This guide is intended for University of Oulu students and staff only.

• The instruction replaces the parent, university eduvpn profile instruction. In the future, an openvpn profile will be used.

Using the OpenVPN Connect client for university remote services requires creating and importing your own personal VPN profile file into the computer’s VPN client. First create a profile file, download it to your computer, and finally import the file into the OpenVPN client. Only then will the program be ready for use.

• NOTE! Your openvpn 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 With an outdated profile you cannot open a VPN connection. In that case, the client says “Authentication Failed“. To anticipate the situation, create a new profile preferably even before your old profile expires!

If your university device does not contain the OpenVPN client yet, install it from Company Portal/Software Center. On your other (non-university) machine, install it according to the operating system on Windows, Mac or Linux: OpenVPN client installing instructions.

Contents of this instruction:

• Creation of VPN-profile
• Importing of the profile file to OpenVPN Connect client in Windows
• Opening and closing OpenVPN connection in Windows
• VPN profile validity

Creation of VPN-profile

1. Navigate to the service https://openvpn.oulu.fi.

2. Log in to the VPN service with your university M365 username and its password. If the MFA is asked, provide the information.

3. You will see the advert: “Your new configuration will expire on 20xx-xx-xx. Come back here to obtain a new configuration after expiry!”. It informs you that your next profile will be valid for 180 days.

4. Under Profile select:

• Recommendation: OpenVPN (Prefer UDP), User Datagram Protocol,
• or: OpenVPN (Prefer TCP), Transmission Control Protocol.

5. In section Name, give a free-form name which describes your profile.

6. To create and upload a profile file to your device, click Download.

• The profile file is now stored on your own computer for further action. Usually, the files you upload to the machine are in the Downloads folder, unless you have specified another storage location.
• The first part of the profile file name is openvpn.oulu.fi, it shows the staff/student, the creation date and the name you entered. Its file extension is .ovpn.
• Staff and students can have up to two separate profiles. If you see the advert “You have reached the maximum number of allowed active VPN configurations. Delete some first.”, means that the maximum number of profiles has been reached. Remove at least one of the old profiles, and make a new one.

7. Exit Sign out button

• Your new profile file is valid for 180 days. At the latest, then you need to create a new one and download it for your use.
• A profile file can only be used in one context at a time. If you try to use the same profile on two devices at the same time, the connection will disconnect on both.
• The profile file is as personal as the username and password.

8. Installation of OpenVPN Connect client

• If the university device you are using does not yet have an OpenVPN client, download it from the Company Portal/Software Center.
• On other devices, choose a program that is compatible with your operating system from the OpenVPN website https://openvpn.net/vpn-client/ and install on your device.
• See VPN client installation guide for your computer’s operating system: OpenVPN client installing instructions.

9. Be sure to import the profile file you uploaded to the OpenVPN client to make it available.

If your computer changes later or is reinstalled, upload the profile file to your device and import into the program. If your profile expires, create a new profile, upload to your device, and import to the program.

This guide explains how to import a profile into the OpenVPN Connection program on staff Windows machines. For other operating systems, the profile import is presented in the manual: OpenVPN client installing instructions.

Import a profile file to OpenVPN Connect on Windows devices

• Open OpenVPN Connect using the shortcut on the desktop:
  
• If Onboarding Tour opens, close it..
• Press UPLOAD FILE:

• If the Get connected window shown above is not open, press the menu on the left and then click Import Profile.
• Import your previously uploaded profile into the program either by importing it over the image with the mouse or by using the BROWSE button. If you can’t remember what name or where your profile file is, see section 6 of this manual.
• Press Connect:

• The 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 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 openvpn profile is valid for 180 days.

• With an outdated profile you cannot open the VPN connection.
• The profile creation date appears in its name.

Anticipate profile expiry:

• Create a new openvpn profile and import it into OpenVPN following the instructions above on this page.

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