Create a virtual private network using OpenVPN

The aim of this article is to show how to implement a Virtual Private Network (VPN) (ie a network with the characteristics of a local network, but made ​​through the Internet) between two or more computers. We will assume that these computers are equipped with the Windows XP operating system, in any case the instructions are essentially the same for other versions of Windows.

Although Windows XP is already has native support for VPNs and also integrates the functionality of the VPN server, the limit of this solution is evident from the fact that you can have, simultaneously, only one active VPN connection. We will use instead of solutions open source to help you overcome these limits and that do not require, however, to purchase an expensive server operating system such as Windows Server 2003.

So the software will use OpenVPN , in particular a version with a graphical interface, or GUI OpenVPN . OpenVPN is an open-source software that allows you to create secure VPN making use of SSL / TLS ( Secure Socket Layer / Transport Layer Security ) and implementing user authentication based on digital certificates, smart cards, or simple combination of username and password.

To better understand the operations of OpenVPN configuration both server and client side will need some clarification, especially for those who ventured for the first time with this kind of software. But first, let's proceed to installation.

Installation

First of all you need to install OpenVPN, for example through the 'Windows installer can be downloaded for free at http://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/downloads.html . It will be sufficient at this point follow the wizard, possibly changing some parameters such as the installation directory of the program, if necessary.

To install the OpenVPN GUI already mentioned we download the installation file (corresponding to the version of OpenVPN installed) from the site http://openvpn.se and execute the program, following the wizard again.

Once the installation is finished, it will be necessary for proper operation also enter a configuration file inside the installation directory of OpenVPN, more precisely in the subdirectory "config". A sample configuration file is available in the directory "sample-config". At this point we can focus on how the program works, in particular on the possible ways of connecting the various computers that make up the network.

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