How to Set Up OpenVPN client on Windows 7

Please make sure the following requirements are met:

• Windows 7
• Installed OpenVPN software
• A CyberGhost account
  Info: Here's how to create a CyberGhost account online
  Info: Here's how to manage your CyberGhost account
  
• A CyberGhost subscription
  Info: How to purchase or upgrade a subscription
  Info for prepaid subscribers: How to enter an activation key

Step 1

Visit your CyberGhost VPN online account and login with your Premium Username and Password

Click on section 'VPN' from the left-side menu, scroll down the page and click 'Configure Device'.

Choose your desired protocol, in our example: OpenVPN and your preferred country and server group, as described below.

Also, type in a Device name to assign to your device, then configure the parameters for the new device.

• Country: Since native protocol connections may only be used with exactly one server you now have to choose the country you want to surf from; the server to be used in this country will be chosen by CyberGhost automatically.
• Server group: Choose the server group and the OpenVPN protocol (UDP or TCP) you want to use:
  UDP allows higher speed than the TCP version, but can result in broken downloads in some cases. This is the default setting.
  TCP allows more stable connections than the UDP version, but is a bit slower. Choose this version, if you have recurrent connection issues such as sudden disconnections.

Once the desired parameters are chosen, save them with « Save Configuration »

To view the OpenVPN credentials that are generated for you on the configuration dashboard, press 'View'. 

Once the new page is opened, your connection credentials are generated for you but make note of the following information:

• Server group: This is the address of the country (server) you want to be connected with, e.g. '12345-1-ca.cg-dialup.net'. Note: This address changes with every country you have chosen in the step before. The actual single server to be used will be chosen automatically by CyberGhost.
• User name: A solely for this protocol generated user name. This is NOT your regular CyberGhost account user name, it's used only to authenticate with our servers via Manual Configurations.
• Password (you need to check the "Show Password" option in order to see it): A solely for protocol usage generated password. This is NOT your regular CyberGhost account Password, it's used only to authenticate with our servers via Manual Configurations.
• Pre-Shared Key

Please download the configuration file. For that please click on 'Download Configuration' and download the config file to your computer (it's recommended that you create a special folder for the config, somewhere accessible like your Desktop and Extract/Copy the contents of the .zip file there). 

Now, the saved config is a ZIP file, which contains the following single files:

• ca.crt: This is the certificate of the certification authority
  
• client.crt: This is the user certification file 
• client.key: This is your private key file
• openvpn.ovpn: This is your OpenVPN configuration file

If you need to change the country you connect to, you must re-configure the location to use in your account management and download the new zipped config file.

Step 2

1. OpenVPN is a third party software which is not built into Windows and therefore needs to be downloaded from its homepage. Please be aware you need to download the version that fits your Windows operating system:

• WINDOWS 7/8/8.1/SERVER 2012R2 INSTALLER (NSIS)

2. Save the respective installation file ('openvpn-install...') on your computer and start the installation. When it comes to choosing single components leave all settings as you found them and click on 'Next'.

3. Define the folder to save to and click on 'Install'. Remember the path, for you will need it later on. 

4. A warning message, claiming a TAP network adapter will be installed, needs to be confirmed by clicking on 'Yes'. After that click one more time on 'Next' and then on 'Finish'.

 

Step 3

Move to the OpenVPN installation folder and unzip all single files of your downloaded configuration file into the sub-folder 'config', in detail:  'ca.crt', 'client.crt', 'client.key' und 'openvpn.ovpn'.

If you want to surf from different countries, rename the unzipped OpenVPN configuration file from 'openvpn.ovpn' to e.g. 'CG_RO_NoSpy.ovpn' (or whatever location/server group combination you have chosen while setting up the configuration file in your account management). Choose then a different location and a different server group (if available) and download the next zipped configuration file. Unzip it, rename the containing OpenVPN.ovpn as well und copy it inside the 'config' sub-folder. The inside the ZIP file remaining certificate and key files do not need to be copied again, for you already have them from the first download. 

For two different countries you need for example do the following steps:

1. Specify device, protocol and operating system
2. Choose a country, e.g. USA
3. Download the zipped configuration file with certificates, key and OpenVPN configuration file
4. Unzip the downloaded file and copy all files into the 'config' sub-folder inside your OpenVPN program folder
5. Rename the OpenVPN configuration file from ‘openvpn.ovpn’ to ‘CG_USA.ovpn’.
6. Choose the next country, e.g. Romania
7. Download the next zipped configuration file
8. Unzip the downloaded file and copy just the file 'openvpn.ovpn' into the 'config' sub-folder inside your OpenVPN program 
9. Rename it to ‘CG_RO.ovpn’.
10. etc. ...

The sub-folder 'config' now consists of the following files (regarding the example above):

• ca.crt
• client.crt
• client.key
• CG_USA.ovpn
• CG_RO.ovpn
• xxx.ovpn

 

Step 4

Start the 'OpenVPN GUI' with administration rights, which is necessary for all Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 installations.

To do this, right-click on the OpenVPN icon on your desktop or inside your start menu and activate OpenVPN via the context menu entry 'Start as administrator'.

Don't forget to start OpenVPN as an administrator. Otherwise it might happen, that you get connected without being anonymized!

After OpenVPN started you can locate its icon in the system tray. Right-click on that icon, choose the entry with the respective CyberGhost connection, and click on 'Connect'.

Enter your credentials which consist of 1) the user name created in step 1, and 2) the password, also created in step 1. DO NOT use your regular CyberGhost user name and password, which you use to login to the client and your account management!

As soon as the icon changes its color from gray to green you're good to go.

 

For any additional information or concerns - it is best to approach the Support Department:

via e-mail: support@cyberghost.ro
via on-line request: https://support.cyberghostvpn.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
via 24/7 Live! Chat Sessions on our website