OpenVPN Access Server / Self-Hosted VPN (BYOL)

What do you like best about the product?

I like the fact that OpenVPN Access Server supports MFA and SAML for client login. We had used the built in MFA previously using Google Authenticator, and now client login via SAML and we MFA on the SSO side.

What do you dislike about the product?

We have used OpenVPN for years now and like it quite a bit. Managing a cluster of VPN servers could use some iteration and improvements but it pretty solid all things considered.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

We went with OpenVPN Access Server because we didn't want to use a VPN solution that was directly tied to our campus firewall. It was a relatively cheap VPN solution to implement in our environment. We primarily use it for remote access to on-premises servers. The number of on-premises servers has been decreasing over the years as more things went cloud, but we still needed a reasonably priced and secure solution for granting access to those servers.

It was exceptionally easy to install and configure. It works well.

It allowed me to get through geofencing to work abroad.

The configuration is easy on both the server and client side.

Currently, the solution works as it is for our requirements. We are still evaluating full scope of options and fine-tuning e.g. split VPN to allow LAN access whilst on VPN.

New customer.

Works without issues from challenging locatios.

None. New requirement.

The setup cost was reasonable.

I considered using Norton and Nord VPN.

I would rate it a ten out of ten.

Public Cloud

Amazon Web Services  (AWS )

Our infrastructure in AWS  needed to be accessed only by authorized users. OpenVPN  gave us the option to have our employees access the server securely from all over the world.

Some of our IT infrastructures, such as file servers and dev/testing servers, were on-premises. Maintaining and scaling these became troublesome. So, we decided to move to the AWS  cloud. Once in the cloud, we needed our employees to have access from all around the world. We looked up the VPN options in AWS and OpenVPN  seemed to fit our need. We have been running it for several months and it is working great for us.

To be honest, everything came pre-setup out of the box and we did not have to change much of the configuration. We do love the MFA option that forces all the users to comply.

We used Palo Alto before, but the cost was out of our budget.

We recommend checking the compliance you need for the project and picking the product that meets those requirements within the best price. For us, it was OpenVPN.

We considered Palo Alto and Cisco as alternate solutions.

We were surprised how straightforward it was to integrate with AWS. We had a little hiccup with installing the certificate, but we read the documentation and everything was sorted out. We would recommend creating tutorial videos of setup and common troubleshooting. People prefer to watch video guides rather than read documentation.

Public Cloud

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

What do you like best about the product?

I like that OpenVPN Access Server provides secure and reliable remote connectivity with strong encryption. It’s easy to set up, works across multiple platforms, and offers flexible configuration options for teams of any size.

What do you dislike about the product?

I dislike that the initial setup and configuration can be a bit complex for beginners, and managing advanced features sometimes requires a deeper understanding of networking concepts.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

OpenVPN Access Server solves the problem of secure remote access to internal networks and resources. It allows me to safely connect from anywhere, protect data with strong encryption, and maintain consistent access for teams, which improves productivity and ensures data privacy.

What do you like best about the product?

OpenVPN Access Server Review

As a cybersecurity compliance professional, I appreciate OpenVPN Access Server for its balance of security, flexibility, and ease of deployment. It provides a reliable way to establish secure remote access while maintaining compliance with frameworks like HITRUST and SOC 2.

What do you dislike about the product?

Limited Built-in Reporting: While logging is available, the built-in reporting and analytics features are lacking. More advanced insights often require external tools.
Resource Consumption: Compared to other VPN solutions, OpenVPN Access Server can be resource-intensive, especially at scale.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

OpenVPN Access Server helps solve several critical security and access management challenges, ultimately benefiting both security posture and operational efficiency.