VPN Forum access and IP addresse Tests

[DocAElstein]

VPN and IP Addresses
Some of the initial investigations into testing VPN and in looking at problems showed that it was useful to be able to monitor various IP addresses.
The main (Public) address, as already discussed, ( http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post11597 ) , is of course important to know . There is also a “local host”, which more typically is set to the same number for everyone, (127.0.0.1 ). This is a number which conventionally is used to allow direct access to network aspects of your computer which might otherwise be accessed externally in some way or another. A characteristic of VPN software is that it manipulate your computer in a way such that, amongst other things , this number will change to the internal address used at your VPN provider to identify you within their system. It is part of the trickery in the Client software, that you “looking at yourself” gets manipulated into looking somewhere else. The provider in some ways is then in control of your computer allowing them to give the impression that your computer is physically somewhere else: Part of your computer “Soul” is with them.

Public address
Manually this is achieved typically by visiting various sites that provide you with this information. The automated way still needs to use such sites. The reason for this is that you need to be able to get the information by accessing yourself in the way that another computer connected to the internet “gets at you”. Part of this process involves obtaining your public address as you communicate initially with them. We could scrap any site offering the service and pick out the IP address information.
We can simplify the coding to do this by accessing a site available which only gives the IP information, and which shows as the website that you “see” just that IP address number.
So for example if you type in your browser URL bar, http://myip.dnsomatic.com/ , then all you will see is the IP address. You will even see only that if you are in Google Chrome Browser and right click and view the Page Source
Page Source myip dnsomatic .JPG : https://imgur.com/uceUKE4

This information will be the entire .responseText received back. In normal scrapping coding you might feed this supplied text string into an object model software which allows you to then pick out using OOP type techniques what you want. If we use the site http://myip.dnsomatic.com/ , we don’t need to take that extra step, and can simply view the entire .responseText , as this is the exact info we want.

( I found that sometimes the first one or few attemps did not work in the next coding, but almost always after a few attemopts it worked. So the recursion technique is used to call the Function a few times , if necerssary )

Option Explicit
Sub TestPubicIP()
Dim strIP As String
 Call PubicIP(strIP)
 MsgBox prompt:=strIP
 'Call WtchaGot(strIP)
End Sub
' Because we have ByRef PublicIP  , the is effectively taking the variable  strIP  into the function, and similarly in the  recursion Call line  that variable is taken.  Hopefull in one of the 5 attepts at running the Function  it will be filled.. We don't actually fill the pseudo variable  PubicIP  so no value is returned directly by the Function. (So we could have used a Sub()routine instead)  To get a returned value we look at the value in  strIP  after runing the routine , because , as said, hopefully that particular variable will have been added to
Function PubicIP(ByRef PublicIP As String, Optional ByVal Tries As Long) As String
    If Tries = 5 Then Exit Function
 On Error GoTo Bed
    With CreateObject("msxml2.xmlhttp")
     .Open "GET", "http://myip.dnsomatic.com", True ' 'just preparing the request type, how and what type... "The True/False argument of the HTTP Request is the Asynchronous mode flag. If set False then control is immediately returns to VBA after Send is executed. If set True then control is returned to VBA after the server has sent back a response.
     'No extra info here for type GET
     '.setRequestHeader bstrheader:="Ploppy", bstrvalue:="Poo"
     .setRequestHeader bstrheader:="If-Modified-Since", bstrvalue:="Sat, 1 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT" '  https://www.autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=9554  ---   It will caching the contents of the URL page. Which means if you request the same URL more than once, you always get the same responseText even the website changes text every time. This line is a workaround : Set cache related headers.
     .send ' varBody:= ' No extra info for type GET. .send actually makes the request
        While .readyState <> 4: DoEvents: Wend ' Allow other processes to run while the web page loads. Think this is part of the True option
    Dim PageSrc As String: Let PageSrc = .responseText ' Save the HTML code in the (Global) variable. ': Range("P1").Value = PageSrc 'For me for a print out copy to text file etc.    The responseText property returns the information requested by the Open method as a text string
    End With
 Let PublicIP = PageSrc: ' Debug.Print PubicIP
 'Call WtchaGot(PubicIP)
     If PublicIP = "" Then Call PubicIP(PublicIP, Tries + 1) ' Recursion Call line. I do this because sometines it seems to need more than one try before it works
Exit Function
Bed:
 Let PubicIP = Err.Number & ":  " & Err.Description: Debug.Print PubicIP
End Function

As an alternative , I have below a similar coding. It gets the page source from another site which shows your IP address. I found when looking at the page source in Google Chrome, that I could see the IP address conveniently showing between two simple text lines :
Page Source whatismyipaddress_com .JPG : https://imgur.com/LSvORAe
Attachment 2567

To VBA ( or most computer things), that text looks like a long string, and at that point we can imagine that it looks to the computer like any one of these 3 representations
……. ipt -->" & vbLf & "87" & "." & "101" & "." & "95" & "." & "204" & vbLf & "……..
…….ipt --> vbLf 87.101.95.204 vbLf …….

…….ipt --> vbLf
87.101.95.204 vbLf
…….

We apply some simple VBA strings manipulation techniques to extract just the IP address number

'
Sub TestPubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com()
Dim strIP As String
 Let strIP = PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com
 MsgBox prompt:=strIP
End Sub
Function PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com() As String
 On Error GoTo Bed
    With CreateObject("msxml2.xmlhttp")
     .Open "GET", "https://whatismyipaddress.com/de/meine-ip", False ' 'just preparing the request type, how and what type... "The True/False argument of the HTTP Request is the Asynchronous mode flag. If set False then control is immediately returns to VBA after Send is executed. If set True then control is returned to VBA after the server has sent back a response.
     'No extra info here for type GET
     '.setRequestHeader bstrheader:="Ploppy", bstrvalue:="Poo"
     .setRequestHeader bstrheader:="If-Modified-Since", bstrvalue:="Sat, 1 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT" '  https://www.autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=9554  ---   It will caching the contents of the URL page. Which means if you request the same URL more than once, you always get the same responseText even the website changes text every time. This line is a workaround : Set cache related headers.
     .send ' varBody:= ' No extra info for type GET. .send actually makes the request
        While .READYSTATE <> 4: DoEvents: Wend ' Allow other processes to run while the web page loads. Think this is part of the True option
    Dim PageSrc As String: Let PageSrc = .responsetext ' Save the HTML code in the (Global) variable. ': Range("P1").Value = PageSrc 'For me for a print out copy to text file etc.    The responseText property returns the information requested by the Open method as a text string
    End With
 Let PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com = PageSrc: ' Debug.Print PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com
Dim IPadres As String, posIPadres1 As Long, posIPadres2 As Long
 Let posIPadres1 = InStr(1, PageSrc, "", vbBinaryCompare)  '      Screenshot --->   Page Source whatismyipaddress_com .JPG : https://imgur.com/LSvORAe
 Let posIPadres2 = InStr(posIPadres1 + 1, PageSrc, "", vbBinaryCompare)
 Let PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com = Mid(PageSrc, posIPadres1 + 23, ((posIPadres2 - 1) - (posIPadres1 + 23)))
 Call WtchaGot(PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com)
Exit Function
Bed:
 Let PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com = Err.Number & ":  " & Err.Description: Debug.Print PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com
End Function

---

Local Host address and computer name in the next post

[DocAElstein]

Using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)
Why? – because it’s there. It’s not my fault.
Background ideas
Some background reading here, https://tinyurl.com/ydotkymx , might be of no interest: Linking and Embedding Component Model Object, LECMO
It all seems to boil down to a lot of people employed by Microsoft with no clear idea of what to do. Initially a lot of effort has been put into modules that can somehow have available all or most of their functionality via their interface and that the interface has a form/ uses conventions that has at least a chance of being universally compatible. This can allow , for example, for a similar large amount of people now to be employed in making changes and adjustments, to what end, nobody knows.
Although aspects of the concepts discussed above concerned communication via internet, a variation to the above, Distributed Component Object Model , is a variation on an obscure theme specifically to address internet connectivity, or more generally Computer networks in which internet connection can also be included, or even, as in our considerations, hidden.



Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)
Based on COM and DCOM, WMI is an attempt to allow management computer systems including through the internet via tools independent of operating systems
In this case , the Object in COM and DCOM is referring more towards actual Object orientated Programming concepts. This is not always the case , at least in terms of COM stuff, so all of this is deliberately vague as nobody can really remember or can have any real idea about what it is all about.
The end result of interest to us is that we have an external shared library, ( http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ing-Techniques ) from which we can make an object. My guess is that the object of use to us looks something like the table we sketched in the last part of the last post, possibly in a more complex form including a lot of other information. The information is likely to be organized in such a way as to allow Object Orientated Programming techniques to access sub sets of the information. We can typically use this to obtain information about connections and IP addresses

Public Function getMyIPWMIObjectQuery() '                              https://officetricks.com/find-local-ip-address-vba-macro-code/       'Related Reference - Microsoft WMI Scripting V1.2 Library (wbemdisp.TLB)   https://myengineeringworld.net/2014/12/public-ip-mac-address-vba.html
Dim objWMI As Object, objQuery As Object, objQueryItem As Object
Dim vIpAddress As Variant
'Create WMI Object                                                    'Related Reference - Microsoft WMI Scripting V1.2 Library (wbemdisp.TLB)
 Set objWMI = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & "." & "\root\cimv2") ' This probly gets a large table full, of infomation ---    "'The root\cimv2 namespace is used to access the Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration class."
'Query WMI : The execQuery method retrieves a number of instances of something that match a query string. The query string is based on the SQL language...  "  A select query is used to get a collection of IP addresses from the network adapters that have the property IPEnabled equal to true."
 Set objQuery = objWMI.ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration Where IPEnabled = 1")
    
    For Each objQueryItem In objQuery
    Dim strIPs As String
        For Each vIpAddress In objQueryItem.ipaddress
            Let strIPs = strIPs & "   " & vIpAddress
        Next
    Next
 MsgBox prompt:=strIPs: Debug.Print strIPs
End Function

[DocAElstein]

https://www.watchingthenet.com/how-t...-or-vista.html
https://www.watchingthenet.com/how-to-change-your-computer-name-in-windows-xp-or-vista.html

[DocAElstein]

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[DocAElstein]

Setting up SoftEther ( Vista )

Introduction
The explanations assume that you have registered an account with hide.me.
But if you are using a different provider, only the steps related to your Username, Password and finding Host Name at your registered account will be different ( UsernamePasswordHostname.jpg : https://imgur.com/fXtxVWM , https://imgur.com/zMZmqit , https://imgur.com/7huFyW2 , https://imgur.com/rXWYAyz )

Some tips before starting
_1) Set up just 1 – 2 Servers initially.
After the initial instillation, some steps need to be repeated for each Server that you want to connect to in order to “hide behind” it. You finally have a list of Servers to choose from.
It is advisable to just initially try out the software with 1 – 2 Servers closest to your actual location. In the early testing and learning how to adjust various settings, you may encounter problems , some of which may require a de instillation and re instillation of software. After re installation you will need to repeat those steps.
So until you have a good understanding and stable running VPN system it may be advisable not to make many connections. 1-2 are enough to test out the system, and you would otherwise possibly need to repeat work unnecessarily.
_2) Make a list of all or some of you internet providers Server internet addresses. Along with your Username and Password you will need this info at various stages.


Setting up Soft Ether
The initial step is usually to download the SoftEther .exe file and open / run it which will guide you through installing the SoftEther Client.

I have used these successfully:
softether-vpnclient-v4.19-9605-beta-2016.03.06-windows-x86_x64-intel.exe : https://app.box.com/s/nj2rk76riakcpyg280fax35nmb7jev1q
The next one not run, that is to say, the file downloaded OK, but it would not run in order to do the instillation.
softether-vpnclient-v4.30-9696-beta-2019.07.08-windows-x86_x64-intel.exe : https://app.box.com/s/got5jknov33p9x8ky8951d0dhxc0hac1 :


The instillation is fairly typical and self explanatory. Any of the suggested tutorials show the steps.
You may see an extra warning of some initial blocking, https://imgur.com/xExTVjI . If so then choose the option not too block in future. Sometimes this blocking may have an effect on the successful running of SoftEther. It may be advisable to complete the instillation in such a case, then de install and wielder re install.

_2) Network connection organisation in Windows.
_2a) Network connections.
A basic understanding of Network connections in modern computers is very useful when using and setting up VPN since many issues and problems are associated with these things.
The true inner workings of Microsoft Windows may in the meantime not be understood anymore by anyone. Physical connections and actual connector ports, whether physical connection or the arial/antenna for a connection such as WLAN, are all combined deep in the low level software.
An attempt is made in the control panel software to give some organisation of this in a user friendly interface, the Network Connections console, https://imgur.com/sKLn3eb
This Console is particularly difficult to find in Vista: It often does not appear in options or in lists as you try to find it in navigation.
This route will demonstrate:
Take the usual navigation route to Control Panel : https://imgur.com/RJa6fII ,
(If you don't see Control Panel listed, the link may have been disabled as part of a Start menu customization. Instead, type control in the search box at the bottom of the Start menu and then click Control Panel when it appears in the list above )
Now follow the route Network and Internet https://imgur.com/AolK1mg , followed by Network and ShareCenter , https://imgur.com/ECkx3QL
You will not see the option for Network Connections anywhere, so you will need to start typing it in the search box top right, after which the option of Network Connections will appear: https://imgur.com/2TDaFlS
Alternatively, via the search box after clicking on the Microsoft symbol bottom left, type in ncpa.cpl , https://imgur.com/i5dLdnD
_2b) Make a desktop icon or , add " Network Connections " shortcut in Desktop context menu, for quick access of the Network Connections console.
You will likely frequently want to access this when, for example, first getting VPN up and running.
Because it is annoying to find in Vista , you will save yourself some time and frustration if you make a desktop icon link so as to get quickly at it.
To do this in Vista
_2b)(i) desktop Shortcut. Using Desktop Right Click --- New – Link . To do this:
Right mouse click anywhere on a spare space on the desktop, and select from the options in the pop up, new --- linkorShortcut : https://imgur.com/S4zTU6g
Another pop up should come up. First type in ncpa.cpl or explorer.exe ::{7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E} https://imgur.com/khfMD4P , https://imgur.com/c5ysNFN , then in the next window you can give it any name you like, such as Network Connections, https://imgur.com/n2Z1toj .
After this, a desktop icon should appear: https://imgur.com/xXTOJkL or https://imgur.com/FK1QDqe
If you have difficulty getting this to work, then try to find the “thing” , for example the ncpa.cpl , https://imgur.com/3ltfV8n , then give full path, such as C:\Windows\System32\ncpa.cpl , https://imgur.com/tTcLtdv
_2b)(ii) Add " Network Connections " shortcut in “Desktop context menu” ( Desktop context menu is the list available when right clicking on a space on the Desktop )
Warning. This requires doing things to your “Registry”. This can be dangerous, so you do it at your own risk!!
The action starts by accessing “your registry”, via the Microsoft start symbol bottom left:
Type regedit in RUN or Start Menu search box and press Enter, or click on the option that should appear as you have part of regedit typed . https://imgur.com/lRXmUF6 .
That should open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\Shell
Right click on shell, then select New --- Key https://imgur.com/JGDprcj (This is known as “creating a new key under shell”)
A new Folder should then appear, which you should name Network Connections , https://imgur.com/WjgkeHb
Right click on this Folder , ( the new “key under shell” ) , and then select New --- Key https://imgur.com/JgjaeJj
Once again, a new Folder should then appear, which you should this time name command, https://imgur.com/8ZEp3xl
On the right-side pane, double click on Default/Standard . That should bring up a window, https://imgur.com/oQWIo3h , in which you should change the value to explorer shell:::{7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E} , https://imgur.com/T36UoHC
https://imgur.com/wZO5tDy
At this stage you can close the Registry Editor Window.
By right clicking on a space on the desktop, you should now see the new option of Network Connections . Clicking on that Network Connections option should then bring up the Network Connections Console
https://imgur.com/9Idp47d
2c) Network Adaptors.
2c)(i) What are they
Typically, each way you have to connect with the internet or other networks, will be represented by a separate thing in the Network Control Console. (You can select typically from 5 different ways to view these by selecting from a drop down list in the top toolbar of the Network Control Console window, https://imgur.com/sHRZuA2 )
The name given for these things are like Tap / and or adaptor or Network adaptor or Virtual Network Adaptor. These names are approximately consistent with an attempt to represent these virtual things with what might be there real life equivalent in the absence of computers.
Often when you install a VPN Client on your computer, it will install its own adaptor: It is the thing which allows you to connect some thing to your computer. It will somehow contain various settings, adjustments, encoding, transitions etc…


C2c)(ii) States of Network adaptors.
As with some computer things, the “On” and “Off” states are not always clear, and a source of confusion.
_ You could consider “On running” or “On in use” as when the adaptor is actually in use. This will usually be indicated by
the absence of a red cross on the device in some of the picture type views,
or
in some of the list views as “connected”.
Note that this will usually , but not always , mean that it is doing what you would regard as “working” and giving you, for example, a working internet.
Occasionally this “On” state might be referred to as active and enabled, but that is a bit confusing considering the next state:
_ Another state is usually referred to as Enabled or Activated. This could be regarded as ready for use and likely to start running easily.
_ A final state is known as something like Disabled or Deactivated. An adaptor may be disabled/deactivated by right-clicking on it in the Network Control Console window and selecting Disable/Deactivate. Disabling the device will automatically disconnect any connection to that device.

Deactivating and reactivating an adaptor may loose some information held by it, or loose and then replace information. The latter can be a form of resetting which occasionally solves strange problems with a connection, and note that this might not always be the same adaptor which caused the problem. More on that later when discussing typical problems.

C2c)(iii) Adaptor Properties.
Right-clicking on an adapter in the Network Control Console window and choosing Properties will bring up the more advanced properties of network connections and adapters.
You will likely need to access that occasionally when getting familiar with VPN things: Instillation of the SoftEther Client software will typically create an adaptor. That Adaptor will “take over” control and be the “On running” connection when you choose to use the SoftEther VPN. It may also effect other adaptor settings. Checking properties of adaptors can often help in solving problems with VPN stuff. Once again, you may need to check an adaptor other than the VPN adaptor to solve strange unexpected problems in either VPN stuff, or problems in your normal non VPN internet, which occur after you have been doing VPN stuff.














Ref
https://www.askvg.com/how-to-add-net...omment-2751367
https://www.askvg.com/how-to-add-net...s-vista-and-7/
Config files : http://www.frostvpn.com/clients/know...and-usage.html
https://oit.ncsu.edu/my-it/resnet/ip...in-windows-xp/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics...ork-connection
https://kb.wisc.edu/6653#7vista

[DocAElstein]

Setting up SoftEtherVPN on a computer with operating system Windows Vista

For SoftEther use, We have to install the Client to make the GUI available on our computer, along with then some further work in the GUI to make the GUI have connection possibilities for one or more Servers

SoftEther Client Instillation
The set up instructions from hide.me, https://hide.me/de/vpnsetup/windowsvista/softether/ , are clear and easy to follow,
Initially you need to download the Client installing software, but as an alternative to the link given in the set up guide from hide.me to get the download software, these are the ones so far that I have used successfully: ( I may add to this list and edit in the future )
softether-vpnclient-v4.30-9696-beta-2019.07.08-windows-x86_x64-intel.exe : https://app.box.com/s/got5jknov33p9x8ky8951d0dhxc0hac1 :
softether-vpnclient-v4.19-9605-beta-2016.03.06-windows-x86_x64-intel.exe 4.22.9634 : https://app.box.com/s/nj2rk76riakcpyg280fax35nmb7jev1q
Download one of those files.
Opening the file or double clicking on the .exe file will start off a typical instillation process which is a sequential series of pop up windows. You do not need to do much other than just keep agreeing to everything or clicking on Next or OK etc
You might experience some problems if you have an active real time virus/security/protection software.
For example, I have experienced that my Microsoft Security Essentials causes a blank window during an instillation, whilst at the same time a warning pops up, https://imgur.com/6QhDrYl . This was likely caused by some real time security measures removing something that it thought might be harmful, https://imgur.com/vxWtYny
The solution to this problem was to temporarily disable the real time protection , https://imgur.com/tJwfoaL
After this, another attempt at an install did not have the empty window problem, https://imgur.com/VIEJ7xD

Once Installed, the SoftEther VPN Client manager window will likely open automatically the first time. If not, and in any case for subsequent use, you will need to double click on the desktop icon which should have appeared after a successful installation. ( If you look at the Network Connections console, you should not see any change there yet ). https://imgur.com/pmaGTxh
The SoftEther VPN Client manager window is effectively the User friendly interface which you use each time you want to “hide” behind a Server belonging to or used by your chosen VPN provider. But initially it is not much use. You need to repeat some further steps ( New VPN Connection Setting … ) for each of the Servers you want to be able later to choose from.
You also need to have a Network adaptor installed. But this will be offered the first time you try to right mouse click on Add VPN Connection and from the list select New VPN Connection Setting …


Servers and adapter set up
There are two main parts to the SoftEther VPN Client manager window. Later you will mostly be interested in the upper window which will eventually have the list of the Servers that you want to choose from.
( In preparation for filling in the ( New VPN Connection Settings, you might want to list the Server “Host Names” , that is to say their internet address given by your VPN provider. This is the sort of thing you are looking for: https://imgur.com/mOqOdIN : Typically when setting up a VPN, then in somewhere like the “Server name or address" field you would need to enter something of the form free-nl.hide.me , https://imgur.com/utS7isX
Adaptor Set Up
Right click on Add VPN Connection and from the offered drop down list select New VPN Connection Setting …
The first time you do this you will be offered he making of the required Virtual Network Adaptor. https://imgur.com/oLZMphb
You can choose any name up to 31 characters for that, https://imgur.com/WZBnWa2 but note that spaces are not allowed: - If you try that then the OK button will be greyed out and so you will not be able to select it.
This may take a while to be made. After this an entry should appear in the bottom window of the SoftEther VPN Client Manager.

Furthermore, if you now look in the Network Connections console , then you should see an new adaptor appear with the same name as you gave , but note that a red cross is shown indicating that it is “not in use” https://imgur.com/XAGFNzp , https://imgur.com/g000sqf , https://imgur.com/e4qKa91 ,

Servers Set Up
The following steps will need to be repeated for each Server that you want to have available in the list in the first window SoftEther VPN Client manager. I recommend that you initially just try out a single Server that is one of the nearest to your actual location. This is because many problems often occur before you get a stable VPN solution on your computer. Often a de installation helps cure such problems. So initially you should minimise the amount of work necessary after each re instillation. Once you have a stable solution connecting with one Server , then the solution is less likely to be effected greatly by different Servers: most problems are not directly dependant on Servers. Very remote Servers may occasionally cause problems themselves, so pick a close Server for your initial testing.
To add Servers to your list of Server choices in the upper window the SoftEther VPN Client manager , it is necessary initially to once again right click on Add VPN Connection and from the offered drop down list select New VPN Connection Setting … . If you already have the Virtual Network Adaptor , ( as described in the last section ) , then a new Window, VPN Connection Setting Properties should come up
Typically it is sufficient to add 6 settings, which include
_ any Setting Name you like, ( I would suggest one that includes the Server location )
_ Password
_ Username
_ a few other settings which I don’t understand
https://imgur.com/2QDQUaJ
This is a working example of settings for use with provider hide.me . If you are using a different provider, then check with them for the settings you need
hide me berlin SoftEther Properties.JPG https://imgur.com/yGelKG6 , https://imgur.com/HF6AVPv , https://imgur.com/6P2vJx0 , https://imgur.com/UbEYrRB , https://imgur.com/QVJk5pU , https://imgur.com/itvWoJi
I am using the Host Name of berlin.hide.me which is the internet address of the provider hide.me for use of their Server in Berlin, Germany.

Adjusted Advanced Settings in Connection Properties
If you have the time, and are at an early stage of experimenting with VPN, then you might consider making a second connection, using some Advanced Settings differing from the default Advanced Settings.
To do this, make the same 6 steps as in the previous sample, but give this second connection a slightly different name to indicate that you are using adjusted Advanced Settings, and then before clicking OK on the SoftEther VPN Client Manager , click Advanced Settings …, then make these adjustments:
a) Increase the Number of TCP Connections to 8
b) check the box/enable next to "Use Half-Duplex Mode
c) check the box/enable next to Disable UDP acceleration
Adjusted Advanced Settings SoftEther.jpg : https://imgur.com/sVa5Jkh
https://imgur.com/YuxW14m , https://imgur.com/TtS20Vi
After making the adjustments, click OK
first on the
Advanced Settings Window
and then
on the SoftEther VPN Client Manager
https://imgur.com/X68VfRt

( ( This is then another example of original Advanced Settings: https://imgur.com/e9PWaH3 )
This would then be the Advanced Settings after making the adjustments: https://imgur.com/g6DEDhT )

At this point, if all has gone well, then you will have one enabled , ( but not in use yet ) , VPN client adaptor and two available , ( but not yet connected ), connections
https://imgur.com/f9UC0IN

At this stage, nothing will have changed to the state of the SoftEther Client representation in the Network Connections Console. What we have done is setting up the various parameters/ configuration details required for when we want to use specific Servers, that is to say make a “live” connection to a Server


Connecting to a VPN connection: Hiding
This next step is what VPN is all about. You effectively have now the tunnels built and connections ready to be used.
Right-mouse-click on a connection from the list and then click on "Connect" to establish a VPN connection
https://imgur.com/MOoAlAq
The connection process starts, https://imgur.com/hFKQU4m , and you may see a few pop ups, https://imgur.com/lxEMbra , https://imgur.com/K3VUGN4 , As soon as the connection has been successfully established, briefly a pop up shows the internal IP address assigned for you at the Server, that is to say, a private IP belonging to an internal range, which is used for internal routing by the provider https://imgur.com/sULqeS5 , https://imgur.com/weefpvu , and the status "Connected" appears.
https://imgur.com/egXBYTK , https://imgur.com/h1yZN0b

If you now look at the Network Connections Console, the red cross will no longer be showing on the SoftEther Client representation, https://imgur.com/m4Qdhsm , https://imgur.com/SDxREMf


Most often, you will now have a working VPN, and can surf the internet “hidden behind” the Server you chose to connect to. However , some problems come up, particularly initially, but can usually be worked around

Problems with SoftEther connections in Vista and work around
_1) Endless prompt to log in by first use of a connection.
Sometimes the first attempt to make a connection leads to an endless repeating prompt to give your Password , https://imgur.com/1TG4SV6 , https://imgur.com/V1LEGbe
If this occurs, which in Vista is only occasionally does, then you will have to wait for approximately a day. Usually after this, the problem is gone.
_2) 1 minute settling down time
Once you have got rid of Problem _1) , then usually connections do then appear to be successful. But almost always they break , disconnect and reconnect automatically a few time, https://imgur.com/B282Nei , https://imgur.com/oLfSlA1 . It always best to ignore this for a couple of minutes , after which it settles down and the connection I usually stable.
_3) Occasional problems with launching.
Very rarely SoftEther has failed to launch. This may possibly have been the result of other VPN experiments. De installing and re installing SoftEther has always cured this problem
_4) Disconnecting and re connecting to a different Server.
If you are lucky, the simple way to do this will work:
_ right click on the VPN Connection Setting Name of the connected connection in the SoftEther VPN Client Manager ,
_ select disconnect from the options brought up.
_ right click on the VPN Connection Setting Name in the SoftEther VPN Client Manager of the Server you want to connect to
_ select connect from the options brought up.
Often the simple way will lead to an extended problem _2) . In most cases this problem is overcome by disconnecting, closing the SoftEther VPN Client Manager , re opening the SoftEther VPN Client Manager and then making the new connection.

Ref
https://www.askvg.com/category/windows-vista/

[DocAElstein]

powuirfdpoupoaupaufd

[DocAElstein]

aödjadjljdljd



https://www.askvg.com/how-to-add-net...omment-2751367
This is very helpful. Thankyou. Continually navigating the “hidden” Vista Network Connections was annoying

Another option is a Desktop shortcut:
Right click on a space on the desktop , then New -->Shortcut , enter something like one of these
C:\Windows\explorer.exe ::{7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E}
explorer.exe ::{7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E}
C:\Windows\System32\ncpa.cpl
ncpa.cpl

Alan

[DocAElstein]

[FONT=Arial][size=3] [color="#3E0000"]



The main remaining issues for me are just:
_A) getting OpenVPN to work on my Vista Operating system machines. I have not ever managed that yet on any Vista operating system machine.
( SoftEther continues to work consistently on my Vista machines, as it has always since the very start of my experimenting with VPN)

_B) Time out problem issue with SoftEther on my XP machines: The issue remains here that I can always get an apparent successful connection. But only once in approximately 2 days does the internet then work. If I try to make a connection more often than that, then the connection appears successful, but I get time out error in internet. So it appears that I can only get a single working connection at approximately 2 day intervals with SoftEther on my XP operating system machines. ( OpenVPN continues to work consistently on my XP machines, as it has always since the very start of my experimenting with VPN )
_.______________________________

Regarding operating systems, Vista and XP and available updates.
Since these Operating systems are no longer supported by Microsoft, they do not get any Windows updates automatically. Most of these machines I had from new, and they did regularly get updates. So I assume I have the
latest.
I am not too sure how I would now check that the updates are the latest? ( I can get old updates if I know the update KB number, for example form here: https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Home.aspx )

I had a quick look in my update lists on my machines… and I seem to have…
_- On my vista machines:
Windows Operating System updates until 2016; .Net updates until 2016;
Microsoft Office still gets regular updates automatically on my Vista machines
_- On my XP machines:
The shown date on updates is known to have bugs and errors in Windows XP. But I estimate that Windows updates stopped coming on my XP machines from about 2014 .( This estimate is based on inspection of the updates that I have, and looking at the information given for those updates at https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Home.aspx ) ; ( I disabled updates early this year on my XP machines since all my XP machines have licensed and registered Microsoft Office versions which still get offered updates from Microsoft, which cause problems: The problem with this is
that Microsoft often send updates for Office, which when installed, break many things in XP operating systems ! ( http://www.eileenslounge.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=31405 ) )

( Currently my Windows 7 machines and the Windows 8.1 machine mostly get regular automatic updates. But currently I have no problems with hide.me VPN on those )

_.___________________________________________

Regarding Administrator issues
All my machines are used privately by me or members of my family. As far as I know, or rather I assume, that anyone using any machine has "Administrator" status. I am not sure how I would check that.

_.________________________________________

Regarding "Devices" and simultaneous connections
I have not intentionally been using hide.me on more than 3 machinessimultaneously. I have not always "disconnected" or ended , since I leave some machines switched on even when I have not been using them.
Mostly I am still just experimenting with hide.me VPN currently. I have only occasionally used it purposely to do something anonymously on the internet.
I have left a "Robot" program running sometimes to see what happens: I notice then that sometimes a connection is unexpectedly disconnectedautomatically. Mostly it then re connects itself automatically. If it does not automatically re connect, and I have co incidentally noticed the , then often I can re connect it immediately easily.
Sometimes to get a reconnection to work I must end and restart hide.me and/ or restart the computer.
The exception to all that is on my XP operating system machines and SoftEther: On the rare occasions when SoftEWther works on my XP machines and if I have then the Robot program running on it, and if then the VPN connection automatically dis connects, then I can usually get an apparent successful re connection. But then usually the internet does not work and I get the time out problem issue once again. So then I must wait 1-3 days before a SoftEther/hide.me XP system connection results in a working internet without the time out problem.

Sometimes when I have been doing the various experiments I have had only a single connection to hide.me VPN. Other times I have had two or three simultaneous connections. I have often disconnected all but one connection
to see if it influences any issue. I have not noticed it have any effect so far.


_.__________________________

Regarding the … new infrastructure ….- …"only Paris, Kiev, Seoul and Sydney are still on the new system……".. .
As far as I can remember I have not used yet any of those locations. So I expect that the new infrastructure issue will not have influenced any of my experimenting yet.



_._________________


Regarding OpenVPN issues and openvpnserviceinteractive error.
This warning pop up occurs on all my machines even after a fresh install.
All the "Services" that I have been able to look at are set to start up automatic, and I suspect that most , if not all my machines are set to that start up automatic.
At the moment it is all supporting the idea that the warning pop up is best just to ignore.
But I will report back if anything I do changes the occurrence of that pop up warning


_._______________


Regarding your suggestion of …" creating a new user on your computer and
check if OpenVPN is working there.."
I created a new User on a Vista machine and on a Windows 7 machine. All users have administrator status. ( Previously all my Vista and Windows 7 machines have had just one user

[DocAElstein]

So I tried again on a second Vista Computer..
Here, just to refresh, was the current situation, OpenVPN Version 2.4.7-I607-Win7 was installed, We note that the tap thing for SoftEther is there, but the one for OpenVPN does not seem to be there: https://imgur.com/Hw1kL1z
and every attempt at connection Failed like this https://imgur.com/U6pLegg .

I installed all 3 versions of Berlin configuration files, ( https://imgur.com/flNvm6c )
I rechecked connections a few times, re started computer, re tried etc, the result was always a fail like this: https://imgur.com/U6pLegg ( In addition, on restarting the computer , and/or launching OpenVPN I got the error pop up:
_ On computer restart: https://imgur.com/NqVJUjQ "OpenVPNServiceInteractive" ist nicht instilliert. Aufgaben, die administrativen Zugriff benötigen, funktionieren
möglicherweise nicht." "OpenVPNServiceInteractive "is not installed.
Tasks that require administrative access may not work. "

_ On Launching: https://imgur.com/WY3xPdw :
"OpenVPNServiceInteractive" ist nicht gestartet.
Aufgaben, die administrativen Zugriff benötigen, funktionieren
möglicherweise nicht." "OpenVPNServiceInteractive "is not started.
Tasks that require administrative access may not work. "

So I repeat the experiment that was successful with the previous vista
machine…… I de installed OpenVPN Version 2.4.7-I607-Win7 , https://imgur.com/PiTezXc
, https://imgur.com/Gak0EU2
, https://imgur.com/PSy6uLN
, https://imgur.com/KcKBktM
, https://imgur.com/QSK1aXY
I notice that after the de instillation, as previously, the program files, including the tap stuff are all gone, but the configuration files are still there: https://imgur.com/xmyas9A

I now install OpenVPN version 2 3 18-I001-i686 from here
https://build.openvpn.net/downloads/...-I001-i686.exe
or here https://app.box.com/s/wykxqmh0c4wi9o2upoipzbo5z32zt16z )

I made sure that the tap stuff was checked and installed:
https://imgur.com/vqTRjV5 , https://imgur.com/ZdfIJdr

I notice that after the instillation, I now have the " TAP Windows Adapter V9 adapter for OpenVPN " thing shown in my ControlPanel---Network and Internet---Networkconnection : https://imgur.com/w5GVzVl , https://imgur.com/g0EYUZq


So far , every attempt at a connection with the original Berlin configuration file on this second vista machine has been successful : https://imgur.com/h78uTOs ,
https://imgur.com/GaC4q3J ,
https://imgur.com/U6tBfgq

As with the first vista machine, have not been able to get a connection to work with the two new Berlin configuration files ( openvpn-berlin-21 , openvpn-berlin ) : https://imgur.com/8k9MYrS , https://imgur.com/NLNi13

( I also note that I do not get the error pop ups on a restart and/or OpenVPN launch )

_._____________________________________


Just out of interest: A re try with 2 4 7 I607 Win 7 .
Because the Vista issue seems now to be solved, I decided for completeness, and just out of interest, to check out the source of the problem.

I de installed version 2 3 18-I001-i686 on a Vista machine. After this, the program 2 3 18 I001 and the TAP Windows 9 9 2 are gone from the program list.
Also, the tap is gone from the ControlPanel---Network and Internet---Networkconnection : https://imgur.com/hIGDM8l


I now install version 2 4 7 I607 Win 7 . As always, I have the tap stuff checked: https://imgur.com/6kE2lJm
I note that in the instillation, no pop up came up to indicate a tap instillation.
After instillation completion, I see that I have the program files, including the tap thing, but the tap is not shown in the
ControlPanel---Network and Internet---Networkconnections tap connections. https://imgur.com/2iIBK59

As expected, a connection attempt fails, ( and I have the pop up errors on starting )


So I re installed version 2 3 18-I001-i686 . ( in this experiment I did not de install version 2 4 7 I607 Win 7 before installing version 2 4 7 I607 Win 7 )
As always , I checked the tap stuff. I was not asked this time to install the tap. Never the less , the tap appears in the ControlPanel---Network and Internet---Networkconnections
In the program list, the 2 4 7 I607 Win 7 and TAP windows 9 23 3 are gone and the 2 3 18-I001-i686 and TAP Windows 9 9 2 are there.
A connection to Berlin works , using the original configuration files. (Using the two new configuration files fails to make a connection)

As a last experiment, I re install version 2 4 7 I607 Win 7 without de installing version 2 3 18-I001-i686 .
In this instillation I get an error whilst installing the TAP device driver: https://imgur.com/T8cfsmy
After the instillation, in the program list, the 2 4 7 I607 Win 7 and TAP windows 9 23 3 are there
and the 2 3 18-I001-i686 and TAP Windows 9 9 2 are gone.
As expected, I get the start up pop up errors, and I cannot get any working connection.

_.___

Finally I re install version 2 3 18-I001-i686 , and all is well!

_._______________

So this is good news. I seem to have OpenVPN consistently working now on
Vista.

_.___

New Vista Device. TheDocIsHere@vista ( On Acer Aspire 7535G Lap top )
So far I have been doing my vista related experiments mostly on two machines, both of which I have from new, ( Lap top Acer Aspire 4810TZG, ACER computer Aspire X3200 ) . As far as I know they were regularly receiving all the Microsoft updates which were available up until Microsoft discontinued support for Vista
I expect that later this year most of my VPN use on a Vista machine will be on another Lap top of mine , ( Acer Aspire 7535G ). ( This was not in use for a long time and probably did not get all the most recent updates. Most of the listed updates seem to be from around 2013 )

So, I created a new device name, TheDocIsHere@vista , and I expect that I will later this year be using that machine for most of my VPN use on a vista machine, most likely one of my Acer Aspire 7535G machines )

So I installed OpenVPN 2 3 18-I001-i686 on an Acer Aspire Lap top 7535G.
During the instillation the TAP thing was installed, and it appeared in the ControlPanel---Network and Internet---Networkconnections list.
I included the three config files in the config folder: https://imgur.com/RKrm56v
The results were consistent with the recent vista findings, as reported in this Email: Berlin works fine, using the original config files. ( As previously, config files openvpn-berlin-21.ovpn and openvpn-berlin.ovpn do not work )

SoftEther on my Acer Aspire Lap top 7535G
As I mentioned a few times, I like to have two working solution to most computer things. The obvious choice for my VPN stuff on my Acer Aspire Lap top 7535G is SoftEther, since this has mostly worked consistently in all my VPN Vista experiments to date. I was expecting no problem with it…… But I had a problem: I tried a few of the most recent SoftEther Client downloads.
Unfortunately, the .exe would not run. I looked briefly in the internet and there were some suggestions that either missing updates or possibly registry corruption sometimes cause such problems. I have not investigated these two things yet.
I found an alternative solution to this new SoftEther Vista problem: I noticed co incidentally that another VPN provider supplied a link to a much older Soft Ether Client download within their Vista Set Up instructions , ( http://softether-download.com/files/softether/v4.22-9634-beta-2016.11.27-tree/Windows/SoftEther_VPN_Client/softether-vpnclient-v4.22-9634-beta-2016.11.27-windows-x86_x64-intel.exe )
So I tried this old download, and this time, the .exe file ran normally. I set up berlin . https://imgur.com/C4wA45E
All connections so far have been successful,

_.______________________________________
_.___________
Current conclusions ( Vista/ OpenVPN ).

It seems now that one of my last main remaining issues, ( OpenVPN / Vista ) is close to, if not completely, solved. ( I just need to try other locations, and possibly try the older Clients on my other machines , just for completeness and comparison.) Thanks for sticking with me on this one, your support has been very helpful.
My initial conclusions are that the instillation using version 2 4 7 I607 Win 7 seems to have a problem when attempting to install on a vista machine: something seems to go wrong with the TAP instillation. Using the 2 3 18-I001-i686 version does not seem to have this problem.

_.________________________
_.____

Remaining XP SoftEther issue.
I have not had time to look thoroughly yet at this. I will do this and then report back to you. Firstly I will try the suggestions from your last Email. Another thing that I will possibly try is older Client versions

_:___

Just some thoughts........ I suppose it makes some sense to try older Clients if using older operating systems… ? I wonder if a "rule of thumb" could be to try a version whose issue date is close to and/or shortly after the most recent Windows update that is on the computer on which you want to install the Client. My reason for suggesting this is that I presume the people who write this software would routinely be testing their software on a fairly up to date system which would likely have the most recent windows updates of that time.

( I already know from my own small experience that unfortunately, Microsoft updates usually seem to cause at least as many problems as they solve……………. )


_.__________

Thanks again for your help. I will write again once I have had time to look further, in particular at my remaining XP/ SoftEther issue


Alan