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How to Install OpenVPN-AS On Ubuntu Server

Do you want to build your own VPN server using OpenVPN technology? Don’t know how to install and setup OpenVPN or ou knew but you may think it’s just too complicated? Read this tutorial that will guide you how to easily build OpenVPN server on an Ubuntu VPS (also applicable on Dedicated server).

OpenVPN AS

OpenVPN-AS is the commercial version of opensource OpenVPN project. Shortly it is a paid version and it has advanced features as what its free version offered but with a twist, easy and user-friendly interface. Yet, installing it is also easier and quicker.

However, anyone can still download and use OpenVPN-AS freely with a limitation for 2 concurrent users which for personal usage is enough.

What You’ll Need?

First, a server of course. As this guide is done on Ubuntu, so you better also find an Ubuntu server. Need recommendation? BuyVM and RAMNode are the best low end VPS provider out there with very reputable service. There in BuyVM.com you’ll need to find perfect time to get available stock (thier VPS stocks run out so quickly). Want speedy VPS box? Ramnode.com provides SSD and SSD-Cached stocks with very cheap prices. Their 128MB SVZ plan offers 128MB RAM, 128MB Swap, 1 CPU Core @ 3.3GHz and 5GB SSD storage at 1Gbps port. That lowend vps is priced only $2/month ($24/month). You can use special 30% off coupon code to get than VPS plan as low as $1.4/month. Buy that plan and you’ll have personal VPN server with cheaper price than any VPN provider can offer you.

How To Install OpenVPN-AS on Ubuntu

*In this tutorial I use Ubuntu 13.04 32-bit VPS.

Special note for VPS with OpenVZ virtualization technology: don’t forget to enable TUN/TAP and PPP in your VPS control panel (e.g: SolusVM).

Step 1 – Login to your server and follow my previous guide about Basic setup for Ubuntu before you build a live web/vpn server. You may and may not follow that tutorial but if you followed, it will give you some basic security tweak to your server.

Before you proceed to the next steps, it is better to explain that all commands in this tutorial are written without the “sudo” prefix. However if you disabled root login and you logged in using another username with root privilege, you can add the “sudo” prefix all by your self. Alternatively you can simply type su, hit Enter and type in your password twice to switch login as root.

switch-root-login

You may also need to type this command to go to the root directory:

cd ~

Step 2 – Issue this command to update some aspects of your server. It’s just a common practice:

apt-get update

pic:

apt get update

now this one as well:

apt-get upgrade

pic:

apt get upgrade

Step 3 – Now download OpenVPN-AS installation package:

For Ubuntu 32-bit:

wget http://swupdate.openvpn.org/as/openvpn-as-1.8.5-Ubuntu12.i386.deb

For Ubuntu 64-bit:

wget http://swupdate.openvpn.org/as/openvpn-as-1.8.5-Ubuntu12.amd_64.deb

Pic:

download openvpn

Step 4 – Now lets proceed with the installation. Issue this command:

For Ubuntu 32-bit:

dpkg -i openvpn-as-1.8.5-Ubuntu12.i386.deb

For Ubuntu 64-bit:

dpkg -i openvpn-as-1.8.5-Ubuntu12.amd_64.deb

Pic:

install openvpn-as

Step 5 – Well basically that’s it. The last step is just to setup your password used to login in your VPN server as well as to loggin in administration page of OpenVPN-AS. Issue comand below:

passwd openvpn

pic:

change password

Done.

Login to OpenVPN-AS Member Area

Open your favorite web browser then access your server via following address:

https://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:943/

change xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx with your actual server’s ip address. Use “openvpn” as username and use the password you defined above.

openvpn login

How to connect your PC to the VPN server?

Once logged in, you’ll see several links to download OpenVPN client (according your PC’s OS) used to login to your VPN server. You can simply download OpenVPN Connect app (official client for OpenVPN-AS) or you can download connection settings / profiles if you use your existing OpenVPN client app.

openvpn client download

Once downloaded, simply install the OpenVPN Connect app on your computer. Next, back to our browser and click the Connect button and the app should connect you automatically.

click connect

That’s it and so you are now connected to our newly built personal VPN server.

connected

You can also check your IP changed to your VPS ip by googling with keyword “my ip”.

my ip

Enjoy!

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