How to Configure a user/password in OpenVPN Server

Wt Riker

10/12/22, 6:22 PM

I've installed OpenVPN server. Everything works except I now want to require a user/password to connect. I can find all kinds of info on user/password for clients but nothing that explains how to set/require a user/password on the server. Can someone point me in the right direction? TIA.

1641

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openvpn

Organic Marble

10/12/22, 6:24 PM

Just to make sure, do you want to make the *client* enter a user id and password to connect to the *server*? Because that's normally not done. It uses keys and certificates instead.

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Ubuntu

Seraphina

10/12/22, 6:32 PM

Firstly a word of warning, certificate authentication is the prefered method for a reason and using alternative authentication mechanisms such as username and password will reduce security.

That said username and password is available as an alternate authentication scheme in OpenVPN. The documentation on the OpenVPN website explains how to configure this should you still wish to do so.

The documentation you need can be found at the following URL: https://openvpn.net/community-resources/how-to/#auth

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Wt Riker

10/12/22, 6:46 PM

Thanks for the reply. I am using certificates but not sure how secure that is. Perhaps I am a belt and suspenders kind of person but if someone gets a copy of the opvn file would not a user/password add a second level of security?

Seraphina

10/12/22, 7:28 PM

My apologies I did not realize you wanted to use both certificate and credentials together. This can be done via the same auth-user-pass and auth-user-pass-verify options simply omit to add the client-cert-not-required. If you are aiming for the additional security I recommend using username and password alongside individual client certificates too. This effectively functions as full Multi-Factor Authentication as it requires both possession of a device containing the client certificate and knowledge of the matching credentials.

Wt Riker

10/12/22, 8:04 PM

Thanks for the help.

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: How to Configure a user/password in OpenVPN Server

TH: วิธีกำหนดค่าผู้ใช้/รหัสผ่านในเซิร์ฟเวอร์ OpenVPN

RO: Cum se configurează un utilizator/parolă pe serverul OpenVPN

RU: Как настроить пользователя/пароль на сервере OpenVPN

VI: Cách định cấu hình người dùng/mật khẩu trong OpenVPN Server

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