Looking to setup your own VPN server and a little confused about the best kind of VPN software to use? I don’t blame you if this is the case because if you spend a little time searching online you will see that there is a plethora of different software vendors that all have their own kind of virtual private networking software. This alone makes the task of configuring one of these servers difficult for beginners because it means you need to do a lot of research as to what the best software is to use. Hamachi and CISCO are two popular solutions, but another one commonly known as OpenVPN is also a serious contender. OpenVPN is the best solution for anyone wanting to setup their own server simply because it is flexible, powerful and completely free. There’s nothing that this software package can’t do when it comes to configuring the right kind of VPN server no matter your needs.

Firstly, OpenVPN offers client software for a wide range of different operating systems. The standard Mac OS X and Windows, there are also packages available for Android cell phones. The beauty of this is that you can setup a VPN server and then access it using a number of ways. With Android cell phones becoming increasingly popular, it is handy to know that you or your clients can access your VPN from their cellphone if out on the road.

Another added benefit of the OpenVPN server software is that clients can authenticate themselves via several different methods. The most basic is preshared secret key, where users all access the VPN using a shared key. This is obviously the easiest way to get a server up and running so you can use it. The common username and password configuration is also available. However, the most powerful feature here is the ability to use certifcates. Certificate files are created for each user, and they are extremely secure. Regardless of which one you choose, OpenVPN gives you the ability to setup a server using a wide variety of authentication methods making it extremely flexible.

Cost is another final area where OpenVPN can’t be beat. While there may be cases where paying for software is the best thing to do, this just isn’t true when it comes to software for your VPN server. The reason for this is because there’s nothing this free server software can’t do that commercial packages can. In actual fact, you may find that commercial vendors actually offer you software that isn’t as powerful or as flexible as the free OpenVPN software is.

Feel free to try out any of the other software vendors you see around online, but you’ll soon discover that the smartest thing to do is to use OpenVPN. There’s nothing it can’t do, but at the same time it offers you possible the highest level of encryption and safety you can find online with a VPN. With the added benefit of the entire package being completely free, it is no wonder that I personally recommend and more and more people are deciding to get with this software when setting up their own virtual private network server.