Steps to Establish Connection to VPN From iOS Devices
The latest iOS devises like iPhones and iPads are having their own ways to connect to VPN. They have already loaded with the needed protocols to integrate PPTP, L2TP/IPSec and Cisco IPSec. With iOS devices users are also allowed to get connected to open VPN networks especially by utilizing third party applications. iPhones get automatically detached from VPN when the device is turned to sleep mode in the prior versions of iOS especially those released before iOS 8. This makes the user of such devices to continuously reconnect to the network. But the latest iOS has been developed in such a way to keep the connection live even if the device turns to sleep.
How to Link with PPTP, L2TP/IPSec and Cisco IPSec VPNs?
Inorder to establish a VPN, what you have to do is to simply open up ‘Settings‘ application in your iOS device and then go into ‘General Section’. You will find ‘VPN‘ close to the lowest of the list. Select the option and click on `Add VPN Configuration‘ and insert the VPN settings to your iOS device. If you want to add multiple VPNs, then you can do the same from this screen.
Now you have to select respective VPNs for establishing connections. You have to select L2TP for L2TP/IPSec, IPSec for Cisco IPSec and PPTP for PPTP. Now provide your linking details on the screen that appears to you. Suppose the VPN is provided by your workplace then you have to give those details. But if you want to connect to an Open VPN you have to follow certain other steps, since it is entirely different from the above.
Steps to Link with an Open VPN
Here the saddest thing that you have to face is that iOS devices do not have an inbuilt Open VPN support. Don’t worry, since the third party apps will come handy here. For that you have to download a third party VPN app and install it in your device. One such application is OpenVPN Connect. All you have to do is to download the app, install it, open it and use.
Another thing you have to do is to configure the VPN server in the downloaded OpenVPN Connect application. For that you will require .ovpn file. If you want to download it you have to link your iPhone or other iOS device to your PC, click on iTunes and you have to click on connected device. There in ‘Apps Menu‘ you will find .ovpn file, its certificate and also keys. Once you do this you will be able to ink with VPN.
This would help one single user to open up connection with VPN. When it comes to large organizations there will be centralized management of iOS devices where you will be provided a connection to VPN by way of configuring your profiles or mobile servers. The users are provided with a configuration fie which they can download and launch to get linked to appropriate VPN settings.
Certificate Files and Linking with VPN
Sometimes you will need the help of certificate files to connect to VPN, and then you will need to download then before you establish a VPN. You can find these certificates on the browser by searching them and once you find them, you can download them. iPhones and iPads backs up file in PKCS#1(.cer, .crt, .der) and PKCS#12(.p12, .pfx) formats. Once if you require any such certificates, then those organozations which give you VPN server must provide them. Also they have to cite the instructions to set up a VPN. But whenever you want to remove those certificates, you can reach them from ‘Profiles‘ in ‘General Menu‘ in ‘Settings App‘
Connect and Disconnect from VPN
Inorder to control the connection settings of VPN, you have to open ‘Settings‘. From there you can switch VPN slider on the upper part of the screen to establish connect or to disconnect it. You will be indicated with a VPN icon on the top of your device screen whenever you get connected to it. You are also provided with an option to use any VPN connection if you have set up multiple connections in you device. For that you have to go to ‘VPN‘ in ‘General Menu’ provided in ‘Settings Application‘ – the same destination where you set up the configuration for those VPNs.
