How to VPN on Console?

You may be familiar with the concept of a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which allows users to connect to a private network through a public resource like the Internet. A VPN can be helpful to secure confidential information while on the move, or to simply browse the web privately. In this article, we’ll discuss the basics of configuring a VPN on a Linux-based operating system with the help of StrongVPN’s Linux client. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Install the OpenVPN Service

The first step is to install the openVPN service. This service allows you to create VPN connections on the fly, so you don’t have to set up the network beforehand. To do this, open a terminal and enter the following command:

sudo apt install openvpn

This will install the openVPN service. Once installed, you can start the service with the following command:

sudo service openvpn start

This will start the openVPN service. You can confirm that the service is indeed running by entering the following command:

sudo service openvpn status

You’ll see a list of the running services, including the openVPN service. If you’d like to stop the service, you can enter the following command:

sudo service openvpn stop

Step 2: Create a VPN Connection

Now that the openVPN service is installed, you can create a VPN connection. To do this, open a new terminal and enter the following command:

sudo openvpn --help

This will display the standard openVPN help menu. From here you can create a new connection, choose which VPN protocol to use (IKE v1/2/2/3 or L2TP/IPSec), and choose a remote VPN server.

To create a new connection, click on the “New” button at the top of the menu.

When prompted, enter a name for the VPN connection (e.g., My VPN), and then click on the “Create” button.

You’ll now be prompted to enter a password. This password will be used to ensure the security of the VPN connection. Make sure to choose a strong password and write it down somewhere safe. Once you’ve entered the password and clicked on the “Create” button, you’ll see a confirmation screen stating that the VPN connection was successfully created.

To verify that the VPN connection is indeed working, enter the following command:

ping -c4 121.45.67.89

This will try to connect to the IP address of a Google server located in the USA. If you’ve successfully connected to the VPN, this command will display “PING: Successful“, and if not, then it will display “PING: Failed“.

Step 3: Configure Your Proxy Server

If you have a proxy server configured on your local network, you can also use it to access the web. To do this, you’ll need to configure your OpenVPN client to use a proxy server. To do this, enter the following command in the terminal (without the quotes):

export http_proxy=http://Your Proxy Server's IP Address:Port

This will set the http_proxy environment variable to the IP address and port of your chosen proxy server. You can then re-enter the OpenVPN client and choose “Use HTTP Proxy” from the list of connection options. This will configure the client to use your proxy server when making connections to the web.

Proxies can be configured to cache web content, so you may not need to make all of your requests to the internet each time you use the service. If this is the case, then it’s a good idea to turn off “Automatically Refresh” under the same circumstances, as this will cause you to constantly be refreshing the page if you’re using a web browser connected to the VPN.

Step 4: Connect To A Remote VPN Server

To connect to a remote VPN server, simply enter the following command in the terminal:

openvpn --config Filename.ovpn

This will load the configuration file Filename.ovpn from the current working directory. You can then proceed to enter your credentials, or click on “Skip” to save your credentials to a file and enter them later.

In the event that you’re feeling extra adventurous, you can connect to a server located in a different country. To do this, simply enter the following command:

openvpn --config Filename.ovpn --country Country Code

The country code is simply the international country code you’d like to visit (e.g., US for United States, UK for United Kingdom, AU for Australia, etc.). If you’re not sure what country code your target VPN server is in, then visit http://www.internic.net and enter the server’s address in the location field (e.g., 198.80.214.229).

If you’d like, you can also connect to a VPN server from a different continent. To do this, simply enter the following command:

openvpn --config Filename.ovpn --region Region Code

The region code is the 3 digit code for the continent you’d like to visit (e.g., AF for Africa, AS for Asia, etc.). If you’ve not used a VPN before, then this may be a bit much information to remember. In this case, it’s best to select a region code that’s close to your target VPN server.

Once connected to a remote VPN server, you can proceed to step 5.

Step 5: Test Your Connection

With your VPN connected, it’s time to test it. To do this, enter the following command in a new terminal window:

ping -c4 Your VPN Server's IP Address

This will try to connect to the VPN server and will display its IP address. If you see the IP address of your VPN server, then everything is configured properly and you can continue to step 6.

If you’re unable to reach your VPN server, then you may need to configure your network to allow outside connections through your firewall (e.g., by enabling port forwarding for the TCP/UDP port openVPN uses). You can also try turning off your VPN and using a different VPN provider or configuring your current one to use a different IP address as the default server.

Step 6: Remove The Extra Options From The Menu

Now that you’ve successfully connected to a VPN server, you can remove the extra connection options from the menu. To do this, enter the following command in a new terminal:

sudo openvpn --kill

This will remove the “Use HTTP Proxy” option from the menu. You can then click on “Close” to exit the menu.

If you’d like, you can also remove the “New Connection” option and the “Reload VPN Config” option that you’re no longer required to use. Simply enter the following commands to do so:

sudo openvpn --disable

sudo openvpn --reload

Now that you know how to VPN on console, you may want to consider using a VPN on the go. For a full list of countries where the service is available, visit https://strongvpn.com/usage/ and enter your email address to receive a notification when the service is available in your country.