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MUHAMMED YAZEEN AN
MUHAMMED YAZEEN AN

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Fixing OpenVPN Connection Issues in Ubuntu

#openvpn #ubuntu #vpn #networking

If you've recently upgraded to Ubuntu 24.04 and are experiencing issues with OpenVPN connections failing silently after importing a .ovpn profile, you're not alone. This is a common problem that many users have encountered. Fortunately, it can be resolved using one of two methods: editing the .ovpn file directly or adjusting settings through the GUI.

Method 1: Edit the .ovpn Profile

Step 1: Import the .ovpn Profile

Start by importing the .ovpn profile into Ubuntu's Network Settings:

  1. Open Settings on your Ubuntu system.
  2. Navigate to the Network tab.
  3. Under the VPN section, click the + button.
  4. Select Import from file and choose your .ovpn file.

Once imported, try connecting to the VPN. If the connection fails silently, proceed with the following steps.

Step 2: Edit the .ovpn File

  1. Open the .ovpn file you imported using a text editor.
  2. Locate the line that says: 
   cipher AES-256-CBC
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  1. Comment out this line by adding a # at the beginning: 
   #cipher AES-256-CBC
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  1. Save the file.

Step 3: Re-import the Edited Profile

  1. Go back to Network Settings and remove the existing VPN profile.
  2. Click the + button again and re-import the edited .ovpn file.

Step 4: Reconnect to the VPN

Try reconnecting to the VPN. The connection should now work without any issues.

Method 2: Change Cipher Settings via GUI

If you prefer not to edit the .ovpn file directly, you can resolve the issue through the Network Settings GUI.

Step 1: Import the .ovpn Profile

Follow the same steps as in Method 1 to import your .ovpn profile:

  1. Open Settings and go to the Network section.
  2. Click the + button under the VPN section and select Import from file.
  3. Choose your .ovpn profile.

Step 2: Open VPN Profile Settings

  1. After importing, click the gear icon next to the VPN profile to open its settings.

Step 3: Navigate to Advanced Settings

  1. In the Identity tab, scroll down to the Advanced section.
  2. Click on Advanced Options to open the advanced properties modal.

Step 4: Change the Cipher

  1. Under the Security section, locate the dropdown for Cipher.
  2. Change the Cipher from AES-256-CBC to Default.
  3. Save the changes and close the modal.

Step 5: Reconnect to the VPN

After saving the changes, try reconnecting to the VPN. The connection should now work properly.

I hope this helps :)

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