nm-applet - Linux - "Invalid VPN Secrets"

[JamesDean 10]

Switched from Windows to Linux Mint. Have everything installed properly, as I can connect when first booting up the computer. My problem seems to come into play when I want to switch the VPN server from one to another. In Windows, I would right click on the OpenVPN tray icon and click disconnect...wait for it to turn red...and then connect to another server. In Mint, the only ways I can see to stop the VPN are either by individual on/off buttons for each server in Network Settings, or one master button for VPN in the nm-applet tray icon. When I try either of these and then try to connect to another server, I get a message that says "VPN Connection Failed, Invalid VPN Secrets". It seems as if I immediately try to connect to the server I was just on, it re-connects, but a new server fails. If I wait a few minutes, It seems to connect to a new server. Is this due to Air thinking I'm still connected to another server because no disconnect signal is sent? If so, how to cleanly disconnect on Linux? (I remember on Windows a "SigTerm" command being sent by OpenVPN on disconnect). What's the cause of, and how to get rid of "Invalid VPN Secrets" on Mint? Thank you.

[OpenSourcerer 1435]

-- Accidently made two posts. Look down --

[OpenSourcerer 1435]

Try to connect using TCP instead.

 

In Mint, the only ways I can see to stop the VPN are either by individual on/off buttons for each server in Network Settings, or one master button for VPN in the nm-applet tray icon. When I try either of these and then try to connect to another server, I get a message that says "VPN Connection Failed, Invalid VPN Secrets".

 

It seems your client doesn't send a packet to close connection which is something arising out of the fact that UDP is a connectionless protocol. More info here.

[Staff 9973]

Hello,

 

we confirm that, it's an old problem with network-manager. It does not pass explicit-exit-notify directive to OpenVPN. Therefore when OpenVPN client in UDP mode ends, the server has absolutely no way to know that the client disconnected until the timeout.

 

When you run OpenVPN in UDP mode via the network-manager, please allow 2 minutes for a server switch (i.e. wait for 2 minutes after you disconnect from the first server before trying to connect to the a different one). Alternatively please run OpenVPN directly to solve the issue completely.

 

Kind regards

[6501166996442015 35]

For whatever reason, this is also fixed by using a different server.

 

I was never able to connect to some servers for whatever reason: it would always give me "Invalid VPN secrets." However other servers would connect just fine.

 

I never bothered to investigate because my servers of preference worked.

[JamesDean 10]

Hello,

 

we confirm that, it's an old problem with network-manager. It does not pass explicit-exit-notify directive to OpenVPN. Therefore when OpenVPN client in UDP mode ends, the server has absolutely no way to know that the client disconnected until the timeout.

 

When you run OpenVPN in UDP mode via the network-manager, please allow 2 minutes for a server switch (i.e. wait for 2 minutes after you disconnect from the first server before trying to connect to the a different one). Alternatively please run OpenVPN directly to solve the issue completely.

 

Kind regards

 

 

Ok, thanks for the answer. By "run openvpn directly", do you mean from the terminal? If so, are there any instructions on how to do that with AirVPN posted somewhere?

 

Thanks

[blknit 0]

Generate your ovpn file with config generator

Enter the directory where you placed the file

Launch the following command from terminal :

sudo openvpn --config filename.ovpn

[JamesDean 10]

Thanks! And the disconnect command? Sorry, just learning Linux.