OpenVPN Connect – OpenVPN App - Android Security, Tools

The OpenVPN Connect app is a client application that allows users to establish a secure and encrypted connection to a VPN server. It does not provide its own VPN service, but rather works with various VPN services that use the OpenVPN protocol. This app is created, developed, and maintained by OpenVPN Inc. and is used by businesses for secure remote access, zero trust network access, and other scenarios.


There are two main VPN services that can be used with OpenVPN Connect: CloudConnexa and Access Server. CloudConnexa is a cloud-delivered service that combines virtual networking with essential secure access capabilities such as firewall, intrusion detection, and zero-trust network access. It can be accessed from over 30 locations worldwide and uses innovative technologies to create a secure overlay network for connecting applications, private networks, and IoT devices.


Access Server, on the other hand, is a self-hosted VPN solution that provides granular access control and supports various authentication methods. It can be deployed as a cluster for redundancy and high scalability. Additionally, OpenVPN Connect can also be used to connect to any server or service that is compatible with the OpenVPN protocol or runs the open source Community edition.


To use OpenVPN Connect, users need to import a "connection profile" file into the app. This file can have a .ovpn extension or can be a website URL. The VPN service administrator provides this file or URL, along with user credentials, to the user. Once imported, the app will establish a secure connection to the VPN server, allowing the user to access the desired network or service.

The OpenVPN Connect app does NOT independently provide a VPN service. It is a client application that establishes and transports data over an encrypted secure tunnel via the internet, using the OpenVPN protocol, to a VPN server.

WHICH VPN SERVICES CAN BE USED WITH OPENVPN CONNECT?

OpenVPN Connect is the only VPN client created, developed, and maintained by OpenVPN Inc. Our customers use it with our business solutions, listed below, for secure remote access, enforcing zero trust network access (ZTNA), protecting access to SaaS apps, securing IoT communications, and in many other scenarios.

⇨ CloudConnexa: This cloud-delivered service integrates virtual networking with essential secure access service edge (SASE) capabilities such as firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS), intrusion detection and prevention system (IDS/IPS), DNS-based content filtering, and zero-trust network access (ZTNA). Using CloudConnexa, businesses can quickly deploy and manage a secure overlay network that connects all of their applications, private networks, workforce, and IoT/IIoT devices without owning and operating a multitude of complex, hard-to-scale security and data networking gear. CloudConnexa can be accessed from more than 30 worldwide locations and uses patent-pending technologies to create a full-mesh network topology for improved performance and routing to private applications—hosted on multiple connected networks—simply by using the application name (for example, app.mycompany.com).

⇨ Access Server: This self-hosted VPN solution for remote access and site-to-site networking provides granular access control and supports SAML, RADIUS, LDAP, and PAM for user authentication. It can be deployed as a cluster to provide active/active redundancy and for operating at high scale.

OpenVPN Connect can also be used to connect to any server or service compatible with OpenVPN protocol or running the open source Community edition.

HOW TO USE OPENVPN CONNECT?

OpenVPN Connect receives configuration information for the VPN server using a “connection profile” file. It can be imported into the app using a file with a .ovpn file extension or a website URL. The file or website URL and user credentials are provided by the VPN service administrator.