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How to install a VPN and bypass blocks. Five reliable services. How to set up your own VPN server

Instructions

Click on the Start menu and select Control Panel. Find the "Network and Internet" section. To organize a VPN connection, you need to launch the Network and Sharing Center snap-in. You can also click on the network icon in the tray and select a similar command. Proceed to create a new connection or network, noting that you need to connect to your desktop. Click "Next". You will be prompted to use an existing connection. Check the box “No, create a new connection” and proceed to the next step of the settings.

Select "Use my Internet connection" to set up a VPN connection. Set aside the Internet settings prompt that appears before continuing. A window will appear in which you need to specify the VPN server address according to the agreement and come up with a name for the connection, which will be displayed in the Network and Sharing Center. Check the “Don’t connect now” checkbox, otherwise the computer will try to establish a connection immediately after setup. Check Use Smart Card if the remote VPN host authenticates the connection using a smart card. Click Next.

Enter your username, password and domain, according to which you gain access to the remote network. Click the “Create” button and wait until the VPN connection is configured. Now you need to establish an Internet connection. To do this, click on the network icon in the tray and start setting the properties of the created connection.

Open the Security tab. Set VPN Type to Automatic and Data Encryption to Optional. Check "Allow the following protocols" and select the CHAP and MS-CHAP protocols. Go to the “Network” tab and leave a checkmark next to “Internet Protocol Version 4” only. Click the "Ok" button and connect the VPN connection.

Any VPN net provides for the presence of a specific server that will provide communication between network computers and other devices. At the same time, it provides some of them (or all) with access to an external network, for example, the Internet.

You will need

  • - network cable;
  • - LAN card.

Instructions

The simplest example of a VPN network would be the creation of a local network between, each of which will have access to the Internet. Naturally, only one PC will have a direct connection to the provider’s server. Select this computer.

Install an additional network adapter into it, which will be connected to the second computer. Using a network cable of the required length, connect the network cards of two computers to each other. Connect the provider cable to another network adapter on the main PC.

Set up your Internet connection. This can be a LAN or DSL connection. In this case it doesn't matter at all. Once you've completed creating and configuring your new connection, go to its properties.

Open the "Access" menu in the window that appears. Allow all computers that are part of a specific local network to use this Internet connection. Specify net, formed by your two computers.

More and more cafes, hotels and other public places are acquiring their own Wi-Fi networks. But by using unprotected traffic, device owners jeopardize the security of their own data. Therefore, the relevance of private networks is increasing. To protect yourself, you can create a VPN connection. Read our article about what it is and how to configure it correctly in Windows 7.

What is a VPN connection and why is it needed?

This technology involves a secure network created on top of an unsecured network. The VPN client, using a public network, connects to the VPN server through special protocols. The server accepts the request, verifies the client's identity, and then transmits the data. This is ensured by cryptography.

VPN capabilities allow you to use it for the following purposes:

  1. Hide your real IP and become anonymous.
  2. Download a file from a network in which access is restricted for IP addresses of the user’s country (if you use the IP address of a country that has access to this network.
  3. Encryption of transmitted data.

How to set up a connection?

  1. Through “Start”, open “Control Panel”, then launch “Network and Sharing Center”.

    Select the “Network and Sharing Center” area

  2. Follow the link “Set up a new connection or network.”

    To create a new connection or network, you need to click on the corresponding line in the list

  3. Click "Connect to Workplace".

    Select "Connect to a workplace"

  4. Select "Use my Internet connection (VPN)."

    Select "Use my Internet connection (VPN)"

  5. In the “Internet address” field, enter the address of your VPN server.
  6. To find it out, you need to launch the Run tool (Win + R) and enter cmd.

    You need to enter cmd in the line and press “Enter”

  7. Then write the ipconfig command, run it and find the “Default gateway” line, which contains the desired address.

    You need the address that is in the “Main gateway” line

  8. Now you need to paste the address and check the “Don’t connect now...” checkbox and click “Next”.

    Enter the received address in the field, check the box next to “Don’t connect now...”

  9. Enter the username and password provided by the provider and click “Create”.

    Enter login and password

  10. Close a window.
  11. Open Network and Sharing Center again and click Change adapter settings.
  12. The VPN connection icon appears here. To make a connection, you need to right-click on the icon and click “Connect”. To disable, also right-click on the icon and click “Disable”.

    There is a VPN connection icon here, through which you can connect or disconnect

  13. In the window that opens, you need to enter your username and password and connect.

    Enter your username and password (if necessary) and click “Connect”

Video: creating and setting up a VPN

Possible errors and solutions to problems

400 Bad Request

  1. Disable a firewall or other program that affects your security and online activities.
  2. Update the version of the browser you are using or use a different one.
  3. Delete everything that the browser writes to disk: settings, certificates, saved files, etc.

611, 612

  1. Restart your computer and check if the local network is working. If this does not solve the problem, then call technical assistance.
  2. Close some programs to improve system performance.

629

Check your firewall settings. As a last resort, it can be disabled, but this is undesirable, as the level of security will be reduced.

630

Reinstall the network adapter drivers.

650

  1. Check if “Local Area Connection” works.
  2. There is a problem with the network card or network cable.

738

  1. Perhaps your login and password were stolen by attackers.
  2. The session was stuck. After a few minutes, try to connect again.

752

  1. The local firewall is not configured correctly.
  2. Changed access attributes (international phone number instead of VPN server address).

789

Open the VPN connection settings, go to the “Network” tab and select “Automatic” or “Point-to-Point Tunnel Protocol (PPTP)” from the available VPN types. Then reconnect.

800

The cable, router or router may be damaged. If they are ok, then you need to check the following:

  1. LAN connection properties. They may have gotten lost or been deleted. You need to open the properties of the VPN connection, select “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” and open its properties. Then check the correctness of the parameters: IP address, subnet mask, default gateway. As a rule, they are specified in the provider's Internet connection agreement. Alternatively, you can check the boxes next to “Obtain an IP address automatically” and “Obtain a DNS server address automatically.”
  2. If you are using a router or router, then the “Default gateway” field is 192.168.0.1 (192.168.0.1). More details about this are described in the router instructions. If it is known for sure that the access point has a default gateway of 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1, then the IP addresses are in the range from 192.168.0.100 (192.168.1.100) and higher.
  3. IP address conflict (there is a yellow exclamation mark in the tray icon on the monitor). This means that there is a computer on the local network with the same IP address. If there is no router, but there is a conflict, it means that the IP address is not the one specified in the agreement with the provider. In this case, you need to change the IP address.
  4. There may be problems with the subnet mask or DNS server. They must be specified in the contract. In cases where a router is used, the DNS is often the same as the default gateway.
  5. The network card is turned off or burned out. To check the device, you need to click “Start”, select the “Run” tool and enter devmgmt.msc in the mmc line. In the window that opens, click on “Network adapters”. If it is turned off (crossed out), then you need to start it. If the card does not turn on, it means that it is burned out or has come out of the slot (the second option is only possible if the card is not built into the motherboard). If the card works, then turn it off and start it again. As a last resort, you can remove the network card from the configuration and click on the “Update hardware configuration” icon. The system will find the network card and install it.
  6. Incorrect VPN server address. It must be indicated in the instructions. If there is no such information, then you need to contact technical service. If the Internet works without a VPN connection, then go to the provider’s website and find the VPN server address. It can be either alphabetic (vpn.lan) or in the form of an IP address. To view the VPN server address, you need to open the properties of the VPN connection.
  7. There is no money in your personal account.

Regardless of the error, if you cannot fix it yourself, you will have to contact technical support.

How to enable automatic start?

  1. In order for the connection to start automatically, you need to go to “Control Panel” - “Network and Internet” - “Network Connections”.

    Find VPN in Control Panel

  2. We find the VPN, open properties, then go to the “Options” tab and uncheck the “Display connection progress”, “Prompt for name, password” and “Include Windows login domain” checkboxes.
  3. Then you need to open the Windows Task Scheduler. Go to “Control Panel” - “System and Security” - “Administration” - “Task Scheduler”. Or you can go through the registry: Win + R, enter the line taskschd.msc.

    Open the task scheduler

  4. Select “Action” from the menu, then “Create a simple task.”

Using a VPN is one of the easiest and most reliable ways to hide your real location and protect personal data and messages on your smartphone, computer or tablet from theft. At the same time, you do not need complex setup steps or high costs. Sites and services will be sure that you are in the country where the VPN server is installed.

In this article we will tell you what a VPN is and how to set it up on an Android smartphone.

What is VPN

Virtual Private Network - virtual private network. The term means the creation of a closed network within a public one, such as the Internet. Initially, the mechanism for creating virtual private (private) communication spaces was created to ensure greater security. By logging into a VPN server, you find yourself inside a network space protected from external attacks.

The degree of trust in this technology can be judged because it is actively used by large corporations to create their secure distributed networks. They trust sensitive data to the strong cryptography built into it.

When logging into a virtual network, the user does not need to physically connect any additional wires. He simply enters his username and password on the VPN server. From this moment on, all requests to Internet resources are made on behalf of the virtual IP address issued upon entry.

Some experts compare working in a virtual private network to driving through a tunnel located under a busy highway where ordinary users move. Your channel is encrypted and cannot be attacked from outside. But you still use the same hardware and cables as non-secure users.

How to set up a VPN on Android

There are two options to enable VPN on Android: install the application from Google Play or set up a login and password in Settings. Below we present these methods in order of increasing complexity for the user.

Installing the VPN app

We recommend starting with the program Turbo VPN . It does not require registration or entering passwords and is free for most typical application scenarios: web surfing, instant messengers, and so on.

The user is required to:

  1. After a 3-second wait, the traffic is already redirected to the server selected by the application itself.

  1. To “change citizenship”, in the program settings you can select a server from a specific country. Just click on the flag icon in the top right corner.

  1. Here in Settings you can set the function to automatically connect when you launch the application.

  1. It is convenient to control the operation of the application using the messages displayed in notifications. When you click on them, the program reports the channel parameters: download and upload speed, the total number of transferred data in MB.

  1. If you need to return to normal operation with a real IP address, click on the program icon in the notification window and turn off the VPN with the cross button.

Currently, Android users have access to dozens of VPN programs. They are:

  • Paid. Traffic is charged; the user pays a fixed amount for the program upon installation or uses a paid monthly subscription. For example, application OpenVPN Client.
  • Conditionally free. Basic features are free, but you will have to pay extra for speed or traffic beyond the limit. You may also be charged for additional components and features. In particular, this is what developers doVPN Master-Free unblock proxy.
  • Free. The existence of such projects is paid off by advertising, which you will view from time to time. They are very popular. Yes, application Hotspot Shield Free VPN has over 500 million downloads.

Using standard Android VPN connectivity

Modern versions of Android support work via VPN without third-party applications. In Settings, find Connection.

Let's go to the VPN setup and management category.

Please note that after installing the Turbo VPN application, the menu already has one setting for working with a virtual network. To make your own, click the Add button.

To correctly fill in the server name, login and password, you will need to register on one of the free or paid virtual network services. For example, you can use the service ExpressVPN . Its operation is possible in 90 different countries, torrents are not blocked and high-resolution video streams up to 4K are supported.

In Russia it is considered the fastest and most inexpensive VPN99 . The subscription fee at the time of writing is no more than $1 per month.

A search in Yandex or Google will help you choose such a service. When comparing services, focus on their reliability and speed, as well as user reviews. You can organize your own VPN server yourself. Even a novice system administrator can handle this job.

What can you use a VPN for?

Typical scenarios where using such services is useful:

  • Protection your personal data from websites and online stores. Traffic to the server is encrypted, the real IP address cannot be determined. At the same time, anonymity is ensured not only in the Internet browser, but also in instant messengers and other programs on your phone.
  • Change country and region. You can pose as a user from the United States or European countries to receive special prices and terms of service on certain Internet resources.
  • Bypassing blocked resources. Using a VPN is the main way to bypass services blocked in your country. This is how Ukrainian users bypass VKontakte and Yandex, which are blocked in Ukraine. Russian users can use a VPN to work with blocked Telegram.
  • Saving mobile traffic. In some cases, the protocols used for working with VPN servers make it possible to reduce the volume of charged traffic and reduce communication costs.

Limitations of free VPN services

The benefits of free services are obvious. They are enough to meet the needs of an ordinary Internet user using a web browser, instant messenger and other applications that do not actively consume traffic.

But it’s worth remembering that free servers have a number of limitations:

  • Low speed and traffic restrictions. In many cases, torrents and other programs that require a large amount of transferred data are blocked. Operators of free servers are trying in this way to reduce the load on the equipment and encourage users to switch to paid plans.
  • Low reliability. No one guarantees that the server will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Users sometimes have to change the server due to it being closed or overloaded with clients.
  • Advertising. Often, to recoup their costs, free operators resort to displaying advertising and paid advertisements to their users.

Advantages of paid VPN servers

  • High reliability and availability of technical support. This allows you to count on stable operation of the service and maintaining the confidentiality of user data. Do not forget that the server itself knows your real IP address and some other information.
  • No restrictions by streaming video in high definition. The power of these companies is incomparably higher than that of free ones; they can provide their customers with higher data transfer speeds.
  • Confidence that in the near future the server will not be closed.

From a legal point of view, the use of VPNs is not yet prohibited. Virtual personal networks will allow you to maintain anonymity on the Internet and provide a number of other advantages. But using the blocked resources themselves is associated with a certain risk. This should be remembered.

How to set up a VPN for Telegram or how to bypass blocking

Bypassing blocked resources is one of the popular uses of VPN. The principle is simple. Telegram is blocked in Russia, but not in the USA. You log into a virtual network server located in the United States and gain access to any resources permitted in that country.

Telegram also has a special proxy bot that will help ensure that the messenger works under blocking conditions without redirecting all smartphone traffic to the VPN. The bot gives you a link to register. After clicking on it, the user receives the server address and port, username and password.

To set up a proxy yourself, you need to:

Especially for our readers - do repost this entry and leave

If you configure a VPN correctly, you can get a private channel that allows you to transfer data without worrying about it being intercepted by third parties. Thus, traffic encryption is one of the main advantages of virtual private networks, but the range of their applications includes many life situations, so even if you do not need a secure channel, it will still be useful to learn how to connect a VPN.

What is a VPN?

VPN, as stated above, is an abbreviation for the concept of Virtual Private Network. A VPN is created over an existing connection and allows you to connect computers whose location does not matter into a logical network.

The main component of the network is the VPN server, the role of which can be played by a computer with special software installed on it.

The server manages the connection of other machines on which you want to create a VPN connection. The procedure for creating and setting up such a connection will be discussed in our instructions.

How to create a VPN connection

In all versions of Windows, the connection is established in the same way with minor changes in the order of actions and the names of the items.

A connection window will open where you need to specify your username and password. To avoid having to re-enter this information each time you connect, check the “Save username and password” checkbox, and then click the “Connect” button.

Windows 7/8/8.1:

  1. Open Network and Sharing Center. Click on “Set up a new connection”.
  2. Select Connect to Workplace and click Next.
  3. Check the box next to “No, create new” and click “Next”.
  4. Select "Use my internet connection."
  5. Enter the Internet address and name for the connection you are creating.
  6. Provide credentials to access the VPN server. You can find them out from your network administrator. Click Connect and then Close to save your changes and exit the New Connection Setup Wizard.

Create a connection shortcut on your desktop for quick access. To do this, right-click on the created connection and select “Create shortcut”. You will be asked to place it on your desktop - agree.

The first time you try to connect, the Network Location Settings window will appear, asking you to specify the network location. Select “Public Place” - this configuration will provide you with maximum protection when using a VPN connection.

Setting up a VPN connection

After creating a connection, you need to set the optimal parameters for its operation. Right-click on the created connection and open its “Properties”:

To ensure that you still have access to the Internet when your VPN connection is turned on, make additional settings:

Connect to the VPN again to ensure the settings are correct.

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The use of VPN networks in our time has become an integral part of working with the Internet. A variety of virtual private network technologies and specifications are used by both huge international corporations and individual users. Some providers even provide Internet services based on VPN servers. One way or another, connecting to existing ones or setting up your own VPNs is not difficult, but very necessary. Everything connected with it is clearly examined using the example of the Windows 7 system.

What is a VPN connection

VPN (English acronym for “virtual private network”) is the common name for several technologies that allow you to create network connections on top of existing ones. VPNs are often used in closely held corporations to restrict access to the corporate network. Thus, an internal network is created on the basis of an existing external network (most often the Internet).

A simplified diagram-icon symbolizing a VPN connection

Thus, data exchange is carried out using Internet technologies, while the corporate network (VPN) has closed access only for employees. Moreover, employees may be located in different parts of the world. “Closed” access is achieved through cryptographic technologies such as encryption, authentication and/or public key infrastructure.

The general structure of a VPN is shown in the figure below.

The diagram shows what a VPN structure typically looks like using lines and icons

So, two regional branches, the main office, as well as individual employees are connected to a common network. At the same time, the connection between them is carried out through Internet technologies, and information security tools make it possible to limit the access of unauthorized users or completely close it.

For an individual user, VPN technology can also be useful for personal purposes. For example, if you connect to a remote VPN server, you can bypass the geographic restrictions of some web resources. That is, pretend that you are in another country. In addition, the user's location is hidden in the same way. These actions are not limited by law, but access to some sites is prohibited for such networks.

In addition to the examples above, VPN is now used by some providers to connect users into groups. This allows you to connect multiple computers to the same IP address. Thus, savings are made on renting Internet addresses, which means the cost of connection services drops. At the same time, data transmitted by users remains encrypted.

How to connect and configure VPN services on Windows 7

Setting up a VPN connection on Windows 7 is quite simple. You don't need any additional software. Just follow the instructions.

  1. First of all, go to the Network and Sharing Center: open Start and select Control Panel. In the open window you will see a button to enter the “Center...”. Select "Set up a new connection...".
    In the Network and Sharing Center, click "Set up a new connection or network"
  2. From the list, select “Connect to a workplace.” This paragraph contains settings for the VPN connection.
    Select “Workplace Connection” from the list of network connection options
  3. The program will ask: “How to connect?” In our case, we need to choose the first option. Then click Next. By the way, in this window you can view Microsoft's VPN data (click the link at the bottom of the screen).
    When asked how to connect, select "Use my Internet connection (VPN)"
  4. A window will appear in front of you to fill in your connection information. In the “Internet address” line, you must specify a link to the VPN server. You can find this out from your provider and/or administrator. You can enter any “Destination Name”. In addition, you need to check the box next to “Don’t connect now...”. When everything is ready, click “Next”.
    Enter the required VPN connection information: Internet address, destination name. These can be obtained from your provider.

    5. Now you need to enter your username and password to connect to the VPN network. If you are not sure if they are correct, contact your administrator (provider). In addition, for easy access to the VPN server, you can specify its domain. If you are simply setting up an Internet connection to your ISP, leave the field blank. Now click the “Create” button.
    Enter your username and password in the appropriate fields when connecting to your workplace

    A message appears indicating that the connection is ready. Just click "Close".

    Close the VPN Ready message box

    In the “Center…” window that opened earlier, click on “Change adapter settings.”

    In the Network and Sharing Center, click on “Change adapter settings”

    A window will open in front of you, which contains information about available connections. The newly created connection is named as the “Destination Name” you specified earlier. Right-click on it. If you want, you can create a shortcut for this connection on your desktop. This will make it easier to access the network. Then select Properties: There are a few things you need to change before you can start using the VPN.

    Create a connection shortcut if you want and then go into its properties

    Now be careful. In the small “Properties” window of your connection, switch to the “Security” tab. Select the type of VPN network, which depends on the specifics of it. Contact your administrator or provider for this information. For example, if you want to connect to some remote server, the connection type is usually “PPTP”. But this is just an example. Be sure to check the correct choice.

    Select the appropriate VPN network type; if you don't know it, contact your ISP or administrator

    Please note that on the same tab there is a drop-down list “Data encryption”. You can choose the item that suits you personally. But this does not guarantee uninterrupted operation of the connection. Such data should also be clarified with the administrator.

  5. Go to the Network tab. Here, uncheck the “Internet Protocol Version 6...” checkbox to increase data transfer speeds, because most likely it is not used on your VPN server (unless specified otherwise). Now single-click on “Internet Protocol Version 4...” and select its “Properties”. Click "Properties" with the cursor over "Internet Protocol Version 4..."
  6. In the window that opens, select “Advanced...” You should not change the DNS server addresses here, as we will set them next to match your VPN. Click “Advanced...” to go to additional. menu

    7. In the “Advanced TCP/IP Settings” window, on the “IP Settings” tab, uncheck the words “Use the default gateway on the remote network.” If this is not done, Internet traffic will pass through the VPN server, which will reduce the data transfer speed. Uncheck "Use the default gateway on the remote network" to increase connection speed

    If you are just connecting to a remote server, go to the DNS tab. In the “DNS connection suffix” column, enter the suffix provided by the administrator. This way, you don't have to enter it every time to go to a specific site.

  7. In all previously opened windows, click “OK”. The VPN connection is ready to use! You can launch it from the “Desktop” if you created a shortcut earlier.

Video: how to install and connect to a VPN in Windows 7

Possible connection problems

There are a number of errors that can cause your VPN connection to not work or not work properly. But before we move on to their descriptions, let’s look at the most common problem: when you turn on the VPN, the Internet connection disappears.

What to do if the Internet connection disappears after startup

This problem is relevant if you are connecting to a certain server, and not to the provider. It doesn’t matter how you are connected to the Internet (cord, Wi-Fi, another VPN), the connection drops for the same reason. And restoring it is quite simple.

As we indicated above, enabling this option may slow down the speed of your Internet connection, since traffic will pass through the VPN server. If the connection is completely lost, it means that the gateway for remote connections is closed on the server. After unchecking the box, the Internet will work again.

VPN connection problems and their solutions

Errors when trying to automatically connect to a VPN connection are numbered with a three-digit number - an error code. This code appears in a separate window as shown in the screenshot.

VPN connection error window; in this case, error 807 popped up

Here are ways to correct the most common errors.

400 Bad Request

This error means that the request from your computer contains some information incorrectly.

  1. Try turning off all additional network programs.
  2. Refresh your browser and reset its settings.

Error 624

Error 691

This error can have many causes, but they are all similar to some extent. So, it appears if you have not paid for the services to the provider, entered an incorrect login or password, incorrectly specified any VPN connection settings, or the connection has already been established. One way or another, check all the entered data in the connection properties or simply create it again, as we did above.

Error 800

This error indicates that there are problems with the VPN server itself. Perhaps it receives too many requests that it does not have time to process, or there is a load directly on your virtual network segment. In this case, you can only report the problem to the server provider/administrator and wait for a solution from them.

Error 800 means the VPN server is overloaded

Error 650

If this error occurs, you need to check the health of your equipment: network card and cable. To do this, it is better to call a specialist. Before doing this, go to “Properties: Internet Protocol Version 4...” (see the item “What should I do if the Internet connection is lost after turning on the VPN?”) and set the switch to “Obtain an IP address automatically.”

Enable automatic IP address selection

Thus, the server itself will provide you with an IP address from the list of available ones with each new connection.

Error 735

The appearance of error 735 indicates that the VPN connection is configured incorrectly. Most likely, a specific IP address is specified. Set it to be selected automatically, as in the case of error 650.

Error 789

In this case, you need to enter the properties of the VPN connection and go to the “Security” tab (we have already described how to do this earlier). From the VPN Type drop-down list, select Automatic. This will solve the problem.

Set VPN type to auto-select to check network health

Other errors

In addition to the above, there are many other local errors. If you are an advanced user, sometimes you can solve them yourself (for example, open some ports in the firewall so that the server works), but most often they must be resolved by your ISP or server administrator. The only thing you can do is to go through all the points we suggested and check that the VPN connection is configured correctly. If the connection worked before, but is now lost, the problem is definitely on the server side.

How to disable automatic VPN connection

Sometimes you may need to disable your VPN connection for a while. For example, to connect to another network or check the possibility of reconnection. To do this, go to Control Panel from the Start menu. Open the list of settings “Network and Internet” -> “Network Center...”. Click on "Change adapter settings" on the left. Your connection will be displayed in the window. Right-click on it and select Disable.

To disable VPN, select the appropriate context menu item

Additionally, once disconnected, you can remove the VPN connection completely. This is necessary if you have configured it incorrectly or you no longer need it. Just click "Delete" in the same context menu.

Creating and masking your own connection

In this section we will talk about the possibilities of masking a VPN connection for the average user. This may be needed in different cases. For example, if you want to create your own small server to control your home computer from your work computer, which would be maximally protected from outsiders. Or you need to mask your IP address through a remote VPN server to gain access to online sites and stores in other countries.

How to create a VPN network using the OpenVPN client

If you want to create a personal small VPN network or connect to a geographically distant server, you will need the OpenVPN program and configuration files from your provider. These files should be selected according to your purposes. Please note that the VPN provider may have nothing to do with your Internet Service Provider. VPN services are paid.

  1. Download the OpenVPN installer from the developer's website. After downloading, run the installer (all actions on the computer must be performed as an administrator) and click Next.

    A program downloaded from other sites may turn out to be a fake or even a dangerous virus.

    Click "Next" to begin the OpenVPN installation

  2. Read the user agreement and click I Agree.
    Click the I agree button after reading the documentation

    3. A list of components to be installed will appear in the installer window. Without changing anything in it, click Next.

    Without changing anything in the list of installed components, click Next

    Specify the desired path to the OpenVPN program and click Install to begin installation.

    Select the desired path to the program and click Install

    When installing the program, Windows will ask for permission to install the driver because OpenVPN creates a virtual device. Just click “Install” in the window that appears.

    Install the virtual device driver, without it OpenVPN will not work

    Once the installation is complete, click Next and then Finish.
    Once the installation is complete, click Next, then Finish

    Now you need to copy the files provided by your VPN provider to a special folder in the OpenVPN program. Follow the path […]OpenVPN\config (here “[…]” is the program path you selected during installation), right-click and click on “Paste”.

    Paste the provider files into the config folder

    Go to the Start menu and find OpenVPN under All Programs. Right-click on the OpenVPN GUI file and select its Properties.

    Enter OpenVPN GUI properties

    Switch to the "Compatibility" tab and make sure that the "Run this program as an administrator" checkbox is checked. Otherwise it won't work.

    Make sure that the OpenVPN GUI program will be run as administrator

    After clicking OK, launch OpenVPN GUI from the Start menu. The program icon will appear in the notification area on the taskbar. Right-click on it and select Connect.

    Right-click on the program icon and click Connect to launch

    The program will start and a log of connection data will appear on the screen.

    This window provides information about the VPN server startup

    Now you can click the Hide button to hide this window. A message will appear on the taskbar indicating a successful connection and the IP address assigned to you.

    Successful connection message

    Your VPN connection is ready to use!

Video: detailed OpenVPN setup for advanced users

Masking a VPN Connection with Obfsproxy

Now your VPN connection is ready to use. Now let's move on directly to his disguise. The Obfsproxy program will help you cope with this task best.

The steps involved in installing Obfsproxy require basic programming and administration knowledge.

This program is created on the basis of Linux systems for multi-level encryption of transmitted data. The full cryptographic algorithms, of course, are kept secret, however, Obfsproxy has proven itself to be excellent among both advanced administrators and ordinary users. Therefore, its use guarantees complete isolation and protection of information transmitted over the VPN network.

As we already said, Obfsproxy is developed on Linux. Therefore, to use it on Windows 7, you will need a Python compiler. You can download it from the official website of the Python Software Foundation. The recommended version is 2.7.13.

  • Run the installation file and when choosing the installation path, specify C:\Python27\.
    Install Python on your computer

    • In addition, you will need a Visual C++ compiler for Python. You can download it from the Microsoft website. It is called something like this: Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler for Python 2.7. Please note that the compiler version (2.7) must be the same as the Python version (2.7.13). Install the program to any folder on the C:\ drive.

    Install Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler for Python 2.7

    Install OpenSSL Light v1.0.2d

    Then it's a matter of little things. Run Command Prompt as an administrator: From the Start menu, type cmd in the search bar, right-click and select Run as administrator.
    Run Command Prompt as Administrator

    Enter the following commands into the command line window in the given sequence (press Enter after entering each command):

  • cd C:\Python27\Scripts
  • pip install --upgrade pip
  • pip install obfsproxy
  • obfsproxy.exe --log-min-severity debug obfs3 socks 127.0.0.1:1050
  • After that, without closing the command line, run OpenVPN as an administrator, click Connect (as we did earlier) and enter the login and password provided by the provider or server administrator.
    Run OpenVPN as administrator

    • You must run the first and fourth commands from the list before each launch of OpenVPN. In this case, you do not need to close the command line, otherwise obfsproxy will not work.

    Your VPN connection is now secure and camouflaged!

    As you can see, working with a VPN is not that difficult. Any user with minimal knowledge can not only connect to an existing network, but even create his own. In addition, cryptographic protection of personal data, it turns out, is also available to everyone. The main thing is to be vigilant when connecting to the traffic of foreign servers. After all, any actions performed by their administrators will be governed by the laws of the country in which the server is located.