Secure remote access has enabled our team to reach on-premise servers from any device
What is our primary use case?
Our main use case for OpenVPN Access Server is that we have a static IP in our office and we use it to access the self-hosted applications outside the office using OpenVPN Access Server. We connect with the office IP.
A specific example of an application I access this way is that we have many self-hosted backend servers on our premises with a static IP. Only when someone is connected through the network in the environment can they access the backend server. If they are outside, traveling somewhere, and want to connect to the server, they can connect with their credentials using OpenVPN Access Server to access the on-premise server.
What is most valuable?
The best features OpenVPN Access Server offers include being very easy to use and available on all platforms such as Mac, Windows, and Android, so there is no blocker. I can use it anywhere and that is the best aspect.
Our team uses multiple devices of different configurations and different operating systems, including Android, iOS, macOS, and Linux. To access the on-premise server, they can connect to OpenVPN Access Server through these multiple devices, which makes it easier and more accessible.
OpenVPN Access Server has positively impacted our organization by increasing security and access control. We are more secure, and the accessibility of the on-premise server has also become easier.
The access control has improved since we implemented OpenVPN Access Server, ensuring that only authorized developers can access the on-premise server using their own credentials.
What needs improvement?
OpenVPN Access Server sometimes faces connection issues in low network conditions, but it is overall good and the latency is getting better.
Everything is fine and the UI is pretty useful and comfortable to use since everyone has gotten used to it. I recommend not changing the UI in the future to maintain consistency.
I chose a rating of 9 out of 10 because I feel it is actually good, but in some places, the UI is not consistent, particularly between the Android and macOS applications, where one or two steps may differ.
The user interface of OpenVPN Access Server is very easy to use, although there is a little bit of inconsistency between the mobile and desktop applications.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using OpenVPN Access Server for more than two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
OpenVPN Access Server is stable with no issues as of now.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
OpenVPN Access Server is scalable, and we have not faced any issues with the number of users.
How are customer service and support?
I do not know how the customer support is, but I feel it is good since we have not had a chance to explore the customer support part yet.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have not previously used a different solution, as this is the first time I have used a VPN.
How was the initial setup?
It was very easy to install and set up OpenVPN Access Server within our organization, as they have everything present in the documentation, and it was a seamless process to follow the steps.
What about the implementation team?
We have utilized the access controls feature of OpenVPN Access Server, and it is effective in providing precise access to users, groups, or devices because we have multiple workloads where not all personnel have access to all services.
We have used role-defining features within OpenVPN Access Server, as we have different roles, such as backend engineer, frontend engineer, and multiple product teams, with defined roles based on the products and services they use.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for OpenVPN Access Server is that it is free to use, and we used the open source license as we do not require the paid version, with minimal setup costs for a small hardware required for installation.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We have not evaluated other options before choosing OpenVPN Access Server.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise others looking into using OpenVPN Access Server to consider it as a first choice based on my experience.
Flexible Multi-Platform VPN with Room for Improvement
What do you like best about the product?
I like using OpenVPN Access Server for connecting our different environments to access resources. I appreciate that it provides support for Linux, which helps us meet our client's requirements, unlike other products which only support Windows and Mac. I find the device management, control, and geo-fencing features useful, despite the limited features available for Linux. I also found the initial setup to be easy after understanding the architecture of OpenVPN.
What do you dislike about the product?
I find the need to manually download and share configuration files instead of having the ability to push the config directly to the end system. Also, the control on Linux devices could be improved.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
OpenVPN Access Server supports Linux, resolving OS platform challenges and meeting client requirements.
User-Friendly VPN with Some Latency Issues
What do you like best about the product?
I really like the GUI and easy connections with OpenVPN Access Server. It's easy to understand for us as the source and it's easy to use for our customers.
What do you dislike about the product?
Maybe sometimes there is a bit of latency.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use OpenVPN Access Server for remote access, solving the need to work from the office and simplifying the complex interfaces of other VPN clients. I really like the easy-to-understand GUI, making it user-friendly for both our team and customers.
Powerful Crypto, Surprisingly Approachable VPN Appliance
What do you like best about the product?
What I like most about OpenVPN Access Server is the way it balances power with approachability. Under the hood, it’s doing serious cryptographic work, but on the surface it feels like a well-mannered appliance rather than a pile of config files just waiting for you to make one wrong move.
What do you dislike about the product?
The abstraction layer is a bit of a mixed blessing. The web UI makes common tasks straightforward, but as soon as you need to do something unusual, you can run into invisible walls. Not every OpenVPN feature is exposed in a clear or complete way, and when you drop down to manual config edits, it can feel like you’re suddenly fighting the system rather than extending it.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
It solves identity and access control for remote connectivity. Rather than juggling shared keys or brittle, static configs, you get per-user authentication, certificates, and straightforward revocation. As a result, when access needs to change, the blast radius stays small and predictable. For me, that means fewer “who still has access?” moments, and faster offboarding that doesn’t depend on hope.
Effortless Security with Intuitive GUI
What do you like best about the product?
I really like the GUI front and backend of OpenVPN Access Server. It's easy to use and very informative. The initial setup was easy as well.
What do you dislike about the product?
I don't think I have any specific reasons right now as it is still pretty new to me.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use OpenVPN Access Server for external consultants to access company systems, connecting to cloud apps not open to the public.
Seamless GSuite SSO Integration Makes It Stand Out
What do you like best about the product?
I really appreciate the fact that it can be integrated with GSuite SSO. That is the primary reason we chose this solution.
What do you dislike about the product?
It does not natively support IPv6. Our environment is 100% IPv6, so we had to do some extra tweaking to get IPv6 working correctly. It would be nice to have IPv6 more natively supported.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
For us, we needed a way for Employee's to remotely connect to our Corporate network and they have to be authenticated via GSuite. Your solution makes that easy, and straight forward.
Outstanding Support Makes All the Difference
What do you like best about the product?
The support team is great. It is pretty easy to deploy.
What do you dislike about the product?
Routing is a bit of chore. The default uses a nat, but if you want to route the network things get a bit complicated.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
users can connect with a simple web interface. So, this makes things easy.
Secure, User-Friendly Remote Access That Just Works
What do you like best about the product?
What I appreciate most about OpenVPN Access Server is the strong security it offers, all while remaining user-friendly. It enables secure remote access to internal systems from any location, maintaining a stable and dependable connection. The setup process is simple for users, and after connecting, it operates quietly in the background without interfering with daily tasks.
What do you dislike about the product?
ometimes the connection can be a bit slow, and if the VPN disconnects unexpectedly, it can interrupt work and require reconnecting. While it doesn’t happen often, it can be inconvenient when it does.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
OpenVPN Access Server solves the problem of secure remote access to internal systems and sensitive data. It allows our team to safely connect to private services from different locations, protecting systems from unauthorized access. This benefits us by improving security, enabling remote work, and ensuring that only authorized users can access critical platforms without exposing them to the public internet.
Simple Configuration and Secure Access to Cloud
What do you like best about the product?
I like the easy and quick installation and implementation of OpenVPN Access Server, as well as its functionalities. I also value the integration with AWS and have found the tutorials useful.
What do you dislike about the product?
the price could be a little lower for the first sector (less than 20 users)
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use OpenVPN Access Server to secure connectivity from various locations to my cloud infrastructure, with integration to SSO and MFA.
Effortless Setup Makes Deployment a Breeze
What do you like best about the product?
Ease of setup for the end user. We had to deploy about 20 OpenServer Appliances in about 2 months. Getting the end users setup and working was a breeze
What do you dislike about the product?
Not having Port Groups setup for server access. If I need someone to have access to one server and just RDP (for example), i need to create 2 rules (1 for TCP and 1 for UDP). It would be nice to be able to bundle TCP/UDP ports together.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
The big business problem that they helped us solve was the fact that we had our clients on Sonicwall SMA for the past 10 years or so and we were able to switch all of them over in about 2 months.
