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OpenVPN is an open-source VPN protocol that makes use of virtual private network (VPN) techniques to establish safe site-to-site or point-to-point connections. NordVPN service uses this protocol for a successful VPN connection.
What is the OpenVPN protocol?
OpenVPN uses the TLS/SSL protocol for key exchange and can travel through firewalls and network address translators (NATs). It was written by James Yonan and published under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Because it is an open-source VPN protocol, OpenVPN is being constantly updated by programmers around the world — it is one of the safest protocols to use.
How does OpenVPN work?
OpenVPN allows peers to authenticate each other using a username and password, certificates, or a pre-shared secret key. When used in a multi-client server configuration, it allows the server to launch an authentication certificate for every user, using the appropriate certificate authority and signature. It uses the OpenSSL encryption library as well as TLSv1/SSLv3 protocols and has a number of control and security features.
What OpenVPN ports does NordVPN use?
With NordVPN, you can connect via OpenVPN both over TCP and UDP.
For OpenVPN TCP connections use port 443.
For OpenVPN UDP connections use port 1194.
For more information, please read our article on the differences between TCP and UDP.
How do I manually set up OpenVPN manually with NordVPN?
You can set up an OpenVPN connection manually on different devices. Here are the guides for different operating systems:
For Windows: OpenVPN GUI
For macOS: Tunnelblick
For Linux: Terminal or Network Manager
For Android: OpenVPN Connect app
For iOS: OpenVPN Connect app
For Raspberry Pi: Terminal
