---
title: 'OpenVPN 2.x Community How-To: Complete Setup & Configuration Guide'
canonical: https://openvpn.net/community-docs/how-to/
product: Community Docs
description: Learn how to set up and configure OpenVPN 2.x with community how-to guides covering certificates, routing, networking, and advanced features.
---

# OpenVPN 2.x Community How-To: Complete Setup & Configuration Guide

## Introduction

OpenVPN is a full-featured SSL VPN that implements OSI layer 2 or 3 secure network extension using the industry standard SSL/TLS protocol, supports flexible client authentication methods based on certificates, smart cards, and/or username/password credentials, and allows user or group-specific access control policies using firewall rules applied to the VPN virtual interface. OpenVPN is not a web application proxy and does not operate through a web browser.

OpenVPN 2.0 expands on the capabilities of OpenVPN 1.x by offering a scalable client/server mode, allowing multiple clients to connect to a single OpenVPN server process over a single TCP or UDP port. [OpenVPN 2.3 includes many improvements](https://community.openvpn.net/openvpn/wiki/ChangesInOpenvpn23), including complete IPv6 and PolarSSL support.

This topic provides step-by-step instructions for configuring an OpenVPN 2.x client/server VPN, including:

- [OpenVPN Quickstart](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/openvpn-quickstart.md).
- [Installing OpenVPN](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/installing-openvpn.md).
- [Determining Whether To Use a Routed or Bridged VPN](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/determining-whether-to-use-a-routed-or-bridged-vpn.md).
- [Numbering Private Subnets](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/numbering-private-subnets.md).
- [Setting Up Your Own Certificate Authority (CA) and Generating Certificates and Keys for an OpenVPN Server and Multiple Clients](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/setting-up-your-own-certificate-authority--ca--and-generating-certificates-and-keys-for-an-openvpn-server-and-multiple-clients.md).
- [Creating Configuration Files for Server and Clients](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/creating-configuration-files-for-server-and-clients.md).
- [Starting Up the VPN and Testing for Initial Connectivity](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/starting-up-the-vpn-and-testing-for-initial-connectivity.md).
- [Configuring OpenVPN To Run Automatically On System Startup](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/configuring-openvpn-to-run-automatically-on-system-startup.md).
- [Controlling a Running OpenVPN Process](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/controlling-a-running-openvpn-process.md).
- [Expanding the Scope of the VPN to Include Additional Machines on Either the Client or Server Subnet](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/expanding-the-scope-of-the-vpn-to-include-additional-machines-on-either-the-client-or-server-subnet.md).
- [Pushing DHCP Options to Clients](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/pushing-dhcp-options-to-clients.md).
- [Configuring Client-Specific Rules and Access Policies](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/configuring-client-specific-rules-and-access-policies.md).
- [Using Alternative Authentication Methods](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/using-alternative-authentication-methods.md).
- [How to Add Dual-Factor Authentication to an OpenVPN Configuration Using Client-Side Smart Cards](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/how-to-add-dual-factor-authentication-to-an-openvpn-configuration-using-client-side-smart-cards.md).
- [Routing All Client Traffic (Including Web Traffic) Through the VPN](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/routing-all-client-traffic--including-web-traffic--through-the-vpn.md).
- [Running an OpenVPN Server on a Dynamic IP Address](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/running-an-openvpn-server-on-a-dynamic-ip-address.md).
- [Connecting To an OpenVPN Server Via an HTTP Proxy](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/connecting-to-an-openvpn-server-via-an-http-proxy.md).
- [Connecting To a Samba Share Over OpenVPN](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/connecting-to-a-samba-share-over-openvpn.md).
- [Implementing a Load-Balancing/Failover Configuration](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/implementing-a-load-balancing-failover-configuration.md).
- [Hardening OpenVPN Security](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/hardening-openvpn-security.md).
- [Revoking Certificates](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/revoking-certificates.md).
- [Important Note On Possible "Man-in-the-Middle" Attack if Clients Do Not Verify the Certificate of the Server They Are Connecting To](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/important-note-on-possible--man-in-the-middle--attack-if-clients-do-not-verify-the-certificate-of-the-server-they-are-connecting-to.md).

The impatient may wish to jump straight to the sample configuration files:

- [Server configuration file](https://github.com/OpenVPN/openvpn/blob/master/sample/sample-config-files/server.conf).
- [Client configuration file](https://github.com/OpenVPN/openvpn/blob/master/sample/sample-config-files/client.conf).

## Intended Audience

This HOWTO assumes that readers possess a prior understanding of basic networking concepts such as IP addresses, DNS names, netmasks, subnets, IP routing, routers, network interfaces, LANs, gateways, and firewall rules.

## Additional Documentation

### OpenVPN Books

Refer to the [OpenVPN books page](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/faqs/faqs/#where-can-i-find-openvpn-books-_body).

### OpenVPN Articles

For additional documentation:

- [OpenVPN articles](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/community-articles.md)
- [OpenVPN wiki](https://community.openvpn.net/)

## In this section:

- [OpenVPN Quickstart](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/openvpn-quickstart.md)
- [Installing OpenVPN](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/installing-openvpn.md)
- [Determining Whether To Use a Routed or Bridged VPN](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/determining-whether-to-use-a-routed-or-bridged-vpn.md)
- [Numbering Private Subnets](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/numbering-private-subnets.md)
- [Setting Up Your Own Certificate Authority (CA) and Generating Certificates and Keys for an OpenVPN Server and Multiple Clients](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/setting-up-your-own-certificate-authority--ca--and-generating-certificates-and-keys-for-an-openvpn-server-and-multiple-clients.md)
- [Creating Configuration Files for Server and Clients](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/creating-configuration-files-for-server-and-clients.md)
- [Starting Up the VPN and Testing for Initial Connectivity](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/starting-up-the-vpn-and-testing-for-initial-connectivity.md)
- [Configuring OpenVPN To Run Automatically On System Startup](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/configuring-openvpn-to-run-automatically-on-system-startup.md)
- [Controlling a Running OpenVPN Process](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/controlling-a-running-openvpn-process.md)
- [Expanding the Scope of the VPN to Include Additional Machines on Either the Client or Server Subnet](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/expanding-the-scope-of-the-vpn-to-include-additional-machines-on-either-the-client-or-server-subnet.md)
- [Pushing DHCP Options to Clients](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/pushing-dhcp-options-to-clients.md)
- [Configuring Client-Specific Rules and Access Policies](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/configuring-client-specific-rules-and-access-policies.md)
- [Using Alternative Authentication Methods](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/using-alternative-authentication-methods.md)
- [How to Add Dual-Factor Authentication to an OpenVPN Configuration Using Client-Side Smart Cards](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/how-to-add-dual-factor-authentication-to-an-openvpn-configuration-using-client-side-smart-cards.md)
- [Routing All Client Traffic (Including Web Traffic) Through the VPN](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/routing-all-client-traffic--including-web-traffic--through-the-vpn.md)
- [Running an OpenVPN Server on a Dynamic IP Address](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/running-an-openvpn-server-on-a-dynamic-ip-address.md)
- [Connecting To an OpenVPN Server Via an HTTP Proxy](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/connecting-to-an-openvpn-server-via-an-http-proxy.md)
- [Connecting To a Samba Share Over OpenVPN](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/connecting-to-a-samba-share-over-openvpn.md)
- [Implementing a Load-Balancing/Failover Configuration](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/implementing-a-load-balancing-failover-configuration.md)
- [Hardening OpenVPN Security](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/hardening-openvpn-security.md)
- [Revoking Certificates](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/revoking-certificates.md)
- [Important Note On Possible "Man-in-the-Middle" Attack if Clients Do Not Verify the Certificate of the Server They Are Connecting To](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/important-note-on-possible--man-in-the-middle--attack-if-clients-do-not-verify-the-certificate-of-the-server-they-are-connecting-to.md)

---

Prev: [Getting Started](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/getting-started.md)
Next: [OpenVPN Quickstart](https://openvpn.net/community-docs/openvpn-quickstart.md)
Index: https://openvpn.net/community-docs/llms.txt