Hey guys! Ever wanted to create a super secure tunnel to your home network? Or maybe you need a safe way to access your company's resources remotely? Well, you're in the right place! Today, we're diving deep into OpenVPN configuration on pfSense. It might sound a little intimidating at first, but trust me, we'll break it down into easy-to-follow steps. By the end of this guide, you'll be an OpenVPN wizard, ready to secure your connections like a pro. So, buckle up, and let’s get started!

Why Use OpenVPN with pfSense?

Before we jump into the how-to, let's quickly cover the why. Why should you bother with OpenVPN and pfSense in the first place? Well, there are several compelling reasons:

• Enhanced Security: OpenVPN uses robust encryption protocols to protect your data from prying eyes. Think of it as building a secret tunnel through the internet where no one can see what you're sending or receiving. This is especially crucial when using public Wi-Fi hotspots, where your data is vulnerable to eavesdropping.
• Remote Access: Need to access files, applications, or devices on your home or office network while you're away? OpenVPN makes it possible. You can securely connect to your network as if you were physically there, giving you access to all the resources you need.
• Bypass Geo-Restrictions: Some websites and services block access based on your location. By connecting to an OpenVPN server in a different country, you can bypass these restrictions and access content that would otherwise be unavailable.
• Privacy: OpenVPN can help you protect your online privacy by masking your IP address and encrypting your internet traffic. This makes it more difficult for websites and advertisers to track your online activities.
• Centralized Management: pfSense provides a user-friendly interface for managing your OpenVPN server. You can easily create user accounts, configure firewall rules, and monitor your VPN connections.

In a nutshell, OpenVPN with pfSense gives you a powerful and flexible solution for securing your network connections, accessing remote resources, and protecting your online privacy. It's a must-have for anyone who values security and privacy.

Prerequisites

Okay, before we dive into the configuration, let's make sure you have everything you need. Here’s a quick checklist:

• A pfSense Firewall: Obviously! You'll need a working pfSense installation. If you don't have one already, you can download the pfSense software from the official website and install it on a dedicated machine or a virtual machine.
• A Static Public IP Address (Recommended): While not strictly required, a static IP address will make your life much easier. If your IP address changes frequently, you'll need to use a dynamic DNS service to keep your OpenVPN server accessible. Most home internet connections have a dynamic IP address, which means your public IP address assigned by your ISP can change occasionally. This can be problematic for VPN connections, as you need a stable address to connect to.
• Basic Networking Knowledge: A basic understanding of networking concepts like IP addresses, subnets, and firewall rules will be helpful. Don't worry if you're not an expert; we'll guide you through the process.
• A Computer or Device to Connect To the VPN: You'll need a computer, smartphone, or tablet to connect to your OpenVPN server. You'll also need to install an OpenVPN client on this device.

Got all that? Great! Let's move on to the fun part: configuring OpenVPN on pfSense.

Step-by-Step OpenVPN Configuration on pfSense

Alright, let's get our hands dirty. Follow these steps carefully, and you'll have your OpenVPN server up and running in no time.

Step 1: Install the OpenVPN Client Export Package

First things first, we need to install the OpenVPN Client Export package. This package allows you to easily generate configuration files for your OpenVPN clients. Here's how:

1. Log in to your pfSense web interface.
2. Navigate to System > Package Manager > Available Packages.
3. Search for openvpn-client-export.
4. Click the Install button.
5. Confirm the installation.

Step 2: Create a Certificate Authority (CA)

The Certificate Authority (CA) is responsible for issuing and managing certificates for your OpenVPN server and clients. Here's how to create one:

1. Navigate to System > Cert Manager.
2. Click the Add button.
3. Choose Create an internal Certificate Authority.
4. Fill in the following fields:
   • Descriptive name: Give your CA a descriptive name, like MyOpenVPNCertAuth.
   • Method: Select Create an internal Certificate Authority.
   • Key length: Choose 2048 or 4096 for stronger security. (2048 is generally sufficient).
   • Lifetime: Set a reasonable lifetime for your CA certificate, like 3650 days (10 years).
   • Country Code: Enter your country code (e.g., US).
   • State or Province: Enter your state or province.
   • City: Enter your city.
   • Organization: Enter your organization name (or your name).
   • Email Address: Enter your email address.
   • Common Name: This is the name of your CA. It can be the same as the descriptive name.
5. Click Save.

Step 3: Create a Server Certificate

Now, we need to create a certificate for our OpenVPN server. This certificate will be used to identify the server to clients. Here's how:

1. Navigate to System > Cert Manager.
2. Click the Add button.
3. Choose Create an internal Certificate.
4. Fill in the following fields:
   • Descriptive name: Give your server certificate a descriptive name, like OpenVPNServerCert.
   • Method: Select Create an internal Certificate.
   • Certificate authority: Select the CA you created in the previous step.
   • Key length: Choose 2048 or 4096 for stronger security.
   • Lifetime: Set a reasonable lifetime for your server certificate, like 3650 days (10 years).
   • Country Code: Enter your country code (e.g., US).
   • State or Province: Enter your state or province.
   • City: Enter your city.
   • Organization: Enter your organization name (or your name).
   • Email Address: Enter your email address.
   • Common Name: This is the most important field. Enter the public IP address or dynamic DNS hostname of your pfSense firewall. This is the address that your clients will use to connect to your OpenVPN server. This needs to match the address you expect clients to use. If you are behind NAT, this will be the public IP address of your router.
5. Click Save.

Step 4: Configure the OpenVPN Server

Now comes the main event: configuring the OpenVPN server itself. Here's how:

1. Navigate to VPN > OpenVPN > Servers.
2. Click the Add button.
3. Select the following options:
   • Server Mode: Select Remote Access (SSL/TLS).
   • Protocol: Select UDP or TCP. UDP is generally faster, but TCP may be more reliable in some network environments. Choose whichever works best for you.
   • Device Mode: tun is the usual mode for most uses.
   • Interface: Select WAN or the interface connected to the internet.
   • Local Port: Choose a port for your OpenVPN server to listen on. The default port is 1194, but you can use any unused port between 1024 and 65535. If you change this from the default, you will have to ensure it is forwarded in your firewall configuration.
   • Description: Enter a description for your OpenVPN server, like MyOpenVPNServer.
   • TLS Configuration:
     • Certificate Authority: Select the CA you created in Step 2.
     • Server Certificate: Select the server certificate you created in Step 3.
   • Encryption Settings:
     • Encryption Algorithm: Choose an encryption algorithm like AES-256-CBC for strong encryption.
     • Hash Algorithm: Choose a hash algorithm like SHA256.
   • Tunnel Settings:
     • IPv4 Tunnel Network: Enter a private IP address range for your OpenVPN tunnel network. This should be a different subnet from your local network. For example, you could use 10.0.8.0/24. This network will be used for assigning IP addresses to your VPN clients.
     • IPv4 Local Network(s): Enter the IP address range(s) of your local network(s) that you want your VPN clients to be able to access. For example, if your local network is 192.168.1.0/24, enter that here. If you have multiple local networks, enter them separated by commas.
   • Client Settings:
     • DNS Default Domain: If you want clients to be able to resolve names on your local networks you can add your local domain here, i.e., example.lan.
     • DNS Server(s): Enter the IP addresses of your DNS servers. You can use your pfSense firewall's IP address or public DNS servers like Google DNS (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4). Make sure these are DNS servers that can resolve local names, or only internet names, depending on your goals.
     • Force all client generated traffic through the tunnel: You can use this option to route all traffic from the client through the VPN.
   • Advanced Configuration:
     • Custom options: Add push "redirect-gateway def1"; in this field to route all client traffic through the VPN.
   • Save your configuration.

Step 5: Configure Firewall Rules

We need to create firewall rules to allow traffic to and from our OpenVPN server. Here's how:

1. Navigate to Firewall > Rules.
2. Select the WAN interface.
3. Click the Add button to add a new rule.
4. Configure the rule as follows:
   • Action: Pass
   • Interface: WAN
   • Protocol: UDP or TCP (depending on your OpenVPN server configuration).
   • Source: Any
   • Destination: WAN address
   • Destination Port Range: OpenVPN (or the custom port you configured in Step 4).
   • Description: Allow OpenVPN traffic
5. Click Save.
6. Click Apply Changes.
7. Navigate to Firewall > Rules.
8. Select the OpenVPN interface (a new tab should have appeared after creating the OpenVPN server configuration).
9. Click the Add button to add a new rule.
10. Configure the rule as follows:
    • Action: Pass
    • Interface: OpenVPN
    • Protocol: Any
    • Source: OpenVPN net
    • Destination: Any
    • Description: Allow OpenVPN traffic to any destination
11. Click Save.
12. Click Apply Changes.

Step 6: Create OpenVPN User Accounts

Now that the server is set up, you'll need to create user accounts for each person who will be connecting to the VPN. Here's how:

1. Navigate to System > User Manager.
2. Click the Add button.
3. Fill in the following fields:
   • Username: Enter a username for the user.
   • Password: Enter a strong password for the user.
   • Confirm Password: Confirm the password.
   • Certificate: Click the Click to create a user certificate button.
     • Descriptive name: Give your user certificate a descriptive name, like User1Cert.
     • Certificate authority: Select the CA you created in Step 2.
     • Key length: Choose 2048 or 4096.
     • Lifetime: Set a reasonable lifetime for your user certificate.
     • Country Code: Enter your country code.
     • State or Province: Enter your state or province.
     • City: Enter your city.
     • Organization: Enter your organization name (or your name).
     • Email Address: Enter your email address.
     • Common Name: Enter the username of the user.
     • Click Create user certificate.
4. Click Save.

Step 7: Export OpenVPN Client Configuration

Now that you've created a user account, you need to export the OpenVPN client configuration file for that user. This file contains all the information the client needs to connect to the server. Here's how:

1. Navigate to VPN > OpenVPN > Client Export.
2. In the Client Export section, select the following options:
   • Remote Access Server: Select the OpenVPN server you created in Step 4.
   • User: Select the user you created in Step 6.
   • Export Type: Choose the export type that suits your needs. The Inline Configurations option is easiest for most users.
3. Scroll down and find the section for the selected export type. You can download the configuration file or copy the inline configuration.

Step 8: Install and Configure the OpenVPN Client

Finally, you need to install and configure the OpenVPN client on your computer or device. Here's how:

1. Download and install the OpenVPN client for your operating system from the OpenVPN website (https://openvpn.net/client-connect-vpn-for-windows/).
2. Import the OpenVPN configuration file you exported in Step 7 into the OpenVPN client.
3. Enter the username and password you created in Step 6.
4. Connect to the OpenVPN server.

Congratulations! You've successfully configured OpenVPN on pfSense. You should now be able to securely connect to your network from anywhere in the world.

Troubleshooting

Sometimes, things don't go as planned. Here are a few common issues and how to fix them:

• Connection Refused: This usually means that the firewall rules are not configured correctly. Double-check that you've created rules to allow traffic to and from your OpenVPN server.
• Certificate Errors: This usually means that there's a problem with your certificates. Make sure that the common name on your server certificate matches the public IP address or dynamic DNS hostname of your pfSense firewall. Also, make sure that the client is using the correct CA certificate.
• Routing Issues: If you can connect to the VPN but can't access resources on your local network, this usually means that there's a routing issue. Make sure that you've configured the correct IPv4 Local Network(s) in your OpenVPN server settings.
• DNS Resolution Issues: If you can connect to the VPN and access resources on your local network by IP address but can't resolve hostnames, this usually means that there's a DNS resolution issue. Make sure that you've configured the correct DNS Server(s) in your OpenVPN server settings and that those DNS servers can resolve the hostnames on your local network.

If you're still having trouble, check the pfSense system logs for errors. You can find the logs under Status > System Logs.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've successfully configured OpenVPN on pfSense. It might have seemed like a lot of work, but now you have a secure and reliable way to connect to your network from anywhere in the world. Remember to keep your pfSense firewall and OpenVPN client software up to date to protect yourself from security vulnerabilities. Happy networking!

By following this guide, you've created a secure tunnel for your data, ensuring privacy and security while accessing your network remotely. Whether it's for personal or professional use, OpenVPN on pfSense is a powerful tool in your arsenal. So go ahead, explore the possibilities, and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing your connections are secure.