The use of OpenVPN Connect client for remote connections of Oamk requires the creation of a personal eduvpn-profile file and importing it to VPN client in the computer. First create the profile file, download it to your computer and then import it to OpenVPN client. Only after that the client will be ready for use.
- NOTE! Your Eduvpn profile is valid for 180 days. Its creation date appears in the name of the profile. You will receive a notification in your email 7 days before the profile expires. With an outdated profile you cannot open an OpenVPN connection. In that case, the client says “Authentication Failed“. To anticipate the situation, create a new profile preferably even before your old profile expires!
OpenVPN Connect is available for the Windows computers of Oamk staff in Software Center. If your own device does not contain the VPN client yet, install it according to the operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux): OpenVPN client installing instructions.
Contents of this instruction:
- Creation of VPN-profile
- Importing of the profile file to OpenVPN Connect client in workstations of OAMK staff and other Windows computers
- Opening and closing OpenVPN connection in Windows
- VPN profile validity
Creating of VPN profile
1. Navigate to the service https://eduvpn.oamk.fi/
2. Log in the VPN service with your Oamk user account (account@oamk.fi or account@students.oamk.fi) and with the password.
3. In the VPN service, choose the function Configurations on the left side. The service shows you important information:
- Your new profile file is valid for two (2) years. At the latest then you must create a new one and import it in your use.
- Employees can have two (2) different profiles and students one (1) profile.
- You can only have one connection per profile.
- Profile files are personal like user accounts and passwords.
- If you see a notification that you can not create more configurations, then delete the old one in section Existing before the creation of a new one.
4. In section Profile, choose the type of the profile:
- Staff members choose the alternative Oulu university of applied sciences Staff.
- Students choose University of applied sciences Students.
5. In section Name, give a free-form name which describes your profile.
6. Tap Create and Download.
- The profile file has now been saved on your computer for further measures.
- The first part of the file name is eduvpn.oamk.fi, the creation date is seen in the name and the file format is .ovpn.
- Usually the downloaded files are in the folder Downloads, if you have not defined another saving place.
7. OpenVPN Connect client is available in Software Center for the computers of Oamk staff. Install it from there.
- If the other computer in your use does not have OpenVPN client yet, first download and then install the client that complies with your operating system from the page https://openvpn.net/vpn-client/.
- Installation instructions for own devices and for different operating systems: OpenVPN client installing instructions.
8. Remember to import the eduvpn profile file loaded by you to the VPN client so that it will come into use.
If your computer will be changed or reinstalled later, download the profile file to your device and import it into the program. If your profile expires, create a new profile, download to the device and import to the program.
In this instruction it is told how the profile is brought into OpenVPN Connection in Oamk staff computers and other Windows computers. For the other operating systems the import of the profile has been presented in the instruction: OpenVPN client installing instructions.
Importing of the profile file to OpenVPN Connect client in workstations of OAMK and other Windows workstations
(In the following example images, the server and profile names are indicative and therefore do not correspond to Oamk’s practices.)
- Open OpenVPN Connect using the shortcut on the desktop:
- If Onboarding Tour opens, close it.
- In the menu in the left top corner, choose Import Profile > File > Browse, and import the eduvpn profile loaded by you, in OpenVPN client. In the case that you do not remember the name of your profile file, please look the section 6. in this instruction. Altenatively, you can drag and drop the profile file:
- Check Connect after import and tap Add on the right top corner:
- VPN connection is now installed and connected:
- To close the connection, use the green slide button in OpenVPN Connection window. Use the same button to open and close the connection next time.
Opening and closing the VPN connection in Windows
When needed, open the OpenVPN Connection using the shortcut on the desktop and the green slide button in Profiles window. Use the same green button to close the connection.
VPN profile validity
Your Eduvpn profile is valid for 180 days.
- With an outdated profile you cannot open an OpenVPN connection.
- The profile creation date appears in its name.
Anticipate profile expiry:
- Create a new eduvpn profile and import it into OpenVPN following the instructions above on this page.
Here’s how the creation date appears in the OpenVPN client:
- If you have named the profile somehow otherwise and at the same time deleted the date, you will see the profile expiration time on the service as you progress to step 3 according to the instruction on this page.