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Connecting to TxCR via VPN

To access the Texas Cyber Range, you'll need to establish a VPN connection. This creates a secure tunnel between your device and the range infrastructure.

Prerequisites​

  • Active TxCR account
  • VPN credentials (username and password)
  • Supported VPN client installed

Supported VPN Clients​

Windows​

  • OpenVPN GUI (recommended)
  • WireGuard (if configured)

macOS​

  • Tunnelblick (OpenVPN)
  • OpenVPN Connect
  • WireGuard

Linux​

  • NetworkManager OpenVPN plugin
  • OpenVPN CLI
  • WireGuard

Installation​

Windows - OpenVPN GUI​

  1. Download OpenVPN GUI from openvpn.net
  2. Run the installer (requires administrator privileges)
  3. Complete the installation wizard

macOS - Tunnelblick​

  1. Download Tunnelblick from tunnelblick.net
  2. Open the DMG file
  3. Drag Tunnelblick to Applications
  4. Launch and follow setup prompts

Linux - NetworkManager​

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install network-manager-openvpn network-manager-openvpn-gnome

# RHEL/Rocky/Fedora
sudo dnf install NetworkManager-openvpn NetworkManager-openvpn-gnome

# Restart NetworkManager
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

Configuration​

Obtaining Your VPN Configuration File​

  1. Contact your TxCR administrator or
  2. Download from the user portal at https://vpn.txcr.dev (if available)
  3. Save the .ovpn file to a secure location

Importing the Configuration​

Windows (OpenVPN GUI)​

  1. Locate the .ovpn file
  2. Right-click on the OpenVPN system tray icon
  3. Select "Import file"
  4. Browse to your .ovpn file
  5. Click "Open"

Alternatively, copy the .ovpn file to:

C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\config\

macOS (Tunnelblick)​

  1. Double-click the .ovpn file
  2. Tunnelblick will prompt to install the configuration
  3. Choose "Only Me" or "All Users"
  4. Enter your macOS password when prompted

Linux (NetworkManager)​

Using GUI:

  1. Click Network icon → VPN Settings
  2. Click the "+" button
  3. Select "Import from file..."
  4. Choose your .ovpn file
  5. Enter connection name and save

Using CLI:

sudo nmcli connection import type openvpn file /path/to/config.ovpn

Connecting​

Windows​

  1. Right-click OpenVPN system tray icon
  2. Select your TxCR connection
  3. Click "Connect"
  4. Enter your credentials when prompted
  5. Wait for "Connected" status

macOS​

  1. Click Tunnelblick menu bar icon
  2. Select "Connect [Your Config Name]"
  3. Enter credentials if prompted
  4. Confirm when you see "Connected"

Linux​

GUI:

  1. Click Network icon
  2. VPN → Your TxCR connection
  3. Toggle to "ON"

CLI:

nmcli connection up txcr-vpn

Verifying Connection​

Check VPN Status​

Once connected, verify:

# Check your IP address (should show VPN IP)
curl ifconfig.me

# Ping internal gateway (example)
ping 10.0.0.1

# Check routing table
ip route  # Linux/macOS
route print  # Windows

Access XenOrchestra​

Try accessing the management interface:

https://xo.txcr.tamu.edu

If you can reach this, you're connected!

Troubleshooting​

Connection Fails​

Check credentials:

  • Verify username and password
  • Ensure account is active

Firewall issues:

  • OpenVPN typically uses UDP port 1194 or TCP port 443
  • Ensure these aren't blocked by your firewall

Certificate errors:

  • Ensure your .ovpn file is current
  • Contact admin if certificates have expired

Connected but Can't Access Resources​

DNS issues:

# Linux/macOS - Check DNS
cat /etc/resolv.conf

# Windows - Check DNS
ipconfig /all

Routing issues:

# Verify routes exist for TxCR network
ip route | grep 10.0.0.0  # Example

Slow VPN Performance​

  • Try TCP instead of UDP (or vice versa)
  • Check your internet connection speed
  • Consider geographic distance to VPN server
  • Contact admin about server load

VPN Disconnects Frequently​

  • Check your internet stability
  • Disable power-saving on WiFi adapter (Windows)
  • Try different VPN protocol if available
  • Check logs for specific errors

Viewing Logs​

Windows​

C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\log\

macOS (Tunnelblick)​

~/Library/Application Support/Tunnelblick/Configurations/

Linux​

journalctl -u NetworkManager | grep vpn

Best Practices​

✅ Do:

  • Keep VPN client updated
  • Disconnect when not in use
  • Use strong credentials
  • Enable auto-reconnect for reliability

❌ Don't:

  • Share VPN credentials
  • Use VPN for personal browsing if prohibited
  • Leave VPN running 24/7 unnecessarily

Next Steps​

Once connected to VPN:

  1. Console Access - Access Xen Orchestra
  2. SSH Access - Connect to VMs
  3. RDP Connection - Windows VM access

Need help? Contact your TxCR administrator or check the FAQ.