OpenVPN Server Overview

The OpenVPN server offers the ability for remote phones to securely work as if they were on the same network as the Wave IP. This includes supporting ViewPoint Mobile softphones. If an installation needs remote phones or has ViewPoint Mobile users that will be using their software outside the LAN, then an OpenVPN server must be set up. The VPN tunnel ensures all voice calls are completely secure while traversing the public internet and reduces the complexity of call set up through network firewalls. The OpenVPN server is only meant to support voice endpoints for the Wave IP. No other uses are supported.

Vertical has provided an OpenVPN server, at no cost. This is delivered as a Virtual Machine image running CentOS Linux. The VM is provided as a VMWare disk file (VMDK). This disk image can, theoretically, be converted to other formats (such as Hyper-V's VHD file) for use on other platforms. The only officially supported platform is the VMWare image (though customers are successfully using Hyper-V to host the image). The image file is available on V-Connect or from your Vertical authorized dealer or direct support office.

There are many third-party devices that also support the OpenVPN protocol. These include routers, VPN appliances, and software images. Any of these should work to support VPN phones, but they can only be used with the Custom Deployment method. Vertical only provides support the provided VM image.

Currently, OpenVPN is supported for the ViewPoint Mobile softphone client as well as the Vertical Edge IP 9800-series phones and the Vertical Edge IP 5000i Gigabit phones (E5000i-24G and E5000i-LLCDG). These phones include a built-in virtual private network client. This client uses the OpenVPN protocol to support a secure connection to the Wave Server. Wave OpenVPN Server is a supported implementation of the OpenVPN protocol.