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You are here: Home / Other OS / Linux / Setup private VPN network or VPN service provider – complete guide

Setup private VPN network or VPN service provider – complete guide

December 18, 2017 By Richie Leave a Comment

Setup OpenVPN & SSTP Protocols

Our VPN server already supports L2TP/IPsec and SoftEther SSL-VPN out of the box, but if you want to use OpenVPN and SSTP protocols too, we’ll need to do some more configuration (if you don’t want to use these additional protocols, skip this page and move on to: Install & Setup dnsmasq, Setup IPTables.

OK let’s get started, if you’re not already logged on to your VPN server via Server Manager, do so now, then click on the Encryption & Network button.

Click on the Encryption & Network button
Click on the Encryption & Network button

We need to create a new CA Certificate for encryption purposes, but the one automatically generated by SoftEther won’t work because earlier we disabled DDNS making the hostname incorrect. Look for the “Server Certificate Settings” heading and click the New button.

Under Server Certificate Settings click the New button
Under Server Certificate Settings click the New button

Now we can create a new CA Certificate by filling out the form, the most important field is “Common Name:” which must be your VPS IP address, the other details are not so important because this is a self-signed certificate which will only be used between you and your server. Make sure the “Certificate Type:” option is set to Root Certificate (Self-Signed Certificate), then fill out the form as follows, and/or see the images further below:

  • Common Name (CN): [your_vps_ip_address]
  • Organization (O): [anything_fictional_company_name]
  • Organizational Unit (OU): Security Dept.
  • Country (C): [your_country]
  • State (ST): [your_state]
  • Locale (L): [your_city]
  • Serial Number (SN): [leave_blank]
  • Expires in: 3650
  • Strengthness: 2048

Once you’ve filled out the form, click OK, then Yes to the alert.

Fill out the form to create a new CA Certificate
Fill out the form to create a new CA Certificate
Click Yes to the alert box
Click Yes to the alert box

Now click OK on the “Encryption & Network Settings” window to finalize the new CA Certificate, then click OK to the alert box.

Click OK on the Encryption & Network window
Click OK on the Encryption & Network window
Click OK to close the alert box and finish
Click OK to close the alert box and finish

Export .CRT .OVPN Config Files

In order to use both OpenVPN and SSTP, we need to export the CA certificate and OpenVPN configuration files, so click on Encryption & Network button again.

Click on the Encryption & Network button
Click on the Encryption & Network button

Go to your info.txt file and copy your VPS’ IP address to clipboard, then click on the Export button.

Click on the Export button
Click on the Export button

Make sure the “Save Method” is set to Save as X509 Certificate (.CER) and Private Key File (.KEY) option, then click OK.

Save as X509 Certificate and Private Key
Save as X509 Certificate and Private Key

When the Save as file dialog appears, click Documents on the left window pane, then navigate to your VPNGuide folder and enter it. Paste your VPS IP address into the filename box then type .crt for the file extension (important!).

Save the file as your VPS IP address with the .crt extension
Save the file as your VPS IP address with the .crt extension

For the .KEY file leave the name as your VPS’ IP address and just click Save, then OK to the advisory alert box..

Leave .KEY file name as VPS IP address and click the Save button
Leave .KEY file name as VPS IP address and click the Save button
Click OK to the advisory alert box
Click OK to the advisory alert box

OpenVPN Configuration File

SoftEther can automatically generate a fully configured .OVPN file for us. Open up SoftEther Server Manager and click the OpenVPN / MS-SSTP Setting button.

Click on the OpenVPN MS-SSTP Setting button
Click on the OpenVPN MS-SSTP Setting button

Go to your info.txt file and copy your VPS’ IP address to clipboard. Now click the Generate a Sample Configuration File for the OpenVPN Clients button.

Click the Generate a Sample Configuration File for the OpenVPN Clients button
Click the Generate a Sample Configuration File for the OpenVPN Clients button

The server will then generate an OpenVPN config file. When the Save As file dialog window appears, click on Documents on left window pane, then navigate to your VPNGuide folder, save the file as your VPN servers IP address with a .zip extension, then click Save.

Save file as VPS' IP address with .zip extension
Save file as VPS’ IP address with .zip extension

An advisory dialog will popup asking if you want to open the Zip file now, click No then click OK to close the OpenVPN / MS-SSTP Settings window.

Click No to advisory then OK to close the OpenVPN MS-SSTP Settings window
Click No to advisory then OK to close the OpenVPN MS-SSTP Settings window

That has finished this optional OpenVPN/MS-SSTP section, so you can move onto: Install & Setup dnsmasq, Setup IPTables.

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Filed Under: Linux, Networking, Other OS, VPN, VPN Guide Tagged With: Cloud Server, Debian, DigitalOcean, dnsmasq, IPTables, L2TP, L2TP/IPSec, Linux, MS-SSTP, OpenVPN, Private Network, Private VPN, SoftEther, SSTP, VPN, VPN Service, VPN Service Provider

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