Anyone running Open VPN Connect client?

[raylo32]

Note: this is NOT a question about those commercial VPN services. Open VPN runs on your supported router and has Windows and Mac clients for remote devices.

I have a new MacBookAir 2 and did the initial setup and all was good. Then after I installed the OpenVPN Connect client my imap email on the MBA2 itself was totally hosed. Still would send and receive email and other devices would capture the MBA2s email actions, but the folders on the MBA2 itself stopped synching. Deleting the OpenVPN Connect client did not resolve the problem so I had to reset my MBA2 to fix this.

Is anyone here running an Open VPN server on their routers and the associated client on a Mac successfully? It does work fine on my iPhone... and a couple of Windows laptops. I am reluctant to try again... but probably will after I make a Time Machine backup. I'd rather not have to reset this device again.

 

[bogdanw]

Have you tried another OpenVPN client?
Tunnelblick https://tunnelblick.net
Pritunl Client https://client.pritunl.com
Viscosity https://www.sparklabs.com/viscosity/

 

[raylo32]

I don't believe those will work with the Open VPN server. You export the certificate from your router, and it is in Open VPN format.

 

[bogdanw]

Tunnelblick:
“Any certificate or key files for the configurations (.key, .crt, .pem, .cer, .der, .p12, .p7b, .p7c, and .pfx files)”
https://tunnelblick.net/cConfigT.html#files-contained-in-a-tunnelblick-vpn-configuration

 

[rpmurray]

Tried Tunnelblick, but it was slow to make connections and looked like a half-hearted port of an old Windows client. Didn't know Prituni Client existed. Viscosity is what I'm using, works great.

 

[raylo32]

That's good to know. I am used to Open VPN Connect app and it works fine on all my other devices, but I am afraid to try it again on my MBA2. But I will do a Time Machine backup to my current state first and then maybe try that, or one of the alternatives.

Tried Tunnelblick, but it was slow to make connections and looked like a half-hearted port of an old Windows client. Didn't know Prituni Client existed. Viscosity is what I'm using, works great.

 

[raylo32]

Was going to try Viscosity, hovered on the file and it said drag it into the Applications folder. Did that and it popped up a message "not available in your country or region". USA, BTW.

 

[rpmurray]

I'm also in the USA and didn't run into any trouble installing the Viscosity app. Not sure why it's doing that for you.

 

[raylo32]

How did you install it? Bear with me because I am new to Macs and don't know the ins and outs. I just followed what the pop up on the file said. I dragged it to the App Store icon which is what the popup said to do. Is there a way to do a manual install? OpenVPN Connect had to be manually installed from the Finder. Maybe I'l try that then with this?

 

[raylo32]

Nope didn't work. I double click on the downloaded file and get the popup to take it to the app store. App store says sorry.

downloaded file is Viscosity 1.10.3.dmg

 

[raylo32]

Never mind. Got it to work. I dragged it to the "applications folder within Finder and that was successful. The pop up showed the app store folded icon, but said "applications.

Edit: false alarm. I double click on the file and get the same popup. If I can figure out how to do a screen shot I'll post it.

 

[raylo32]

Here are screenshots.

 

[raylo32]

Took a chance and reinstalled the official OpenVPN Connect client and it went smoothly this time. Did not wipe out my imap email synching. At least not yet. But, LOL, I don't have my VPN password with me so I won't get to fully test it tonight. But should be good to go.