VPN Forum access and IP addresse Tests

[DocAElstein]

Some notes to be added to in preparation for a Tutorial Thread…
http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post11652 http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showthread.php/2384-VPN-Forum-access-and-IP-addresse-Tests?p=11652&viewfull=1#post11652
See here for more detailed intro and SoftEther : http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post11597

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OpenVPN VPN on older computers with Operating systems XP and Vista

Introduction / Comparison with SoftEther
Skip reading this if you have not read the previous posts concerning SoftEther and XP/Vista, ( http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post11597 )
I have experienced much more consistent results and less problems with OpenVPN compared with SoftEther on my older computers with Operating systems XP and Vista. Problems are mostly limited to minor inconveniences or very minor irritations. In short: it most always seems to work!
The main points to note:
_ There is a specific older version of the Client installing software recommended to use for XP. The newer versions are not expected to work with XP
_ In my experience, the older version should also be used for Vista: Theoretically the newer versions should work with Vista, but there appears to be a problem installing the TAP Adaptor. ( In my experience the newer versions work OK for Windows 7 and above )
_ The main difference in the Client Software is that you will likely need some extra information, configuration files, from your provider for each Server which you want to use.
This information, which is required for the OpenVPN solution, needs to be placed in your computer in an appropriate way after the main OpenVPN Client Software instillation

Introduction/ Recap
The “thing” enabling your access to the internet, ( the “box” connected to your telephone cable, or the thing in your favorite Coffee bar giving you free internet access), has an identifying number, the “IP address”)
By virtual private network (VPN), in very simplified terms, we are talking here about making it seem to everyone, except very qualified and resourceful computer sources, as if the computer that you are using is somewhere else.
We can use our existing Operating software, or commercially and/ or freely available software , ( often referred to as “Client” software) , or a combination of both, to do something called VPN tunneling. In simple terms the software is used to organize and encrypt what you send to and what you receive from, a Server elsewhere. It does that in such a way that the Server sends and receives as if it had sent itself from that Server: Think of it as you digging a tunnel from your house to the Server. Then you somehow make a connection possibility through various cables from your computer via the tunnel to the Server. You organize the connection such that you can both
use the server as a normal computer surfing the internet,
and
then send back what the Server receives from the internet to your computer via the encrypted connection in the tunnel.
OpenVPN is a freely available software which is part of a “intermediate level” type solution: (Very broadly speaking, there are 3 main ways to get a solution to do this VPN stuff
_ a “low level” solution: In Windows you can set up VPN using existing operating system things, if you know what you are doing.
_ a “high level” solution: Download and install all encompassing “App” provided by a VPN provider. Then click the button do what you want.
_ An intermediate solution, requiring some external software, but also requiring some understanding of your operating system in order to get it working like a an “App”
)In the context of things VPN, a “Client” is only loosely defined. It broadly is referring to the software part of the final VPN tunneling solution that is on the user’s computer

Sign up to a provider/ Obtain access to other Servers
Regardless of how you want to do VPN, you need to get access to one or more Servers. The usual way is to register an account with a company providing this Service: The Service is Basically allowing you access to either their Servers, or the Servers that they have access to for the purposes of providing VPN possibilities.
If you intend using OpenVPN Client software, then there are 4 important things you will most likely need to obtain from your chosen provider. These things you need in order to set up connection possibilities using the OpenVPN Client software:
_ Username ( This may be a single Username, or may be several depending on how the particular provider organizes use of his product ) ;
_ Password ( This may be a single Username, or may be several depending on how the particular provider organizes use of his product ) ;
_ A Server internet address for each Server you want to use ;
_ A configuration file for each Server you want to use . ( Typically this is like a small text file, but has the .ovpn extension, ( https://imgur.com/8JYHMTH ) Some providers will therefore, as an alternative, tell you what information is in such a file for a specific Server. You then make this file yourself as a simple text file, and finally change the extension on the final file from .txt to .ovpn )

Working example. hide.me VPN and OpenVPN client
A general explanation of using a VPN is of little practical use, since the organization of internet and associated network systems within computers, in windows, is an imprecise jumbled up mess. I will report on a practical working example from start to finish. The example will use the provider hide.me. They have a free and paid service which from the perspective of the initial setting up is similar. But note that the configuration files are only available for the paid service from hide.me


I will cover the operating systems of XP, Vista in the next few post. Later I may cover newer operating systems.