | <li></li> |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
</ul> | </ul> | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− |
Revision as of 12:59, 17 September 2018
Main Page > General Information > Configuration Examples > PC > Windows > OpenVPN server on WindowsIntroduction
OpenVPN is an open-source software application that implements virtual private network (VPN) techniques for creating secure point-to-point or site-to-site connections in routed or bridged configurations and remote access facilities.
This article contains step-by-step instructions on how to create and run an OpenVPN server on a PC that runs on Windows OS. The information provided here is geared towards users of almost any knowledge level. The instructions apply to Windows 7 and newer systems.
Configuration overview and prerequisites
Before we begin, let's overview the configuration that we are attempting to achieve and the prerequisites that make it possible.
Prerequisites:
- A PC or Laptop running on Windows 7 or a later version
- The computer in question must have a Public IP address
- And an active Internet connection
Objective:
The purpose of this article is to provide the know-how needed to configure a working OpenVPN server on a Windows PC.
Step 1: installing OpenVPN software
- Download an OpenVPN installer file from here.
Run the downloaded file. - Before starting the installation process, click 'Customize':
- While in the 'Custom Installation' window, scroll down to find OpenSSL Utilities → EasyRSA 3 Certificate Management Scripts; make sure it is installed along with OpenVPN and click 'Install Now':
Step 2: preparing EasyRSA
- Now we can start preparing to generate certificates and keys. For this we'll be using the EasyRSA 3 application that was installed along with OpenVPN.
EasyRSA commands have to be executed via the Windows Command Prompt. It can be opened by typing cmd in the Windows search bar (Windows button + S). When you launch it, make sure you run it as administrator: - Change the current directory to the EasyRSA folder. To do so, execute this command:
cd "C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\easy-rsa"
- Launch EasyRSA:
EasyRSA-Start.bat
- Before you can generate files with EasyRSA, you must first initialize a directory for the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). This can be done with the following command:
./easyrsa init-pki
- Open the vars.bat file with the Notepad text editor:
notepad vars.bat
- This is the template file for generating certificates, i.e., the information stored here will be offered as default values during certificate generation. Locate and edit the following lines in accordance with your needs:
set KEY_COUNTRY=US set KEY_PROVINCE=CA set KEY_CITY=SanFrancisco set KEY_ORG=OpenVPN set [email protected]
- You can also set the key size for the Diffie Hellman parameters:
set DH_KEY_SIZE=2048
- Once you're done, save the file and close the editor; then run the following commands:
vars.bat ./easyrsa clean-all
Step 3: generating certificates and keys
- Now we can start generating the certificates and keys. Begin with the certificate authority (CA) - the root certificate file that will be used to sign other certificates and keys:
./easyrsa build-ca nopass
- Next, build the server certificate and key:
./easyrsa build-server-full server nopass
- Next, build certificates and keys for the clients:
./easyrsa build-client-full Client1 nopass
Note: replace Client1 with this client's Common Name (CN). Omit "nopass" and you will be prompted to choose the client's password. - Lastly, generate Diffie Hellman parameters:
./easyrsa gen-dh
The generated and signed files should appear in the following directories (by default):
File(s) | Location | |
---|---|---|
CA certificate | → | C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\easy-rsa\pki |
Diffie-Hellman parameters | → | C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\easy-rsa\pki |
Client and Server keys | → | C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\easy-rsa\pki\private |
Client and Server certificates | → | C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\easy-rsa\pki\issued |