OpenVPN is a service which allows you to setup remote access for mobile clients through the VPN service protocol. The pfSense® software offers a super convenient way of installing OpenVPN and further create accounts for your organization’s users.
In a previous article we discussed about the pros and cons of installing pfSense on a virtual or dedicated server. Read the article >>
About pfSense®
pfSense is a popular software which comes with advanced capabilities compared to a typical router, and less complexity than other common firewalls. Through an intuitive GUI, pfSense® makes it easy to configure and manage firewall rules, NAT, Site-to-site tunnel, OpenVPN and many more.
In this article we will demonstrate how you can create OpenVPN users using the pfSense® User Interface.
Guide to Setup OpenVPN Users in pfSense®
Check out the following easy steps on how to create an OpenVPN user in pfSense® software.
Pre-requisites
- Admin-level access in pfSense® GUI
- OpenVPN software installed and running
Step 1: Create User
From pfSense top menu go to “System” > “User Manager“
Then click “Add” to create a new user
Enter a Username, Password, and password confirmation
Then check “Click to create a user certificate”, which will open the certificate options panel
- Enter the user’s name or some other pertinent information into the Descriptive Name field
- Choose the same Certificate Authority used on the OpenVPN server
- Choose a Key Length (may be left at the default)
- Enter a Lifetime (may be left at the default)
- Click “Save”
Step 2: Export OpenVPN Certificate
After creating a new user, go to the following path: “VPN” > “OpenVPN” > “Client Export”
Go to the bottom of the page in this section, if you have done the steps of creating a new user correctly, you will find the user you created here. Then you can find the VPN profile of the user you want.
After downloading the profile, import it into OpenVPN Client and voila! If you did everything as per this guide, you have successfully connected to OpenVPN from your computer.
