Setting your client to automatically connect to your VPN when your computer starts

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Introduction

This guide shows you how to set OpenVPN Connect to connect to Access Server automatically using an auto-login connection profile.

Here are the steps to do that, outlined in the section below:

  1. The user installs OpenVPN Connect.
  2. The admin allows an auto-login connection profile for the user.
  3. The user downloads an auto-login profile.
  4. Set the appropriate launch options settings for Connect.
  5. The client device connects to the VPN automatically at startup.

Note: These instructions apply to macOS and Windows.

Install OpenVPN Connect

The user installs OpenVPN Connect on their device.

Allow auto-login connection profile

The administrator allows downloading an auto-login connection profile:

  1. Sign in to the Admin Web UI.
  2. Click User Permissions > User Management.
  3. Find the user from the list and check Allow Auto-login.
  4. Click Save Settings and Update Running Server.

Download auto-login profile

The user downloads and imports an auto-login connection profile:

  1. Sign in to the Client Web UI.
  2. Under Available Connection Profiles, click the autologin profile.
    • The connection profile downloads to their device.
  3. Double click the connection profile.
    • OpenVPN Connect opens to the Import Profile screen.
  4. Click Import to import the auto-login connection profile.

Set the OpenVPN Connect launch options

The user now selects the OpenVPN connect launch options appropriate to their operating system.

Set launch options on macOS

  1. Click the OpenVPN icon on the ribbon bar.
  2. Select Settings > Launch Options.
  3. Select Restore connection.

Note: You can also choose Connect latest, and OpenVPN Connect will launch after a reboot and try to connect to the latest connected profile in the list.

Set launch options on Windows

  1. Right-click on the OpenVPN icon in the taskbar.
  2. Select Settings > Launch Options.
  3. Select Restore connection.

Note: You can also choose Connect latest, and OpenVPN Connect will launch after a reboot and try to connect to the latest connected profile in the list.

Connect to your VPN

The last step is to connect to Access Server with the auto-login connection profile so OpenVPN Connect knows the profile to restore connection with after a restart:

  1. Launch OpenVPN Connect.
  2. Click the toggle next to the auto-login connection profile.
    • OpenVPN Connect makes the connection and displays the connection status.
  3. The user can close the app window, and the VPN connection remains in the background.

When the user restarts their device, OpenVPN Connect launches at startup and restores the connection to the profile that was connected before the app shut down.