Using the brazoslink OpenVPN Service

Standard VPN services such as PPTP, L2TP, and IPsec frequently encounter difficulties on certain networks that do not support those services, either due to deliberate filtering or inherent limitations of the network itself. OpenVPN is an open-source VPN solution that uses industry-standard SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) protocols--the same stuff that's used by secure webservers. As such, OpenVPN does not require anything special of the local network--if you can connect to an https:// website, then you should be able to use OpenVPN, even if other types of VPN connections do not work.

OpenVPN currently runs on Linux, Windows 2000/XP and higher, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD, Mac OS X, Solaris, and iOS (iPhone//iPad/iPod touch). An OpenVPN PocketPC port is under development. See http://www.openvpn.net for more information.

Step 1 - Get the software

Windows, Linux, *BSD, or Solaris: Point your web browser to http://openvpn.net/download.html, download the latest stable version of OpenVPN, and install it on your system.

Mac OS X: For a free solution, point your web browser to http://tunnelblick.net, download the latest version of Tunnelblick, and install it on your system.

Mac OS X or Windows: For a $9 solution that is more feature-rich (and in our experience works better) than the free software, visit http://www.viscosityvpn.com.

iOS: Note that your iPhone/iPad/iPod must be jailbroken in order to run this software. Visit http://www.guizmovpn.com for information and instructions.

Step 2 - Email brazoslink support

Email brazoslink support (use the contact link at the bottom of this page), and request your OpenVPN configuration files. We will send you an email containing a password-protected zipped set of configuration files, and a second email containing the password to the zip archive. This step is necessary because each OpenVPN client requires a unique set of files to ensure security. An advantage to this is that you'll never have to enter a username/password to connect to the brazoslink OpenVPN service. If your computer is ever lost or stolen, please be sure to notify us, so we can disable its configuration on the server (we'll create a new set of configuration files for your new computer).

Step 3 - Install the configuration files

Unzip the configuration files to your desktop (if you need an unzip utility, download the free PKZIP Reader). The files should be contained in a folder named openvpn. Note that the default zip extractor on Mac OS X (any version prior to 10.7) does not handle password-protected archives; use Stuffit Expander instead (it's free).

Whenever you connect to the VPN, you should immediately open a web browser and visit http://waynak.net to check your connection. If you rely on your VPN connection for personal security, consider making waynak.net your home page.

Windows:

First, follow the basic installation instructions.

Go to Start > All Programs > OpenVPN > Shortcuts > OpenVPN configuration file directory (this will open a folder named config):

Drag all the files from the openvpn folder on your desktop into the config folder:

Run OpenVPN GUI:

Note for Vista & Windows 7 users: You will probably have to force Windows to run the OpenVPN GUI as Administrator; otherwise, the VPN will connect but not pass any traffic. To do this, right-click on the OpenVPN GUI icon in your Start menu, and select Properties:

Click the Compatibility tab, enable the "Run as Administrator" option, and click OK:

The OpenVPN GUI puts an OpenVPN control icon in the taskbar:

Right-clicking on the OpenVPN control in the taskbar should display a pop-up menu. Select Connect:

A progress window should appear, and in a few seconds you should see a message telling you that openvpn is now connected:

Mac OS X: Open your home folder, and select the Library folder (there is also a Library folder at the base level of the hard drive; you don't want that one--you want the one in your home folder).

Note for Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) users: By default, the Library folder in your home folder is hidden. To open it, click the Go menu in the Finder, select Go to Folder..., and enter ~/Library in the box:

Drag the openvpn folder from your desktop into the Library folder:

Open Tunnelblick:

Tunnelblick places a VPN control menu in the top right-hand corner of the menubar, just to the left of the Spotlight icon. Click the control menu, and select Connect 'brazoslink':

Or, open Viscosity:

Open the Viscosity preferences:

Click the + (plus) button at the bottom left of the Preferences window, and select Import Connection:

Navigate to your ~/Library/openvpn folder and select the brazoslink.ovpn file:

Once the new configuration is there, you should be able to select Connect brazoslink from the Viscosity menu:

NOTE: By default, Viscosity may not route your internet traffic through the VPN tunnel, even when it is connected. To check this, select Preferences... from the Viscosity menu:

In the Preferences window, select the Networking tab, and be sure the Send all traffic over VPN connection option is checked:

iOS: Open the openvpn folder on your desktop (or in the Library folder, if you already put it there), select all of the files in the folder, right-click on any of the files, and select Compress 5 Items:

This will create a file called Archive.zip, which is the file you need to upload to the iPhone/iPod/iPad using GuizmOVPN's configuration manager. You might want to rename the file "brazoslink.zip" or something more sensible, but leaving it as-is will work fine.