OpenVPN Support Forum

I'd like to have parallel sessions, so two simultaneously connected VPNs. Which traffic goes where will be controlled by routes.

I understand that I have to install an additional TAP, but all instructions I can find seem to relate to pre V3. How can I install an additional TAP?

If the 2nd TAP is installed, how can I assign the additional TAP to the VPN connection in the ovpn file?

Thanks

Which version would you be using ?

I'm using the latest version for Windows - 3.3.6

Hello user3245,

OpenVPN Connect v2 and OpenVPN Connect v3 have been designed to allow only 1 active VPN tunnel at a time. This is mainly because it is an end user program where almost exclusively the users of it require access to just 1 VPN server at a time, and allowing multiple connections active at the same time has a high risk of causing routing conflicts.

An example of a conflict - for example a user might connect to a company server that also redirects all Internet traffic to provide end user device security, and at the same time the user might be connected to a VPN that also redirects all Internet traffic for anonimization or protection purposes. Which one does the Internet go through now? That depends on the situation. It can cause unwanted situations that most end users do not know or notice because they are not network specialists.

Power users (should) know how to avoid this problem. By for example having specific routes set up and using full-tunnel on one VPN server and split-tunnel on another. And for those power users there are for example Tunnelblick, TunxTen, OpenVPN GUI, and other applications, which do allow the creation and use of multiple VPN tunnels simultaneously. So if you need this then there are options available for you. Most likely you found instructions for OpenVPN GUI as that one does need additional TAP drivers installed to allow multiple simultaneous connections.

Kind regards,
Johan

Thanks Johan,
I searched for OpenVPN GUI and found the 2.5.6 community edition. Installed and I can connect.
BTW I had issues with the current 3.3.6 (2752) client: remote connections timed out after 2 minutes, this works fine with 2.5.6

But still I haven't figured how to install a 2nd tab. Even after installing 2.5.6 I don't find addtap.bat nor %PROGRAMFILES%\Tap.

Any idea?

There is a menu item: TAP Utilities or something like that.

Edit: Windows menu item: TAP Utilities or something

Ahh, it's not a menu item in the OpenVPN GUI, but a separate Utilities folder in the start menu.
Thanks!