Guidance on usage: SoftEther Free VPN on Windows Server 2022 DC Azure

Configuration and connection to SoftEther Free VPN on Windows Server 2022 DC Azure

Server start

  1. After purchasing and starting the VM you should know its IP address. You can find it in the personal account of Azure. (You should select the virtual machine from the list. By clicking the item “Overview”, your IP would be displayed in the line “Public IP Address”).
  1. First, you need to open UDP port 1194 in the network properties of the Azure Firewall.
  1. To connect to the virtual machine, run the “Remote Desktop Connection” shortcut “Win + R”
  1. In the window that appears, enter “mstsc” and click “OK”.
  1. In the window that appears, enter the virtual machine’s IP and click “Connect”.
  1. In the window that appears, enter your username and password and click “OK”.
  2. Check the box and click “Yes”.
  1. To start the VPN Server admin panel, you should open the app “SoftEther VPN Server Manager” on the desktop.

Configuring the server

  1. Click “Connect” in the opened window of the app:
  1. When you first enter the application, enter the password “softpassword” into the authorization window.
  1. To work with VPN, first you should add a user to the app.

Click on the “Manage Virtual Hub” button:

  1. Then click on the “Manage Users” button:
  1. To create a new user, click  “New”:
  1. It’s necessary to insert the name of the user into the “User Name” field, type the password into the “Password” field and verify it by re-entering the password into the “Confirm Password” field. After the data were entered, click “OK”.
  1. To change the user’s credentials, select the user and click “Edit”
  1. In order for OpenVPN to work, you need to get configuration files. For this, you need to click on the “OpenVPN / MS-SSTP Settings” button.
  1. Click on the “Generate a Sample Configuration File for OpenVPN Clients” button.
  1. When the window of Windows Explorer is opened, select the path to save the archive:
  1. There are the next files in the saved archive:
  1. You should transmit the file named “…_openvpn_remote_access_l3” to your local computer and save it in any convenient place.

Customize your VPN client

  1. To customize the VPN Client, you need the OpenVPN Client for the work. Go to site: Community Downloads | OpenVPN, download and install OpenVPN client, depending on your OS Windows:
  1. Now the OpenVPN is ready to work and you can run it. After it was started, add your VPN configuration file
  1. Then enter “Username” (1), Select the checkbox “Save password” (2) for your comfort, enter “Password” (3) and click “Connect” (4)
  1. Click “Continue” to confirm use without a certificate
  1. Now you can use your own Virtual Private Network.

You can check the change in your IP on What Is My IP by going to it before connecting to OpenVPN and after connecting.