How to use the command 'openfortivpn' (with examples)

Openfortivpn is a VPN client that is used for Fortinet’s proprietary PPP+SSL VPN solution. It allows users to connect to a VPN securely and easily. This article will provide examples of different use cases for the ‘openfortivpn’ command, along with explanations and motivations for each use case.

Use case 1: Connect to a VPN with a username and password

Code:

openfortivpn --username=username --password=password

Motivation:

This use case is useful when you need to connect to a VPN using your username and password credentials. It allows you to securely access remote networks or resources.

Explanation:

• --username: Specifies the username for the VPN connection.
• --password: Specifies the password for the VPN connection.

Example output:

INFO: Connected to gateway.
INFO: Authentication completed with success.

Use case 2: Connect to a VPN using a specific configuration file

Code:

sudo openfortivpn --config=path/to/config

Motivation:

This use case is helpful when you have a specific configuration file for your VPN connection and want to use it directly with the ‘openfortivpn’ command.

Explanation:

• --config: Specifies the path to the configuration file for the VPN connection. The default path is /etc/openfortivpn/config.

Example output:

INFO: Connected to gateway.
INFO: Authentication completed with success.

Use case 3: Connect to a VPN by specifying the host and port

Code:

openfortivpn host:port

Motivation:

This use case is suitable when you know the host and port of the VPN gateway you want to connect to. It allows you to connect directly to the specified gateway.

Explanation:

• host: Specifies the hostname or IP address of the VPN gateway.
• port: Specifies the port number to be used for the VPN connection.

Example output:

INFO: Connected to gateway.
INFO: Authentication completed with success.

Use case 4: Trust a given gateway by passing in its certificate’s sha256 sum

Code:

openfortivpn --trusted-cert=sha256_sum

Motivation:

This use case is important when you need to trust a specific gateway’s certificate by providing its sha256 sum. It allows you to establish a secure connection with the trusted gateway.

Explanation:

• --trusted-cert: Specifies the sha256 sum of the certificate for the gateway that needs to be trusted.

Example output:

INFO: Connected to gateway.
INFO: Authentication completed with success.

Conclusion:

The ‘openfortivpn’ command provides a versatile way to connect to a VPN using different options such as username/password, configuration file, host/port, and trusted certificates. By understanding these use cases, users can easily establish secure connections to remote networks or resources using Fortinet’s proprietary PPP+SSL VPN solution.